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TE Jake Stoneburner (Official Thread)

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Article published August 26, 2010
Stoneburner finding a way to contribute
By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

COLUMBUS - In his nine seasons as the head coach at Ohio State, Jim Tressel has been on the receiving end of more than a few acidic volleys for his conservative approach to offensive football.

"Too close to the vest" and "stuck in his ways" are frequent darts sent his way, but most coaches would gladly take the second-guessing if Tressel's overall record of 94-21, and his six Big Ten titles and a national championship with the Buckeyes were part of the deal.

Guilty as charged or not, Tressel enters his 10th season with the alpha headset on facing an interesting opportunity to tweak his army of armchair assistants, and maybe torment Ohio State's opponents at the same time.

Don't look for a paisley vest in next week's season opener, or a fake punt from his own endzone, but with tight end Jake Stoneburner in his lineup, Tressel has a player with the right hard drive to shake up the system. Stoneburner's size, speed and athleticism make him the wild card Tressel hasn't yet had up his sleeve, if he wore sleeves.

Stoneburner (6-5, 247) was a record-setting, all-state wide receiver at Dublin Coffman, who had 168 receptions for 2,751 yards and 28 touchdowns in his high school career. He was also a standout athlete in basketball and track, so this is no big, lumbering lineman out there hoping to catch a pass once in a while.

"Not at all - Jake's a great athlete who could probably play a lot of positions, and I think he's going to be an outstanding tight end for us," Ohio State senior wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said recently.

"He's not what I guess some people would call a 'traditional' tight end, because he's got great hands and good speed, especially for a guy his size. He gives us a lot more options in the passing game."

Stoneburner came to Ohio State two years ago at about 220 pounds, then was injured and redshirted in his first season with the Buckeyes. He worked behind senior starter Jake Ballard for last year's Big Ten and Rose Bowl champions. He expects to play at about 250 this year, but said he has retained his speed and quickness through conditioning and training.

"I felt like I needed to get stronger and put on a little weight so I could better handle the blocking part of the position, and I've done that, and I don't think it cost me much of my speed," Stoneburner said. "A lot of guys will put on weight and lose speed, but I feel like I've maintained it, and that's good."
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toledoblade.com -- The Blade ~ Toledo Ohio
 
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Talented Jake Stoneburner could convince Ohio State to let loose the tight end
Published: Saturday, August 28, 2010
Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer

stoneburner-mug-osujpg-7429034b7004def7_small.jpg

OSU photo
Jake Stoneburner has convinced Ohio State coaches that he can be a primary option as a tight end this season.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jake Stoneburner took off down the middle of the field and quarterback Terrelle Pryor hit him for a 25-yard gain. The play was a bright spot for the first team in Ohio State's team scrimmage last weekend, and the Buckeyes seemed to execute it easily.

A 6-5, 245-pound former high-school receiving star found space in the middle of the field, and a quarterback entering his third year as a starter found him. Part of the game.

The only thing unusual about it was that Stoneburner is a tight end, and OSU tight ends don't typically make catches like that -- or, rather, don't have the chance to.

That should change this season, with the redshirt sophomore tight end with two career catches the leading OSU candidate for a breakout season.

In eight of Jim Tressel's nine years at Ohio State, the No. 1 tight end caught between six and 17 passes, the exception being Ben Hartsock's 33-catch, 290-yard season in 2003. Stoneburner seems like another exception because of who he is, what the Buckeyes don't have at receiver and where Pryor is now as a passer.

"I think it's going to happen this year," Stoneburner said. "With Terrelle throwing the ball a lot we will have a lot of opportunities. And with me and him being pretty good friends and having a lot of confidence in me, I think that'll help, too."
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Talented Jake Stoneburner could convince Ohio State to let loose the tight end | cleveland.com
 
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Buckskin86;1755222; said:
In eight of Jim Tressel's nine years at Ohio State, the No. 1 tight end caught between six and 17 passes, the exception being Ben Hartsock's 33-catch, 290-yard season in 2003.
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That is a pretty depressing stat. I don't care what kind of offense you run, getting that little production from a tight end is never a good thing for a team hoping to win a national championship.

Obviously there is no direct relationship, but I think it's interesting to compare the production OSU received from their TEs in the past 6 years in terms of receptions, yards, and touchdowns, versus those of the eventual national champion. Our top TEs' stats are at least half of the national champions' leader in virtually every category in virtually every year.

National Champion

 2009 Alabama Colin Peek 26 313 3
2008 Florida Aaron Hernandez 34 381 5
2007 LSU Richard Dickson 32 375 5
2006 Florida Cornelius Ingram 30 380 1
2005 Texas David Thomas 50 613 5
2004 USC Dominique Byrd 37 384 3
Ohio State

2009 Jake Ballard 14 150 0
2008 Jake Ballard 5 73 0 Rory Nicol 6 60 2
2007 Jake Ballard 13 149 2 Rory Nicol 16 84 0
2006 Rory Nicol 13 151 3
2005 Ryan Hamby 9 85 0 Marcel Frost 7 70 0 Brandon Smith 5 30 0
2004 Ryan Hamby 16 178 1 Rory Nicol 3 34 1

I think Jake can help us reverse that trend and add another element to this offense. That can only be good for business IMO.
 
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I forget exactly when, but I believe it was on a 3rd and 5, Stoneburner lined up in the slot (TP was in the shotgun with two RBs). Pryor scrambled and didn't convert the first down, but Stoneburner was wide open deep down the seam -- could have been a huge gain.
 
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Stoneburner gets first catch

Based on one game, it appears that quarterback Terrelle Pryor is going to throw to the tight end a little more this season. At least that's the way first-year starter Jake Stoneburner was taking it after making three catches for 41 yards, including catching the first pass of the game.

"I come to the sidelines, and people are going, 'The tight end caught the ball, and on the first play of the year,'" Stoneburner said. "Jake Ballard (a senior tight end last season) was there, and he was giving me grief, saying, 'I caught three balls in the first game last year against Navy, too.'"

For Stoneburner, getting the first catch out of the way mattered most.

"It was a relief," he said. "I don't have to worry about if I am going to catch the ball, or what are people going to say if I don't. I could just play."
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http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...k-areas-remain-for-special-teams.html?sid=101
 
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I loved what Stoney brought to the offense last night. In addition to his three catches, I saw some great blocks, and even more importantly, I saw him running open over the middle on a few occasions. He will be a DC's nightmare when added to all the other weapons that the offense possesses.
 
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