Brett Ludwiczak
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Ohio State’s Denzel Ward has designs on being the next Buckeye first round pick at corner
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
After being the “third starter” at cornerback last year, Ward looks to step into his own this year.
“He’s a very gifted player. He’s had a great offseason and he’s demonstrated some terrific leadership. I’m very excited about him.”
Ohio State cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs on Denzel Ward via Ben Axelrod, Land Of 10
Ohio State has been churning out first round picks at the cornerback position over the past few years, and now Denzel Ward is hoping he can position himself to be the next coming out of Columbus. Even though Ward wasn’t technically a starter at cornerback last year as a sophomore, cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs says that people should call Ward the third starter at cornerback last season since he was out on the field just as much as fellow cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley. In fact, Ward registered nine pass breakups last year, which tied Lattimore for the team lead.
Not only has Ward already displayed a high football IQ to be able to be in the correct position to allow him to register the high number of pass breakups, but he is also the fastest player on Ohio State’s roster. Now Ward is evolving even more as he heads into his junior year, taking on more of a leadership role. With a couple of very talented freshman cornerbacks coming in with the 2017 recruiting class, Ward will be pushed even harder to excel on the field, as well as to show the younger corners the ropes as they adjust to the college game. If Lattimore and Conley are taken in the first round of the NFL Draft later this month, it will give Ohio State four cornerbacks taken in the first round over the past four years. With a strong junior year, Ward might have a chance to make that five cornerbacks taken in the first round over a five year span.
“I’d say Joe is ahead of (the other quarterbacks). But they’re both getting reps. Tate had his best day, too, the other day in the scrimmage, so it’s good competition that brings out the best in people.”
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer via Jacob Myers, The Lantern
There isn’t any question who will be the starting quarterback for Ohio State when the Buckeyes take the field against Indiana to open up the 2017 season, but one of the most entertaining position battles heading into the regular season will be at backup quarterback. In mop-up duty in six games last year, Joe Burrow threw for a couple touchdowns and ran for another. As of now Burrow is the odds-on favorite to sit behind J.T. Barrett on the quarterback depth chart, but the redshirt sophomore will likely face some stiff competition from redshirt freshman Dwayne Haskins and true freshman Tate Martell.
Even though Haskins didn’t see the field in 2016, he made a name for himself in the lead-up to the Fiesta Bowl with his work on the scout team mimicking Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. Martell comes to Columbus with plenty of accolades following a high school career in which he went 45-0 and threw 113 touchdowns. Many have compared Martell to former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel because of his ability to make plays not only with his arm, but with his legs as well. The competition for the backup quarterback spot this year could give Ohio State fans a glimpse into life after J.T. Barrett in 2018.
“True freshman should not play here (on the offensive line). That’s because there were some misses there.”
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer via Bill Landis, Northeast Ohio Media Group
Ohio State may have landed highly touted offensive line recruits Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers in their 2017 recruiting class, but head coach Urban Meyer is hoping that he won’t see them on the field in 2017. While there is no doubt that Davis and Myers are extremely talented, Meyer knows that if they see the field as true freshmen, something has gone wrong. Last year true freshman guard Michael Jordan started for the Buckeyes, but that was out of necessity since Ohio State had some recruiting misses when it came to the offensive line.
In the 2014 and 2015 recruiting classes Ohio State signed 10 offensive linemen. Of those linemen, only Jamarco Jones and Isaiah Prince are starting. Demetrius Knox and Matthew Burrell are in the mix to contribute at guard, while Branden Bowen is a solid backup tackle. The misses come with Marcelys Jones, Grant Schmidt, and Kyle Trout, all of whom have already left the school or are planning to transfer. Even though there is still time for the 2014-15 offensive line classes to finish out strong, time is beginning to run out. At least if they can put together a strong 2017 season it will take the pressure off of Davis and Myers to contribute immediately, as well as helping Meyer to sleep a little easier at night.
“I didn’t want to just come out and create a helmet company. I wanted to be like Intel, and work with the larger host brands. I knew once we could solve football, the application would spread to lots of different things.”
Former Ohio State cornerback Shawn Springs via Michael Phillips, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Even though the final year of his NFL playing career was in 2009, former Ohio State cornerback Shawn Springs is trying to improve safety for those playing the game now not only on the football field, but also on the lacrosse field. During the final year of his NFL career, Springs was struck by how the helmet he was wearing was the same that his father wore while playing in the NFL in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Springs’ work has resulted in his company receiving a grant from the NFL to continue his research to try and improve on a helmet designed to reduce concussions.
The impact of Springs’ work isn’t just being felt on the football field. After taking his daughters to their first lacrosse practice, Rob Stolker of Hummingbird Sports was amazed that the sport was largely played without helmets. Stolker has teamed with Springs to create a soft-sided helmet for girls lacrosse players, which won’t injure those who aren’t wearing a helmet, but can also withstand a blow to the head from a lacrosse ball. While Springs originally set out to improve safety with football helmets, it’s obvious that his innovations could spread to numerous sports where head injuries are more common than others.
