Gene Ross
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Pre-spring football depth chart projection: Offense
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The Buckeyes bring back a handful of pieces on offense, but also add some big names.
With spring practices set to ramp up in early March, it’s a good time to take a look at where Ohio State’s roster currently stands and attempt to project forward ahead of some key position battles. We will start this exercise here with the offensive side of the ball, where the Buckeyes return a bunch of production, but also lose a few big names while adding at key positions through the transfer portal.
QB1: Will Howard
QB2: Devin Brown OR Lincoln Kienholz
One of the two most set-in-stone position groups on offense for Ohio State — the second of which we will get to next — Will Howard did not transfer from Kansas State to not start for the Buckeyes this season. With Kyle McCord off to Syracuse, Howard brings with him four years of experience with the Wildcats, passing for nearly 5,800 yards with 48 touchdowns while rushing for another 920 yards with 19 scores on the ground. His dual-threat ability should fit in well with Ryan Day and Chip Kelly’s offensive game plan.
Behind Howard will be either Brown or Kienholz. It is hard to believe that Ohio State will go into the season with five scholarship quarterbacks, including five-star freshmen Air Noland and Julian Sayin, so in all likelihood the loser of the battle for the backup job in 2024 could very well enter the transfer portal to look for a starting job elsewhere. As the elder of the two, the more likely candidate for that type of scenario would be Brown, but that being said the junior probably has the inside track to being QB2 if he wants it, given that he got the nod to start in the Cotton Bowl.
RB1: TreVeyon Henderson OR Quinshon Judkins
RB2: Dallan Hayden
Ohio State will have one of the most talented running back rooms in the country this upcoming season, led by a two-headed monster of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.
A surprise transfer portal addition by way of Ole Miss, Judkins comes to Columbus having led the SEC in rushing TDs each of the last two seasons and finishing first and second in rushing yards in the conference in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Having toted the rock an absurd 545 times in his two campaigns with the Rebels, Judkins comes to Ohio State looking to keep some tread off the tires in preparation for his NFL career, which will be great for both himself and Henderson to stay fresh.
Henderson, of course, has been Ohio State’s best running back when healthy over the past three seasons. He has amassed over 2,700 yards on an impressive 6.2 yards per carry during his collegiate career with 32 touchdowns, also showcasing his abilities as a threat in the passing game with 50 receptions for 569 yards and five scores. The timeshare with Judkins should help him stay on the field this year, as he has been banged up at various times in each of his first three years on campus.
Henderson and Judkins will command the lion’s share of touches out of the backfield, but Dallan Hayden will also be in the mix after showing flashes while playing sparingly in his first two years. The only other scholarship running back on the roster besides the freshmen, Hayden has tallied 663 yards and six TDs in his limited reps, and deserves an adequate amount of playing time in 2024 behind 1A and 1B.
WR Starters: Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss OR Jeremiah Smith
WR Depth: Jayden Ballard, Mylan Graham, Kyion Grayes
There aren’t many schools that could lose a generational talent at wide receiver to the NFL Draft as well as a top-three producer at wideout transferring to another school in the same conference and still feel good about their room heading into the next season, but that is exactly where Ohio State is at thanks to Brian Hartline’s recruiting prowess.
Marvin Harrison Jr. (NFL Draft) and Julian Fleming (transfer to Penn State) are both gone, but returning is Emeka Egbuka, who looks to be the next in line as a likely first round draft pick in 2025 with a healthy campaign this season. Lining up alongside him will be some combination of a trio of five-star talents in Tate, Inniss and Smith.
Tate saw the field a bit as a freshman after enrolling early last offseason, catching 18 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown and looking impressive in limited reps. As his fellow five-star in the 2023 class, Inniss did not get as much playing time after enrolling in the summer, but did still manage a long 58-yard TD in his lone catch of the season against Purdue. Smith, meanwhile, is the newest member of the group, but as the No. 1 overall player in the 2024 class and the most highly-touted receiver prospect since Julio Jones, a significant role in year one is definitely in play.
