No one would blame Ohio State's J.T. Barrett if he feels abandoned.
Nine underclassmen teammates left after last season for the NFL draft. Eight were chosen as the Buckeyes had 12 selected, all in the first four rounds.
Gone is Barrett's friend and fellow quarterback Cardale Jones.
Gone is backfield mate Ezekiel Elliott, the second-leading rusher in school history.
Gone are OSU's top four receiving leaders from 2015 _ Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall, Elliott and Braxton Miller _ along with starting tight end Nick Vannett.
Gone are three starters on the offensive line, including left tackle Taylor Decker.
Gone is the man whom he believes will be "his guy" for the rest of his life, the coach who recruited him. Former offensive coordinator Tom Herman is starting his second season in charge at 15th-ranked Houston.
After the final media interviews before Ohio State defeated Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, Jones, safety Tyvis Powell and others gathered and chanted in the hotel ballroom. It seemed like a celebratory convergence of those who knew they were about to play their final game together.
Barrett was not in their midst.
But even though the sixth-ranked Buckeyes will have only seven starters returning when they open the season Saturday at home against Bowling Green, Barrett need not pine for old friends. The 6-foot-2, 222-pound junior has much to prove.
At this point, I don't believe he has the arm strength to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
He might have to follow in the footsteps of former OSU signal-callers Terrelle Pryor and Braxton Miller and switch positions in the pros. Those two are converting to receiver; Barrett would be more suited to running back, especially in short yardage and goal line situations. That might be an option for a team willing to keep him as their second-string QB.
