Jami Jurich
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Three things to watch for during Ohio State’s Spring Game
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
We’ll be keeping a close eye on these storylines during Saturday’s Spring Game as we start to get a feel for what lies ahead.
After four weeks of practice, Buckeye fans will finally get a sneak peek at the 2025 football team during Saturday’s Spring Game, which begins at 12 noon ET. The game is a chance for the team to feel things out in a game environment, while fans will have the opportunity to scope out new coaches and player dynamics alike. While new questions about the fall usually arise during the game, it can also bring some early answers about what to expect in the team’s bid to defend its 2024 National Championship title come fall.
Here are three things to keep an eye on during Saturday’s Spring Game today as we look to learn more about the new version of Ohio State football.
The coaching staff has seen a few major changes since the National Championship back in January, with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles heading to Penn State in the same role, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to return to the NFL as the Raiders’ OC.
The Spring Game is our first chance to get a feel for new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and to see how Brian Hartline, the former co-offensive coordinator who was promoted into the role outright, handles his new play-calling responsibilities.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25950305/2205941838.jpg "Ohio State Spring Practice")
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
Under Knowles, the defense returned to powerhouse status. Aggressive and versatile, Knowles’ defense improved each year, and they finished last season as the statistical best in the nation. Patricia will look to continue that excellence but with his own look and feel — and while players like safety Caleb Downs have already sung his praises, it will be exciting to see Patricia’s work in action on Saturday as we get a feel for how the defense will measure up to last year’s title winners.
On the offensive side of the ball, Hartline is a familiar face, but with increased play-calling responsibilities, we might get to see a different side of him. Saturday won’t show his full hand, and we will likely only see very minor snapshots of his playbook, but it could give us an idea of what sort of tendencies we might see from the offense this fall.
Staffing changes weren’t the only changes for Ohio State, and one of the top players they’ll need to replace is quarterback Will Howard, who used his last year of eligibility during the championship season and declared for the NFL Draft.
Former five-star recruit Julian Sayin was widely considered the clear-cut favorite for the starting job, but head coach Ryan Day announced this past week that Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz are “neck-and-neck” for the starting job.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25950309/2205877151.jpg "Ohio State Spring Practice")
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
Sayin is a true dual threat on the field, but Kienholz has, by all accounts, looked great in practice. Now, both quarterbacks will have the chance to show how they handle the pressure of a crowd.
We’ll also probably see some snaps from freshman quarterback Tavien St. Clair, a five-star recruit who, while unlikely to start in the fall simply due to inexperience, will hopefully factor in heavily for the Buckeyes in years to come. Saturday will be our first chance to see what he’s made of at this level and how well he lives up to the hype.
Will Saturday’s game be the deciding factor for who starts in the fall? Not at all. But though the Spring Game isn’t make-or-break, it is certainly a good opportunity for these two signal-callers to make a case for themselves.
Much like the quarterback battle, the Spring Game isn’t a perfect crystal ball into how players will perform during the regular season. You might have guys who look just okay during the Spring Game but turn a corner in their development as a player over the summer and have a lights-out season, or you could have guys who leave it all on the field in the Spring Game but can’t replicate that later on.
But the game is data — often important data — into both which individuals will shine and into each unit’s dynamic. It tells us a lot about the freshmen, transfers and replacements for former players.
Heading into the Spring Game, there are some exciting transfers and freshmen to keep an eye on.
In addition to St. Clair, the Buckeyes have some other freshmen who are coming to the team as highly rated, highly touted names to pay attention to. Perhaps most exciting is Devin Sanchez, a top-five recruit in the country and the top-ranked cornerback in his class. Wide receiver Quincy Porter could also be a huge playmaker for the team in time. He comes to OSU as a five-star recruit and one of the top-five wide receivers in his class. Under Hartline, whose skill as a wide receivers coach is renowned, Porter has the potential to develop into a household name.
On the transfer front, I’ll be keeping my eye on tight end Max Klare, coming to the Buckeyes from Purdue. Additionally, I’m keeping my eye on offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa out of Rice. Onianwa lost his black stripe earlier this week and is in a good position to win a starting job at left tackle in the fall.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25950315/2180584335.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 26 Rice at UConn")
For every player you intend to pay close attention to in the Spring Game, there will surely be four more names who jump out and surprise you in the moment, so I’m also excited to see who we aren’t talking about yet but can’t shut up about come tomorrow evening.