Behind those four is a good amount of high-upside depth. Ballard is one of the Buckeyes’ two longest-tenured wideouts alongside Egbuka, but hasn’t gotten consistent playing time with all of the tremendous talents in that room over the past few years. Grayes was highly touted coming out of high school in 2022, but has caught just one pass for two yards thus far at Ohio State and enters what could be a make or break year. Graham is a freshman like Smith, but is also a five-star prospect and an impressive talent that could see the field early.
TE1: Will Kacmarek
TE2: Jelani Thurman OR Gee Scott Jr.
Seemingly one of the lesser-talked about position groups heading into this season, Ohio State will be tasked with replacing the NFL-bound Cade Stover, who racked up nearly 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Maybe not the most capable blocker in the world, Stover was still the Buckeyes’ second-leading receiver behind Harrison Jr. last year, and the tight end position remains an important part of Day’s offensive scheme.
Despite bringing back last year’s No. 2 tight end in Gee Scott Jr. as well as a potential rising star in Jelani Thurman, Ohio State went into the transfer portal to land Ohio’s Will Kacmarek. After redshirting his first season with the Bobcats, Kacmarek recorded 42 catches for 507 yards and two scores over the past two years. Listed at 6-foot-6, 256-pounds, Kacmarek should be a solid option atop the depth chart in both the blocking and receiving game, albeit probably not quite to the level of Stover as a pass-catcher.
It’s still worth keeping an eye on a guy like Thurman, who was the No. 3 overall tight end in the 2023 recruiting class, especially as a guy who can step up as a receiver. There was some talk at one point of him potentially moving to wide receiver, but it seems for now he will remain with the tight ends. Either way, it would not be at all shocking to see Thurman on the field in more obvious passing down packages.
LT: Josh Simmons
LG: Donovan Jackson
C: Seth McLaughlin
RG: Josh Fryar
RT: Luke Montgomery OR Tegra Tshabola
OT Depth: Zen Michalski, George Fitzpatrick, Ian Moore
IOL Depth: Carson Hinzman, Austin Siereveld, Joshua Padilla, Enokk Vimahi
The biggest question mark heading into the 2024 season for Ohio State is far and away the offensive line. The Buckeyes’ front was not up to par in 2023, and was one of the biggest reasons why the program was unable to reach its ultimate goals. With that in mind, all five of the players who started among that group are returning, but that doesn’t mean all of them are remaining atop the depth chart or playing the same position this time around.
Three spots on the offensive line are more or less set, all of which are on the left side. Josh Simmons, a former San Diego State transfer, had some early struggles with the rise in competition in Columbus, but was one of Ohio State’s best offensive linemen by season’s end, and can really take the next step this season if he can cut down on the penalties. Former five-star Donovan Jackson will maintain his spot at left guard despite some inconsistencies, while Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin comes in to take over at center.
Which brings us to the question marks: right guard and right tackle. We can assume that Josh Fryar will earn one of those two spots, with a move back to his more natural position at right guard the most likely outcome after serving as the team’s starting right tackle last season. If that is in fact the case, then the largest position battle of all this offseason will be at right tackle, with at least two but potentially more players competing for the job.
That battle figures to be either Luke Montgomery or Tegra Tshabola’s to lose. Montgomery was a four-star prospect and a top-100 overall player in the 2023 class, and the 6-foot-4, 302-pound sophomore is in prime position to make a run at the starting job. Tshabola, who was just outside the top-100 on the 247Sports Composite but was a top-40 player overall by 247Sports’ own rankings in 2022, will be his biggest competition. Tshabola is potentially better suited as a guard, but at 6-foot-6, 322 pounds was originally recruited as a tackle, and that is where Ohio State’s current need exists.
Of course, the Buckeyes could very well look to the transfer portal in the spring window to fill that right tackle spot, much like they did with Simmons last offseason. Other guys on the roster among potential tackles include Zen Michalski, George Fitzpatrick and incoming freshman Ian Moore.
