How Will Ohio State Replace...Curtis Samuel
K.J. Hill will be one to watch this spring for the Buckeyes.
How do you replace somebody who has done something that nobody else in Ohio State history has done? Well, you probably don't do it with just one person.
Curtis Samuel leaves Ohio State as the only player in school history with at least 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in a career. He rushed 97 times for 771 yards and eight touchdowns this past season, and led the Buckeyes with 74 receptions for 865 yards and seven touchdowns. The 74 receptions were the second-most in school history.
Samuel was named a First-Team All-American and finally gave Urban Meyer the complete hybrid back/receiver that he had been longing for since he got to Ohio State. Unfortunately for the head coach, he only got to see Samuel as a starter for one season.
Now that the path has been laid out, however, perhaps more players will be able to follow Samuel's example.
The Candidates
Who are the candidates? Rising sophomore
K.J. Hill was Samuel's primary backup, along with the departing Dontre Wilson. Hill finished fifth on the team with 18 receptions for 262 yards and a touchdown. While he did not carry the football like Samuel and Wilson, that doesn't mean he won't be heavily used in 2017. What the H-back does is dependent upon what he is capable of doing. Philly Brown didn't carry the ball much, but that didn't stop him from leading the Buckeyes in receptions in 2012 and 2013.
Rising sophomore
Demario McCall is definitely another player to watch. He played running back this past season, but it has always been assumed that he would eventually end up in the slot. At 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, Urban Meyer wants McCall to bulk up, and he definitely will during the offseason. As a true freshman in 2016 he rushed for 270 yards on 49 carries (three touchdowns) and caught four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 6.7 yards every time he touched the ball. Can he catch the ball like a receiver? Spring will reveal a lot.
Rising junior safety
Eric Glover-Williams was moved to receiver this week and my guess is we'll see him in the slot, and given his high school career as a running back and option quarterback, he could also be a guy who gets involved in the running game a bit.
Rising juniors
Parris Campbell and
Terry McLaurin could also find time at H-back, and both have some experience there already. Both are explosive athletes, and perhaps being closer to the football would help them to find a way to contribute more in the box score.
The decommitment of Tyjon Lindsey hinders this position somewhat -- assuming he doesn't recommit at some point -- but there could be another player to watch here in the 2017 recruiting class. Incoming freshman running back
J.K. Dobbins is already enrolled, and while I see his future at Ohio State as a running back, he will be able to help in the slot if asked.
Entire article:
http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Football/2016/News/How-Will-Ohio-State-ReplaceCurtis-Samuel
I'm thinking that
Brendon White might be in the mix too.