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ShowMeBuck
You know what? Chicken butt.
How do you know who we will face in the playoffs?
This team, whether anyone wants to admit it or not, will always be looking to compete against the Clemsons and Bamas of the sport. Now, you have to get through the regular schedule first but that’s the measuring stick.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Ten Storylines for the Buckeyes’ Defense Headed Into Spring
Spring football starts today for the Buckeyes, so with that in mind we thought it would be a good time to touch on the storylines that everyone will be watching over the next six weeks.
We went over the offense on Friday, so today we’ll give the same treatment to the defense.
Ohio State must replace seven starters from last season, which sounds like a lot when you say it out loud.
Those starters won’t be replaced this spring, but that won’t stop anybody from talking about it happening.
Kind of like we’re doing here right now, so let’s get going.
Does Zach Harrison take the next step?
There is a long, continous line of 5-star defensive ends at Ohio State and it would appear that Zach Harrison is next up. Will he display that kind of ability in the spring, which is when young pass rushers can really shine? Probably. But rather than watching what he does on the field, let’s pay attention to what Ryan Day has to say about him.
Who are the Bullets?
All of that Bullet talk last spring seems kind of like a waste of time looking back. But that won’t stop it from being a topic of discussion once again. Freshman Kourt Williams has been talked about as one of the Bullets. That’s the position he believes he’s playing. Is Pete Werner the de factor starter at Bullet, since his Sam position is interchangeable? Will we even see it in action this spring, since most of what we saw last spring was different than what we saw during the season.
Is Taron Vincent healthy?
I mean, he should be, but we won’t know until we see him out there. After missing all of last season, some people may have forgotten how he closed out is freshman season. He looked like he was ready for a breakout sophomore season. That never happened, but perhaps this is the start of a breakout redshirt sophomore season.
How well does Josh Proctor take ownership of the secondary?
Jordan Fuller was the quarterback of the secondary and now he’s gone. Is Josh Proctor ready for this role in all of its forms and fashions. We already know Proctor can intercept the ball in practice, but can he keep an offense under control when it comes his way?
Will a defensive end not named Cooper or Harrison emerge?
You’ve got Tyreke Smith, Tyler Friday, Javonte Jean-Baptiste, Noah Potter, and possibly a pair of freshmen. All four of the returnees have had their moments in practice, so if that happens again, it won’t be new. But will somebody make the move into an All-Big Ten-type of player? Smith, Friday, and Jean-Baptiste all started at least once last season. Now they need to become more. Losing Chase Young is big, but the loss can be lessened if somebody becomes a terror.
Where do the freshman defensive linemen line up?
Freshman defensive linemen Darrion Henry-Young and Jacolbe Cowan are tweeners. They could be defensive ends or defensive tackles. When we talked to Cowan last month, he said they’ve only talked to him about defensive end, but could see him sliding inside on passing downs. Things may have changed since then, or not. Henry-Young is in the same boat. The Buckeyes aren’t as deep in the interior as they have been in the past. This is probably also why redshirt freshman tight end Cormontae Hamilton is now a defensive linemen.
Entire article: https://theozone.net/2020/03/ohio-state-football-ten-storylines-buckeyes-defense-headed-spring/
Spring football starts today for the Buckeyes, so with that in mind we thought it would be a good time to touch on the storylines that everyone will be watching over the next six weeks.
We went over the offense on Friday, so today we’ll give the same treatment to the defense.
Ohio State must replace seven starters from last season, which sounds like a lot when you say it out loud.
Those starters won’t be replaced this spring, but that won’t stop anybody from talking about it happening.
Kind of like we’re doing here right now, so let’s get going.
Does Zach Harrison take the next step?
There is a long, continous line of 5-star defensive ends at Ohio State and it would appear that Zach Harrison is next up. Will he display that kind of ability in the spring, which is when young pass rushers can really shine? Probably. But rather than watching what he does on the field, let’s pay attention to what Ryan Day has to say about him.
Who are the Bullets?