Continue reading...
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
We’ll be keeping a close eye on these storylines during Saturday’s Spring Game as we start to get a feel for what lies ahead.
After four weeks of practice, Buckeye fans will finally get a sneak peek at the 2025 football team during Saturday’s Spring Game, which begins at 12 noon ET. The game is a chance for the team to feel things out in a game environment, while fans will have the opportunity to scope out new coaches and player dynamics alike. While new questions about the fall usually arise during the game, it can also bring some early answers about what to expect in the team’s bid to defend its 2024 National Championship title come fall.
Here are three things to keep an eye on during Saturday’s Spring Game today as we look to learn more about the new version of Ohio State football.
Coaching Changes
The coaching staff has seen a few major changes since the National Championship back in January, with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles heading to Penn State in the same role, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to return to the NFL as the Raiders’ OC.
The Spring Game is our first chance to get a feel for new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and to see how Brian Hartline, the former co-offensive coordinator who was promoted into the role outright, handles his new play-calling responsibilities.
Under Knowles, the defense returned to powerhouse status. Aggressive and versatile, Knowles’ defense improved each year, and they finished last season as the statistical best in the nation. Patricia will look to continue that excellence but with his own look and feel — and while players like safety Caleb Downs have already sung his praises, it will be exciting to see Patricia’s work in action on Saturday as we get a feel for how the defense will measure up to last year’s title winners.
On the offensive side of the ball, Hartline is a familiar face, but with increased play-calling responsibilities, we might get to see a different side of him. Saturday won’t show his full hand, and we will likely only see very minor snapshots of his playbook, but it could give us an idea of what sort of tendencies we might see from the offense this fall.
Who will replace Will Howard at quarterback?
Staffing changes weren’t the only changes for Ohio State, and one of the top players they’ll need to replace is quarterback Will Howard, who used his last year of eligibility during the championship season and declared for the NFL Draft.
Former five-star recruit Julian Sayin was widely considered the clear-cut favorite for the starting job, but head coach Ryan Day announced this past week that Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz are “neck-and-neck” for the starting job.
Sayin is a true dual threat on the field, but Kienholz has, by all accounts, looked great in practice. Now, both quarterbacks will have the chance to show how they handle the pressure of a crowd.
We’ll also probably see some snaps from freshman quarterback Tavien St. Clair, a five-star recruit who, while unlikely to start in the fall simply due to inexperience, will hopefully factor in heavily for the Buckeyes in years to come. Saturday will be our first chance to see what he’s made of at this level and how well he lives up to the hype.
Will Saturday’s game be the deciding factor for who starts in the fall? Not at all. But though the Spring Game isn’t make-or-break, it is certainly a good opportunity for these two signal-callers to make a case for themselves.
Who are the new players to watch?
Much like the quarterback battle, the Spring Game isn’t a perfect crystal ball into how players will perform during the regular season. You might have guys who look just okay during the Spring Game but turn a corner in their development as a player over the summer and have a lights-out season, or you could have guys who leave it all on the field in the Spring Game but can’t replicate that later on.
But the game is data — often important data — into both which individuals will shine and into each unit’s dynamic. It tells us a lot about the freshmen, transfers and replacements for former players.
Heading into the Spring Game, there are some exciting transfers and freshmen to keep an eye on.
In addition to St. Clair, the Buckeyes have some other freshmen who are coming to the team as highly rated, highly touted names to pay attention to. Perhaps most exciting is Devin Sanchez, a top-five recruit in the country and the top-ranked cornerback in his class. Wide receiver Quincy Porter could also be a huge playmaker for the team in time. He comes to OSU as a five-star recruit and one of the top-five wide receivers in his class. Under Hartline, whose skill as a wide receivers coach is renowned, Porter has the potential to develop into a household name.
On the transfer front, I’ll be keeping my eye on tight end Max Klare, coming to the Buckeyes from Purdue. Additionally, I’m keeping my eye on offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa out of Rice. Onianwa lost his black stripe earlier this week and is in a good position to win a starting job at left tackle in the fall.
For every player you intend to pay close attention to in the Spring Game, there will surely be four more names who jump out and surprise you in the moment, so I’m also excited to see who we aren’t talking about yet but can’t shut up about come tomorrow evening.
Continue reading...