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- Thread starter Smudger
- Start date
I honestly would be fine with sacrificing some of MHjr’s stats for his health for an entire season and risk of injury. Going back to rotations, IMO should be utilized more. The room is too talented to rely on only 4 guys. I’ll most definitely defer to Coach Hartline if he only wants to play 3-4, but with the young kids I don’t see why 5-6 easily can’t play.
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sparcboxbuck
What happened to my ¤cash?
I suspect that the pups last year weren’t biting as hard as he would have liked… and they were on a mission for the natty. I think there was less rotation across the board last year, if memory serves.
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Agree, and that’s my point. There was hardly any rotation. I know that it’s known at this point that the frosh weren’t ready, but I wish that at least Ballard got more reps. And I’m hoping that this upcoming season we can rest MHjr and Egbuka in blowouts, and even Fleming. So we can see what we have with guys like: Ballard, Brown, Graves, Inniss, Tate and Rogers can do. I know that eventually with Johnson, a tight rotation of 6-7 is realistic. MHjr and Egbuka shouldn’t be relied upon against teams like Indiana, Rutgers and OOC teams(except ND), other guys should be able to step up
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Same here and definitely in games that we are winning by a lot, get him Egbuka and maybe Fleming out. All the scouts know MH Jr is a top 5 pick and probably the best WR prospect to come out in awhile, no need to get him hurt if a game is in hand. For Ballard, this is the year he has to step up and make some plays, I think he is primed for a big year. If nothing else, I think he can be a vertical threat ala Devin Smith and keep defenses on their toes (I think he is more than just that, but with a crowded WR room that just might be the role he plays this year primarily).
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Jayden Ballard Working On Consistency, Well-Rounded Gameplay As He Tries to Carve Out A Fourth-Year Role
Coming into year four at Ohio State, Jayden Ballard is drawing upon the lessons of Buckeyes from the recent past and trying to become a more well-rounded player.
JAYDEN BALLARD WORKING ON CONSISTENCY, WELL-ROUNDED GAMEPLAY AS HE TRIES TO CARVE OUT A FOURTH-YEAR ROLE
Entering his fourth season at Ohio State in a battle for significant playing time, Jayden Ballard would have been forgiven for moving on.
Instead, he’s remained steadfast. Ballard has drawn inspiration from former safety Josh Proctor, who needed six years to fully capitalize on his opportunity with the Buckeyes, and former wide receiver Xavier Johnson, who stuck with the program for the same amount of time while carving out a bigger role each season.
“I feel like I have a similar road to them,” Ballard said. “Been here for a long time. I redshirted, so I have two more years. So we'll see how this year goes, hopefully it goes good.”
With Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss and Jeremiah Smith at the top of the Buckeyes’ receiver rotation, Ballard isn’t a make-or-break player for the team in 2024. But if he can assert himself as a receiver who deserves playing time in his fourth year in the program, it will be one more weapon for the offense and a payoff of the work he’s put in in Columbus.
"I think Jayden took a step here this last week," Ryan Day said after Ohio State’s spring game. "We've been challenging him. There's been a couple plays, one in particular. He needed to make some plays to say, 'Okay, I'm here, and you can count on me.' There was a really contested play in the red zone that he made. He made a big play on a post out here the other day. You're starting to see him make those plays."
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- "We think that Jayden Ballard had a really good offseason. He was recognized as a gold individual during the offseason. ... The number one thing is taking care of the football, so that has to happen. So we believe in who Jayden is, but we have to take care of the football. So we'll evaluate that this week."
Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Wishes He Could "Say More" About Denzel Burke's Targeting Call, Buckeyes Evaluating Options at Kick Returner During Bye Week
Ryan Day says “I wish I could say more” about the targeting call against Denzel Burke and that the Buckeyes will evaluate their kickoff returner situation during the bye week.
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I mean this with all the respect in the world to a kid who I imagine dreamed of being a Buckeye from a young age...
Ballard should never see the field again this year. I’d rather see Antwi or even Graham play at this point over him. He hasn’t progressed, and there can only be so many times that coaches talk about his consistency with how long he’s been here
Ballard should never see the field again this year. I’d rather see Antwi or even Graham play at this point over him. He hasn’t progressed, and there can only be so many times that coaches talk about his consistency with how long he’s been here
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