All of that Bullet talk last spring seems kind of like a waste of time looking back. But that won’t stop it from being a topic of discussion once again. Freshman Kourt Williams has been talked about as one of the Bullets. That’s the position he believes he’s playing. Is Pete Werner the de factor starter at Bullet, since his Sam position is interchangeable? Will we even see it in action this spring, since most of what we saw last spring was different than what we saw during the season.
Is Taron Vincent healthy?
I mean, he should be, but we won’t know until we see him out there. After missing all of last season, some people may have forgotten how he closed out is freshman season. He looked like he was ready for a breakout sophomore season. That never happened, but perhaps this is the start of a breakout redshirt sophomore season.
How well does Josh Proctor take ownership of the secondary?
Jordan Fuller was the quarterback of the secondary and now he’s gone. Is Josh Proctor ready for this role in all of its forms and fashions. We already know Proctor can intercept the ball in practice, but can he keep an offense under control when it comes his way?
Will a defensive end not named Cooper or Harrison emerge?
You’ve got Tyreke Smith, Tyler Friday, Javonte Jean-Baptiste, Noah Potter, and possibly a pair of freshmen. All four of the returnees have had their moments in practice, so if that happens again, it won’t be new. But will somebody make the move into an All-Big Ten-type of player? Smith, Friday, and Jean-Baptiste all started at least once last season. Now they need to become more. Losing Chase Young is big, but the loss can be lessened if somebody becomes a terror.
Where do the freshman defensive linemen line up?
Freshman defensive linemen Darrion Henry-Young and Jacolbe Cowan are tweeners. They could be defensive ends or defensive tackles. When we talked to Cowan last month, he said they’ve only talked to him about defensive end, but could see him sliding inside on passing downs. Things may have changed since then, or not. Henry-Young is in the same boat. The Buckeyes aren’t as deep in the interior as they have been in the past. This is probably also why redshirt freshman tight end Cormontae Hamilton is now a defensive linemen.
Entire article: https://theozone.net/2020/03/ohio-state-football-ten-storylines-buckeyes-defense-headed-spring/
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Ohio State spring football practice: On defense, who was missing and who stood out on Day 1?
Ohio State football needs a handful of proven contributor to lead a defense in transition in 2020.
Some of those key Buckeyes were on the sidelines as spring practice opened Monday.
Cornerback Shaun Wade and Cam Brown, linebacker Baron Browning and safety Josh Proctor were all in uniform but mostly on the sidelines. All participated in some form of stretching and other exercises on the sidelines and/or ran laps. Some participated in some walk-through reps outside of semi-live 11-on-11 situations.
Proctor was officially listed as unavailable on the status report Ohio State released after practice. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said the safety was “a little dinged up.”
Players listed as limited included Brown, Browning, Wade, defensive end Jonathan Cooper, safety Ronnie Hickman, defensive lineman Jaden McKenzie and defensive tackle Taron Vincent.
Per standard operating procedure, Day kept injury information non-specific. He would only say the players currently dealing with injuries are all expected to be healthy for the start of the season in the fall.
“A few guys nicked up, but they’ll be back soon,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said of the absent players. “We’re smart with how we go about this in the spring, especially with a lot of guys who have so many reps. There’ a lot of guys who have banked reps.
"That being said, we want to be really smart about when we put guys back in there. We just got done playing a couple of months ago.”
However, those limited participations included potentially significant contributors coming off of their own injuries.
Cooper, a captain who shut down his 2019 season after four games to use a redshirt, went through position drills. Vincent, who missed all of last season with a labrum year, was back hitting blocking sleds with the defensive tackles.
The absent players made it somewhat difficult to read into the first-team defensive alignment. However, one notable change was Pete Werner working at weakside linebacker with Justin Hilliard at strong side. That could change depending on Browning’s status going forward.
