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CB E.J. Underwood (transfer to Pikeville)

Keep in mind being suspended from the team in Feb. really doesn't mean a whole lot. All they have at the moment are "voluntary" workouts where the coaches aren't even allowed to be in the building for. If EJ and B-Maup get their stuff together academically and get their heads screwed on strait everything will be fine. I have met EJ a few times trust me he really is a good guy. I do not know what his issue is right now but I have to imagine he will get it straitened out. He has unreal potential now he just needs to make good on it.
 
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what happens if....

EJ Underwood does pull ahead against all odds and makes the grades? Does he get the inside track? If so what would you guys like to see with the saftey situation.

My scenerio would for EJ to start, and to sit everett but on nickle and dime packages play Whitner at the 3rd corner and put everett where Whitner was at saftey.

Also in a Dime package who would be the number 5/6 member of the defensive backs?
 
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Ain't this a great question to be able to ask?

That the coaches started EJ as a true Frosh showed what they thought of his talent. If he really has made the strides that can be expected of any player in three years he should be a very solid choie.

I think Whitner has to be on the field. IMO he and Salley own the Safety spots. Whitner and Everett will battle for the 2nd CB with the loser to the nickel.

Then there is Jamo in the fall. Regardless of how crowded the secondary is becoming he is not a five year player and will see the field this season.

Then there is Lane. And Welch. And Patterson. etc, etc.
 
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Something tells me that Welch is going to make a big push at a starting job this fall, the kid has moxie. As for Underwood, I think that he has really screwed himself. It just seems that (mind you I'm only going off of coaching staff comments) he is not talked about very often when discussing that current situation. Plus, he has had some grade issues which I don't think Tressel appreciates too much.

I'm wishing the best for E.J. because I feel that he has fantastic talent, I just don't see him starting again at OSU. Keep your eye on O'Neal by midseason next year if no one has really cemented the other corner position by then.
 
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Good question here, but I don't see any of this coming to fruition. I see Underwood in the mold of Roy Hall in that the kid has always had the talent and skills, but for some reason he can't get his confidence going in the right direction long enough to be an impact/superstar guy. I rememberwhen EJ was a freshman, Tress stated more than once that he was the most talented true corner he'd seen at that age.

I think Everett is going to hold the spot for now. The nice thing about not having two true proven stud corners right now is that we don't need them because of all the zone coverages that we play. I understand Snyder is gone, but you're crazy if you think Everett or Whitner or any of the up and comers is going to be playing a lot of man in the first few weeks of the season. Though I'm not 100% confident with Everett in man, I am however very comfortable with him playing that flat. Youboty, he's another story...he can do whatever he wants and when playing teams with a superstar wideout, they may insert some packages where he gets to play man...but anyways.

I like Welch like daddy mentioned, but if we're talking about playing a flat or needing a kid to come in and play some heavy man to man, don't forget about Jamario O'neal. I like Coach Ginn as a talent evaluator (look at his history) and he said himself that JO could come in and take that starting corner slot. Remember, this kid was by some services the #1 corner in the country out of H.S. and he might just come in and prove that to us all. He definitely has the speed, size and athleticism, I think it's solely a question of hips.

With all this being said, I would LOVE to get another blanket corner with ridiculous fundamentals like Youboty. It seems like it's been forever, but does anyone else remember the days when we'd just plop two brilliant CBs on their two top WRs and blitz like crazy? If someone really emerges at the 2nd corner slot, I would really be thrilled to be able to play some heavy bump and run again. I generally hate the zone...although of course at some times it is neccessary...as long as it's not the prevent.
 
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Remember, this kid was by some services the #1 corner in the country out of H.S.

I was going to make reference to that in my post, but I knew someone would remind me that Dante Whitner was the #1 Corner prospect out of HS and is now a safety.

Or that Ted Ginn was the #1 Corner prospect in his class and is on the other side of the ball.

If you keep recruiting the #1 Corner prospect in the country year after year sooner or later one of them is bound to play Corner.
 
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Cornerback6 said:
With all this being said, I would LOVE to get another blanket corner with ridiculous fundamentals like Youboty. It seems like it's been forever, but does anyone else remember the days when we'd just plop two brilliant CBs on their two top WRs and blitz like crazy? If someone really emerges at the 2nd corner slot, I would really be thrilled to be able to play some heavy bump and run again. I generally hate the zone...although of course at some times it is neccessary...as long as it's not the prevent.
Just wondering where Youboty was ranked as a corner coming out of high school because he is amazing.

On another note, I too greatly dislike the prevent (the win) defense.
 
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bukIpower said:
My scenerio would for EJ to start, and to sit everett but on nickle and dime packages play Whitner at the 3rd corner and put everett where Whitner was at saftey.

I don't ever like not talking in a positive manner about current Buckeyes, but I've never been impressed with EJ on the field. He was constantly getting burned in 2002 and never really recovered. I'm glad that it appears he's getting his academics squared away, and hopefully he guts it out and gets his degree, but I don't want to see him start at corner. Maybe some nickle/dime stuff, or sub in late in the game when we have big leads, but to me he's just not anywhere near starting caliber. I would love to be wrong, but...
 
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BuckeyeBill73 said:
FWIW, he was the #14 CB (4-star) for Rivals, and #24 CB (3-star) for Scout/Insiders.
Thanks Bill. Wow, only a 3-star huh? Wasn't Hawk also a 3-star by some accounts when he was recruited? Got to love how the coaches stick to their guns and go after guys they like regardless of the rankings...
 
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Mili what I'm hoping is that he can just get some CONFIDENCE. If you think about it tho I mean the kid has game experience at corner. He'd be a year better than last year, and who knows? I for one thought he played brilliantly the first 4 games. Its just once he got beat deep it seemed his confidence was shot. Now I know thats not a good sign and all but he's probably better than any cornerback we have right now besides Yobouty.

Remember Yobouty got beat by EJ for the starting job. Maybe just maybe the kid can get things squared away and make an impact at corner. I for one think if he comes back and is able to get back on the field he'll start IF he shows he can get back to the form he was in before the season started last year.
 
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I have to agree with Mili here. With all the problems EJ has had, he hasn't been on the practice field to improve on his skills.

As bad as it sounds, without EJ having trouble in 2002 (along with McNutt's injury), we may never have gotten to see Gamble at CB.

I think he lacks skills more than confidence, he just doesn't show good football acumen, with the Purdue game a prime example. That was the last playing time he got, he hasn't been with the team since the bowl game, and he won't be back until summer quarter at the earliest. There's not a whole lot of reason to believe he'll be able to improve. And based on the fact that he was kicked to special teams for the previous three games before Purdue, only coming in after Fox reinjured himself, makes me think the coaching staff is very down on him at this point.
 
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MililaniBuckeye said:
I've never been impressed with EJ on the field. He was constantly getting burned in 2002 and never really recovered. I would love to be wrong, but...
I'd like to see him come back and be a force too, but it seems that as of yet, he hasn't lived up to the hype he received a few years ago.
 
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I really don't know if EJ could win the spot back now. I'm a big supporter of putting the best 4 on the field in the secondary, and Everett is just 'BETTER' than EJ is at this point in their careers. Tyler has natural coverage abilites (that pushed him ahead of Donte for parts of last year while Donte was having coverage problems) and just has a knack for making plays. He has had a few INTs from the safety position, and I expect that he might grab a few this year. I payed careful attention to him in the Spring Game, and a lot of credit has to go to him for keeping Ginn at bay. Tyler is just too talented to be a backup his senior year. He's going to contribute in a big way at CB.
 
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