The top 20 Ohio State football players for 2009: No. 10, Jermale Hines
by Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer
Friday August 07, 2009
OSU
Jermale Hines
No. 10: Junior defensive back Jermale Hines
I may be a little out there with this pick, but I'm a big fan of the former Glenville High player. However, I know people who are big fans of Tyler Moeller, who has been a similar player in some way to Hines over the years, and Moeller isn't in my top 20.
While Moeller is more of a linebacker, Hines continues on as the Buckeyes' starter at the star position, what they call their fifth defensive back in nickel sitiuations.
At 6-foot-2 and about 210 pounds, I think Hines may be the OSU defender who best fits the spread era of college football. Players who run like safeties and hit like linebacker are maybe the most valuable players on any defense these days, and I think that describes exactly the kind of player that Hines is.
If Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell weren't three-year senior starters ahead of him at safety, who knows what Hines may have done by now. But as a freshman, he lost the first half of the season to an eligibility snafu, and the coaches were so impressed with him, they still didn't redshirt him even though he played just the final seven games.
Last year, he was still learning his role but started the first two games when Coleman was dealing with an injury. Now he's a junior who knows the game, has all the skills and has to be near the top of any list of Buckeyes ready for breakout years.
He might be at his best when he's blitzing from the star position and chasing down quarterbacks, but he can do almost everything else as well. When the Buckeyes really need to cover in the nickel and want three true cornerbacks in the game, Hines may not be on the field.
Though he only technically started six games last season, Hines ranked ninth on the defense in minutes played. So he plays like a starter.
And this year, he might play like a star.
