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2023 Spring Practices and Other Tidbits

ScriptOhio

Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.

OHIO STATE WILL BEGIN SPRING PRACTICE MARCH 7​


Spring football at Ohio State will begin six weeks from today.

The Buckeyes will begin their 2023 spring practice schedule on Tuesday, March 7, per a schedule tweeted out by Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson on Tuesday.



Ohio State will practice twice during the first week of practice before Ohio State has its spring break. Once the Buckeyes return to campus, they’ll practice three times a week for four straight weeks leading up to their spring game, which is set for a noon kickoff on April 15 at Ohio Stadium and will serve as the culmination of Ohio State’s spring practice season.
 


Offseason Report: Buckeyes quarterback battle kicking off, picking winter breakout candidates​


The offseason is officially here for Ohio State.

And the biggest question is certainly revolving around the most important position on the field: Who will start at quarterback for the Buckeyes?

Third-year signal caller Kyle McCord is the leader of the race right now, but spring practice will give second-year quarterback Devin Brown a chance to overtake McCord for the job — and win it.

Brown was named the No. 1 overall player in the recruiting class of 2022 by On3, obviously making him a five-star prospect coming out of high school. McCord was also a five-star player when he graduated high school, and both have the traits needed to win the starting quarterback job and replace NFL-bound C.J. Stroud.



Let the competition for QB1 begin....:boogie:
 
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Ohio State's secondary faces important offseason of questions, development​

As the window closed on the time eligible players could declare for the 2023 NFL Draft, Ohio State got some good news. Safeties Lathan Ransom and Josh Proctor both plan to return, helping to provide a bit more continuity to a group that will look rather different next fall than it did in 2022.

The Buckeye secondary will be a topic of conversation throughout the offseason. A year ago, head coach Ryan Day made changes to help improve the secondary, bringing in secondary coach/cornerbacks coach Tim Walton and safeties coach Perry Eliano along with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Those changes were successful in some senses, as Ohio State jumped from the No. 96 pass defense in the country in 2021 to No. 26 this past season.

Where the Scarlet and Gray ran into issues in the secondary was in the three biggest games of the year. Ohio State allowed 371 passing yards in a win at Penn State, 278 passing yards in a home loss to Michigan and 398 passing yards in the College Football Playoff semifinal defeat at the hands of Georgia. Big plays allowed were a problem across the defense in those games, but the secondary received much of the blame.

If the Buckeyes are going to continue their defensive improvements in 2023, it will start in the secondary where a number of decisions will have to be made and players will have to earn the right to see the field.

Getting Ransom and Proctor back is a good place to start. Ronnie Hickman announced his intention to declare early for the NFL Draft prior to the game against the Wolverines and Tanner McCalister, who came with Knowles from Oklahoma State last offseason, is out of eligibility.

Hickman played the most snaps on the Scarlet and Gray defense and McCalister played the third-most of any Ohio State safety. While his final year in Columbus was inconsistent, Hickman was an experienced and talented player the Buckeyes must replace. McCalister helped bring continuity to a new defense, having worked with Knowles as a Cowboy, and had more good moments than bad for Ohio State in 2022.
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RYAN DAY​

  • On playcalling duties, Day says the Buckeyes "won't decide any of that now," but will allow Brian Hartline to call the offense at times during the spring and see how it goes.
  • Day says Tristan Gebbia "has played in a rivalry game out there, Oregon vs. Oregon State," and wants to become a GA and a coach in the future. "If he gets on the field he'll be ready to go."
  • On playcalling, Day says he wants to evaluate time management and how to "best remedy" time constraints by the end of the football season. Says he'll make a decision on playcalling "in the next few months."
  • On promoting Hartline to offensive coordinator, Day says Hartline was already the best WR coach in the country, but also handled an increased amount of offensive responsibilities well this past season. Day cites his NFL career and knowledge of offense as strong suits.
  • Day says Justin Frye "has an opportunity to be the best offensive line coach in America. You saw what he did this season."
  • On the quarterback competition this offseason, Day says "I'm excited to see these two guys compete. ... When you look at the cast surrounding them, you couldn't be more excited to be a quarterback right now in college football." Day says Kyle McCord has more experience, but it's gonna be "a heck of a competition."
  • Day hopes that one of the quarterbacks emerges as the starter coming out of the spring.
  • Day says the Buckeyes "had some really competitive practices" with McCord and Devin Brown when C.J. Stroud was gone for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
  • On McCord, Day says "he's grown and I think he's done a good job of it, his attitude's been excellent."
  • "We're really situated in a great spot for NIL." Day says the Buckeye players have done "very well," but that maybe not as much when it comes to incoming recruits. "I am confident here in the next couple months that we're gonna have a really good plan in place."
  • "There's frustration" with NIL. "We have a vision of where we want to be."
  • Day says McCord and Brown will both get "a ton of reps" under center during the offseason. "At the end of the day, it's gonna be the guy our team believes in."
  • On the running back situation, Day says "we're gonna need everybody." Day thinks it has a chance to be "very strong."
  • Julian Fleming, Emeka Egbuka, Tommy Eichenberg, TreVeyon Henderson, Mitchell Melton, Evan Pryor and Kourt Williams will all be out for the spring.
  • Day says Josh Fryar's "got a big challenge ahead of him" when it comes to stepping up at OT and that the Buckeyes will bring in another transfer later on if they have to.
  • On C.J. Stroud's decision to declare, Day says he took a long time to figure things out and that "I'm sure the decision wasn't easy." Day says "I was hoping" Stroud would stay.
  • Day says the Buckeyes will move Tegra Tshabola to tackle and will keep Matt Jones and Donovan Jackson at guard. Day says the Buckeyes are "working through" Fryar at left tackle.
  • Day says the Buckeyes were "hoping Luke (Wypler) would not declare" for the NFL draft. "That one we didn't expect, and we have to be able to adapt." Day says he hopes Wypler gets drafted early on.
  • Day says the most successful quarterbacks in football "can all move, they can create." Day says that's a great way to help a young offensive line.
  • On the importance of having former players like James Laurinaitis on staff, Day says "it's exciting. ... These are guys that understand what it's like to be a player here. They've been here before and they understand what that means."
  • Day says the feedback on Ohio State's 2023 early enrollees has been "very good." Day's hoping the group can be further along after spending a lot of time around the program.
  • On the close nature of the Georgia loss: "I know it's motivating to our guys."
  • Day "felt like the timing was right" to bring Laurinaitis in as a GA following his one year at Notre Dame.
  • On other programs trying to poach players via NIL: "It's illegal to do, so if people are doing it and it's not enforced, that creates hard feelings."
  • Day says the Buckeyes can't give up as many big plays as they did on defense this past year under Jim Knowles.
  • On the Marvin Harrison Jr. targeting non-call, Day says Harrison was "knocked unconscious" on the hit but was told after the fact that the hit wasn't "forceable enough" for a targeting call.
 
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More comments from everyone else and I mean EVERYONE else:



All 10 of Ohio State’s full-time assistant coaches met with the media on Wednesday. So did director of player personnel Mark Pantoni and new graduate assistant James Laurinaitis.
 
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