FIRST TEAM IN 11-ON-11
Defensive ends: Tyler Friday and Tyreke Smith
Defensive tackles: Tommy Togiai and Haskell Garrett
Linebackers: Pete Werner, Tuf Borland and Justin HIlliard
Cornerbacks: Sevyn Banks, Tyreke Johnson and Marcus Williamson (slot)
Safety: Marcus Hooker
SECOND TEAM NOTABLES
It’s obviously even tougher to put too much stock in the second team considering the absences. As expected, the three linebackers were Teradja Mitchell, Dallas Gant and K’Vaughn Pope. This is also where the freshman defensive backs were getting some run, including Lejond Cavazos and Ryan Watts at cornerbacks and Kourt Williams at safety.
Williams, who has projected as a hybrid linebacker, worked with the defensive backs.
Freshman Jacolbe Cowan saw a lot of second-team defensive end reps. He looked every bit of 6-4, 275 and did not look like someone who should be in high school today.
WHO STOOD OUT?
Sevyn Banks finally gets to wear his namesake number, but beyond that, he also looks the part of a potential frontline cornerback. He came up with a pair of interceptions in passing drills and has a bit of the swagger necessary to play on that island.
With Wade and Brown both limited, Banks shined compared to the remaining cornerbacks. Ohio State needs to find a couple more it can rely on. Tyreke Johnson, for instance, received the first-time reps opposite Banks but did not play with the same sharpness even when not matched up with first-string receivers.
The 11-on-11s always featured the single-high safety look. Hooker and Watts also picked off passes in drills.
Entire article: https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2020/...efense-who-was-missing-and-who-stood-out.html
Ohio State football needs a handful of proven contributor to lead a defense in transition in 2020.
Some of those key Buckeyes were on the sidelines as spring practice opened Monday.
Cornerback Shaun Wade and Cam Brown, linebacker Baron Browning and safety Josh Proctor were all in uniform but mostly on the sidelines. All participated in some form of stretching and other exercises on the sidelines and/or ran laps. Some participated in some walk-through reps outside of semi-live 11-on-11 situations.
Proctor was officially listed as unavailable on the status report Ohio State released after practice. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said the safety was “a little dinged up.”
Players listed as limited included Brown, Browning, Wade, defensive end Jonathan Cooper, safety Ronnie Hickman, defensive lineman Jaden McKenzie and defensive tackle Taron Vincent.
Per standard operating procedure, Day kept injury information non-specific. He would only say the players currently dealing with injuries are all expected to be healthy for the start of the season in the fall.
“A few guys nicked up, but they’ll be back soon,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said of the absent players. “We’re smart with how we go about this in the spring, especially with a lot of guys who have so many reps. There’ a lot of guys who have banked reps.
"That being said, we want to be really smart about when we put guys back in there. We just got done playing a couple of months ago.”
However, those limited participations included potentially significant contributors coming off of their own injuries.
Cooper, a captain who shut down his 2019 season after four games to use a redshirt, went through position drills. Vincent, who missed all of last season with a labrum year, was back hitting blocking sleds with the defensive tackles.
The absent players made it somewhat difficult to read into the first-team defensive alignment. However, one notable change was Pete Werner working at weakside linebacker with Justin Hilliard at strong side. That could change depending on Browning’s status going forward.
FIRST TEAM IN 11-ON-11
Defensive ends: Tyler Friday and Tyreke Smith
Defensive tackles: Tommy Togiai and Haskell Garrett
Linebackers: Pete Werner, Tuf Borland and Justin HIlliard
Cornerbacks: Sevyn Banks, Tyreke Johnson and Marcus Williamson (slot)
Safety: Marcus Hooker
SECOND TEAM NOTABLES
It’s obviously even tougher to put too much stock in the second team considering the absences. As expected, the three linebackers were Teradja Mitchell, Dallas Gant and K’Vaughn Pope. This is also where the freshman defensive backs were getting some run, including Lejond Cavazos and Ryan Watts at cornerbacks and Kourt Williams at safety.
Williams, who has projected as a hybrid linebacker, worked with the defensive backs.