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Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes bring back a handful of pieces on offense, but also add some big names.
With spring practices set to ramp up in early March, it’s a good time to take a look at where Ohio State’s roster currently stands and attempt to project forward ahead of some key position battles. We will start this exercise here with the offensive side of the ball, where the Buckeyes return a bunch of production, but also lose a few big names while adding at key positions through the transfer portal.
Quarterbacks
QB1: Will Howard
QB2: Devin Brown OR Lincoln Kienholz
One of the two most set-in-stone position groups on offense for Ohio State — the second of which we will get to next — Will Howard did not transfer from Kansas State to not start for the Buckeyes this season. With Kyle McCord off to Syracuse, Howard brings with him four years of experience with the Wildcats, passing for nearly 5,800 yards with 48 touchdowns while rushing for another 920 yards with 19 scores on the ground. His dual-threat ability should fit in well with Ryan Day and Chip Kelly’s offensive game plan.
Behind Howard will be either Brown or Kienholz. It is hard to believe that Ohio State will go into the season with five scholarship quarterbacks, including five-star freshmen Air Noland and Julian Sayin, so in all likelihood the loser of the battle for the backup job in 2024 could very well enter the transfer portal to look for a starting job elsewhere. As the elder of the two, the more likely candidate for that type of scenario would be Brown, but that being said the junior probably has the inside track to being QB2 if he wants it, given that he got the nod to start in the Cotton Bowl.
Running Backs
RB1: TreVeyon Henderson OR Quinshon Judkins
RB2: Dallan Hayden
Ohio State will have one of the most talented running back rooms in the country this upcoming season, led by a two-headed monster of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.
A surprise transfer portal addition by way of Ole Miss, Judkins comes to Columbus having led the SEC in rushing TDs each of the last two seasons and finishing first and second in rushing yards in the conference in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Having toted the rock an absurd 545 times in his two campaigns with the Rebels, Judkins comes to Ohio State looking to keep some tread off the tires in preparation for his NFL career, which will be great for both himself and Henderson to stay fresh.
Henderson, of course, has been Ohio State’s best running back when healthy over the past three seasons. He has amassed over 2,700 yards on an impressive 6.2 yards per carry during his collegiate career with 32 touchdowns, also showcasing his abilities as a threat in the passing game with 50 receptions for 569 yards and five scores. The timeshare with Judkins should help him stay on the field this year, as he has been banged up at various times in each of his first three years on campus.
Henderson and Judkins will command the lion’s share of touches out of the backfield, but Dallan Hayden will also be in the mix after showing flashes while playing sparingly in his first two years. The only other scholarship running back on the roster besides the freshmen, Hayden has tallied 663 yards and six TDs in his limited reps, and deserves an adequate amount of playing time in 2024 behind 1A and 1B.
Wide Receivers
WR Starters: Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss OR Jeremiah Smith
WR Depth: Jayden Ballard, Mylan Graham, Kyion Grayes
There aren’t many schools that could lose a generational talent at wide receiver to the NFL Draft as well as a top-three producer at wideout transferring to another school in the same conference and still feel good about their room heading into the next season, but that is exactly where Ohio State is at thanks to Brian Hartline’s recruiting prowess.
Marvin Harrison Jr. (NFL Draft) and Julian Fleming (transfer to Penn State) are both gone, but returning is Emeka Egbuka, who looks to be the next in line as a likely first round draft pick in 2025 with a healthy campaign this season. Lining up alongside him will be some combination of a trio of five-star talents in Tate, Inniss and Smith.
Tate saw the field a bit as a freshman after enrolling early last offseason, catching 18 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown and looking impressive in limited reps. As his fellow five-star in the 2023 class, Inniss did not get as much playing time after enrolling in the summer, but did still manage a long 58-yard TD in his lone catch of the season against Purdue. Smith, meanwhile, is the newest member of the group, but as the No. 1 overall player in the 2024 class and the most highly-touted receiver prospect since Julio Jones, a significant role in year one is definitely in play.