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
After being the “third starter” at cornerback last year, Ward looks to step into his own this year.
“He’s a very gifted player. He’s had a great offseason and he’s demonstrated some terrific leadership. I’m very excited about him.”
Ohio State cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs on Denzel Ward via Ben Axelrod, Land Of 10
Ohio State has been churning out first round picks at the cornerback position over the past few years, and now Denzel Ward is hoping he can position himself to be the next coming out of Columbus. Even though Ward wasn’t technically a starter at cornerback last year as a sophomore, cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs says that people should call Ward the third starter at cornerback last season since he was out on the field just as much as fellow cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley. In fact, Ward registered nine pass breakups last year, which tied Lattimore for the team lead.
Not only has Ward already displayed a high football IQ to be able to be in the correct position to allow him to register the high number of pass breakups, but he is also the fastest player on Ohio State’s roster. Now Ward is evolving even more as he heads into his junior year, taking on more of a leadership role. With a couple of very talented freshman cornerbacks coming in with the 2017 recruiting class, Ward will be pushed even harder to excel on the field, as well as to show the younger corners the ropes as they adjust to the college game. If Lattimore and Conley are taken in the first round of the NFL Draft later this month, it will give Ohio State four cornerbacks taken in the first round over the past four years. With a strong junior year, Ward might have a chance to make that five cornerbacks taken in the first round over a five year span.
“I’d say Joe is ahead of (the other quarterbacks). But they’re both getting reps. Tate had his best day, too, the other day in the scrimmage, so it’s good competition that brings out the best in people.”
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer via Jacob Myers, The Lantern
There isn’t any question who will be the starting quarterback for Ohio State when the Buckeyes take the field against Indiana to open up the 2017 season, but one of the most entertaining position battles heading into the regular season will be at backup quarterback. In mop-up duty in six games last year, Joe Burrow threw for a couple touchdowns and ran for another. As of now Burrow is the odds-on favorite to sit behind J.T. Barrett on the quarterback depth chart, but the redshirt sophomore will likely face some stiff competition from redshirt freshman Dwayne Haskins and true freshman Tate Martell.
Even though Haskins didn’t see the field in 2016, he made a name for himself in the lead-up to the Fiesta Bowl with his work on the scout team mimicking Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. Martell comes to Columbus with plenty of accolades following a high school career in which he went 45-0 and threw 113 touchdowns. Many have compared Martell to former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel because of his ability to make plays not only with his arm, but with his legs as well. The competition for the backup quarterback spot this year could give Ohio State fans a glimpse into life after J.T. Barrett in 2018.
“True freshman should not play here (on the offensive line). That’s because there were some misses there.”
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer via Bill Landis, Northeast Ohio Media Group
Ohio State may have landed highly touted offensive line recruits Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers in their 2017 recruiting class, but head coach Urban Meyer is hoping that he won’t see them on the field in 2017. While there is no doubt that Davis and Myers are extremely talented, Meyer knows that if they see the field as true freshmen, something has gone wrong. Last year true freshman guard Michael Jordan started for the Buckeyes, but that was out of necessity since Ohio State had some recruiting misses when it came to the offensive line.
In the 2014 and 2015 recruiting classes Ohio State signed 10 offensive linemen. Of those linemen, only Jamarco Jones and Isaiah Prince are starting. Demetrius Knox and Matthew Burrell are in the mix to contribute at guard, while Branden Bowen is a solid backup tackle. The misses come with Marcelys Jones, Grant Schmidt, and Kyle Trout, all of whom have already left the school or are planning to transfer. Even though there is still time for the 2014-15 offensive line classes to finish out strong, time is beginning to run out. At least if they can put together a strong 2017 season it will take the pressure off of Davis and Myers to contribute immediately, as well as helping Meyer to sleep a little easier at night.
“I didn’t want to just come out and create a helmet company. I wanted to be like Intel, and work with the larger host brands. I knew once we could solve football, the application would spread to lots of different things.”
Former Ohio State cornerback Shawn Springs via Michael Phillips, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Even though the final year of his NFL playing career was in 2009, former Ohio State cornerback Shawn Springs is trying to improve safety for those playing the game now not only on the football field, but also on the lacrosse field. During the final year of his NFL career, Springs was struck by how the helmet he was wearing was the same that his father wore while playing in the NFL in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Springs’ work has resulted in his company receiving a grant from the NFL to continue his research to try and improve on a helmet designed to reduce concussions.
The impact of Springs’ work isn’t just being felt on the football field. After taking his daughters to their first lacrosse practice, Rob Stolker of Hummingbird Sports was amazed that the sport was largely played without helmets. Stolker has teamed with Springs to create a soft-sided helmet for girls lacrosse players, which won’t injure those who aren’t wearing a helmet, but can also withstand a blow to the head from a lacrosse ball. While Springs originally set out to improve safety with football helmets, it’s obvious that his innovations could spread to numerous sports where head injuries are more common than others.
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