Freshman Jacolbe Cowan saw a lot of second-team defensive end reps. He looked every bit of 6-4, 275 and did not look like someone who should be in high school today.
WHO STOOD OUT?
Sevyn Banks finally gets to wear his namesake number, but beyond that, he also looks the part of a potential frontline cornerback. He came up with a pair of interceptions in passing drills and has a bit of the swagger necessary to play on that island.
With Wade and Brown both limited, Banks shined compared to the remaining cornerbacks. Ohio State needs to find a couple more it can rely on. Tyreke Johnson, for instance, received the first-time reps opposite Banks but did not play with the same sharpness even when not matched up with first-string receivers.
The 11-on-11s always featured the single-high safety look. Hooker and Watts also picked off passes in drills.
Entire article: https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2020/...efense-who-was-missing-and-who-stood-out.html
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Ohio State loaded with talent at linebacker
Al Washington has all the talent he could ever need on hand.
The tough part now for the Ohio State linebackers coach is figuring out what to do with it all.
The Buckeyes have a starter to replace now that Malik Harrison has graduated and is getting ready for the NFL Draft. But a healthy Baron Browning gives Ohio State three experienced guys to build around with Pete Werner and Tuf Borland both back — which is obviously a positive, but does create a situation where it gets tougher to find room for rising stars like Teradja Mitchell or K’Vaughan Pope.
“That’s exactly right, and that’s where we’ve got to do a really good job,” Washington said. “It’s our job to find a way to keep guys engaged, give them roles and give them an opportunity to contribute — because we need it. Just because we have depth … the way I look at it, the first two teams, those are all one.
“So, we do have to do a really good job of trying to create roles and maybe think outside of the conventional defense and put guys in roles so they can do what they do best.”
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Buckeyes Choosing From Experienced DBs in Search for New Starters
Ohio State has major question marks surrounding its secondary this season. As the Buckeyes enter spring ball, they now have to figure out how to maintain the level of excellence that the defensive backs have had over the years, but with new faces and new numbers out on the field instead.
When defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs returned to Ohio State this winter he knew he would have his hands full trying to replace three of Ohio State’s four starting defensive backs from 2019. Jeff Okudah, Jordan Fuller, and Damon Arnette all left to chase their dreams of playing in the NFL.
But fourth-year junior cornerback Shaun Wade’s decision to return to the Buckeyes was significant, as Wade is now the backbone of the backfield.
“I mean Shaun coming back was huge,” head coach Ryan Day said. “I think Shaun, in my opinion, should be considered the top corner in the country coming back in all of football.”
Entire article: https://theozone.net/2020/03/ohio-state-football-buckeyes-choosing-dbs/
Ohio State has major question marks surrounding its secondary this season. As the Buckeyes enter spring ball, they now have to figure out how to maintain the level of excellence that the defensive backs have had over the years, but with new faces and new numbers out on the field instead.
When defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs returned to Ohio State this winter he knew he would have his hands full trying to replace three of Ohio State’s four starting defensive backs from 2019. Jeff Okudah, Jordan Fuller, and Damon Arnette all left to chase their dreams of playing in the NFL.
But fourth-year junior cornerback Shaun Wade’s decision to return to the Buckeyes was significant, as Wade is now the backbone of the backfield.
“I mean Shaun coming back was huge,” head coach Ryan Day said. “I think Shaun, in my opinion, should be considered the top corner in the country coming back in all of football.”
Entire article: https://theozone.net/2020/03/ohio-state-football-buckeyes-choosing-dbs/
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billmac91
Head Coach
Excited to see they are in fact kicking Baron down to DE for specific packages. I think he can be an explosive pass rusher off the edge. I imagine they’ll have Friday as the starting DE, but he likely rotates off field on obvious passing situations. Harrison will get starter snaps and rotate in, but I think Baron will get specific 3rd down situations with one assignment, which is to get to the QB as fast as possible.
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scarletngray
Gold Pants
He has always looked impressive in blitzing or coming off the edge.
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