Behind those four is a good amount of high-upside depth. Ballard is one of the Buckeyes’ two longest-tenured wideouts alongside Egbuka, but hasn’t gotten consistent playing time with all of the tremendous talents in that room over the past few years. Grayes was highly touted coming out of high school in 2022, but has caught just one pass for two yards thus far at Ohio State and enters what could be a make or break year. Graham is a freshman like Smith, but is also a five-star prospect and an impressive talent that could see the field early.
Tight Ends
TE1: Will Kacmarek
TE2: Jelani Thurman OR Gee Scott Jr.
Seemingly one of the lesser-talked about position groups heading into this season, Ohio State will be tasked with replacing the NFL-bound Cade Stover, who racked up nearly 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Maybe not the most capable blocker in the world, Stover was still the Buckeyes’ second-leading receiver behind Harrison Jr. last year, and the tight end position remains an important part of Day’s offensive scheme.
Despite bringing back last year’s No. 2 tight end in Gee Scott Jr. as well as a potential rising star in Jelani Thurman, Ohio State went into the transfer portal to land Ohio’s Will Kacmarek. After redshirting his first season with the Bobcats, Kacmarek recorded 42 catches for 507 yards and two scores over the past two years. Listed at 6-foot-6, 256-pounds, Kacmarek should be a solid option atop the depth chart in both the blocking and receiving game, albeit probably not quite to the level of Stover as a pass-catcher.
It’s still worth keeping an eye on a guy like Thurman, who was the No. 3 overall tight end in the 2023 recruiting class, especially as a guy who can step up as a receiver. There was some talk at one point of him potentially moving to wide receiver, but it seems for now he will remain with the tight ends. Either way, it would not be at all shocking to see Thurman on the field in more obvious passing down packages.
Offensive Line
LT: Josh Simmons
LG: Donovan Jackson
C: Seth McLaughlin
RG: Josh Fryar
RT: Luke Montgomery OR Tegra Tshabola
OT Depth: Zen Michalski, George Fitzpatrick, Ian Moore
IOL Depth: Carson Hinzman, Austin Siereveld, Joshua Padilla, Enokk Vimahi
The biggest question mark heading into the 2024 season for Ohio State is far and away the offensive line. The Buckeyes’ front was not up to par in 2023, and was one of the biggest reasons why the program was unable to reach its ultimate goals. With that in mind, all five of the players who started among that group are returning, but that doesn’t mean all of them are remaining atop the depth chart or playing the same position this time around.
Three spots on the offensive line are more or less set, all of which are on the left side. Josh Simmons, a former San Diego State transfer, had some early struggles with the rise in competition in Columbus, but was one of Ohio State’s best offensive linemen by season’s end, and can really take the next step this season if he can cut down on the penalties. Former five-star Donovan Jackson will maintain his spot at left guard despite some inconsistencies, while Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin comes in to take over at center.
Which brings us to the question marks: right guard and right tackle. We can assume that Josh Fryar will earn one of those two spots, with a move back to his more natural position at right guard the most likely outcome after serving as the team’s starting right tackle last season. If that is in fact the case, then the largest position battle of all this offseason will be at right tackle, with at least two but potentially more players competing for the job.
That battle figures to be either Luke Montgomery or Tegra Tshabola’s to lose. Montgomery was a four-star prospect and a top-100 overall player in the 2023 class, and the 6-foot-4, 302-pound sophomore is in prime position to make a run at the starting job. Tshabola, who was just outside the top-100 on the 247Sports Composite but was a top-40 player overall by 247Sports’ own rankings in 2022, will be his biggest competition. Tshabola is potentially better suited as a guard, but at 6-foot-6, 322 pounds was originally recruited as a tackle, and that is where Ohio State’s current need exists.
Of course, the Buckeyes could very well look to the transfer portal in the spring window to fill that right tackle spot, much like they did with Simmons last offseason. Other guys on the roster among potential tackles include Zen Michalski, George Fitzpatrick and incoming freshman Ian Moore.
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