Football is back at Ohio State — sort of. It’s not the type of football you plan your life around and eat copious amounts of meat products in front of the television for, but it’s still football.
Spring practice has begun in earnest in Columbus and there are storylines abounding. As is the case every year, there are players to replace, gaps that need filled, and coaching changes to absorb.
At a place like Ohio State though, there’s no reset of expectations, it’s on to the next year with championship goals in mind. So off we go in what many see as the start of molding another Buckeye squad capable of big things again.
Here are five big storylines to watch as Ryan Day and company step through spring ball.
Next … Fields a year wiser
The development of Justin Fields
This time last year Justin Fields was simply trying to find his classes on OSU’s campus and adjusting to scraping windshields in the cold climate of the Midwest.
On the field he had to dive into a brand new playbook, assimilate into a new culture, and get to know new teammates and coaches. Despite it all, he still got an invite to New York as a Heisman finalist.
Now we get to a peek behind the curtain on what happens over the course of the offseason with development. It’s no longer about just understanding things, but diving deeper into coverages, and tweaking the playbook to fit his extremely high skill set even better. We should get at least some nuggets on how that’s progressing from here to the Spring Game on April 11.
Next … Master Teague’s role
Can Master Teague be the workhorse at RB?
Based on what we saw last year, Master Teague appears to be the guy to take over as option No. 1 at running back, but it’ll be different. He’s a big powerful back with straight-line speed, but he didn’t seem to have quite the game-breaking ability J.K. Dobbins possessed.
The kid will get every opportunity to show what he can do, but will it be just him as the featured guy, or will someone like Marcus Crowley or Steele Chambers get a decent amount of carries in a one-two punch kind of look.
We don’t know, and we may not get the full picture in this short spring here, but we will at least get a look at the pecking order and who’s working out with the ones.
Next … The secondary is of primary concern
Who will step up in the secondary
It can’t be understated how much getting Shaun Wade back for another season means to Ohio State’s defense. With him, there’s a special player to build the back-end of the defense around.
Still, with the departure of Jeff Okudah, Damon Arnette, and Jordan Fuller, there’s a lot of experience and talent to replace in the secondary. And if OSU wants to continue fielding a great defense, having guys that can cover up downfield is a must.
Guys like Marcus Williamson, Sevyn Banks, and Josh Proctor have some time in the spotlight, but not at the level of what was there last year. What three players will rise up and take the baton for the departed?
The roles won’t be completely filled this spring, but playmakers will start to emerge that could precede what happens in the fall.
Next … Which freshman wide receivers will catch the eye of the coaching staff?
Which talented freshman wide receivers will bust into the game plan?
Ohio State has a decent amount of front-line talent coming back at the wide receiver position. Returning guys like Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave will round out a fantastic trio of guys to surround Fields in the passing game. Behind that though, there are snaps to be had.
Wide receivers coach Brian Hartline has shown that talent will find its way on the field in a deep rotation, and he’ll have plenty to choose from with four of the top sixteen receivers already on campus from the 2020 class. At least one or two of the freshman receivers are going to get playing time this fall. Will it be Julian Fleming, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Gee Scott Jr, or Mookie Cooper? Maybe all of them?
We’re going to get a pretty good feel for that as we see each of these guys go against really good competition at the next level. Who is ready to step in immediately, and who needs more seasoning?
Next … The Kerry Coombs factor
What impact will Kerry Coombs arrival have on the defense?
We know some things we’re going to get from new defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs. In his first stop in Columbus, he was a human energy drink on coffee and a Mountain Dew in tow. That’s not going to change, and the team will rally around what he brings in that department. They’ll want to run through a wall for him.
What we don’t know is what changes the defensive side of the ball might see now that he’s in charge of the whole ball of wax rather than just the defensive backs. Ryan Day has been pretty clear in setting the expectation on what kind of defense he wants, but anytime you throw someone new into the fray, you can bet there will be some new wrinkles, even if only subtle.
Whether it be personnel, play-call tendencies, or formations, we could get a glimpse into some of that with the start of spring practice.
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