The 2019 Ohio State LifeSports Spring Game is in the books with the Gray prevailing 35-17 in front of over 60,000 friends. And while it would be foolish to think the glorified scrimmage will cement anything towards this fall (except an engagement), there are some things that we can take away from what we saw.
Here’s five things we learned from Saturday’s action.
Justin Fields is still getting his sea legs
There were flashes of brilliance.
If you’ve followed the Justin Fields saga at all, you likely know the potential the kid brings to Columbus after transferring from Georgia last year. His ceiling is as high as maybe any quarterback that has ever run through the tunnel in Columbus.
We saw what he can do with his feet on Saturday maybe more than anything, but he also had a 99-yard touchdown pass to Ben Victor to remind everyone what he can do through the air. There’s no doubt he has a big arm that can make almost any throw in the playbook.
But it was a rather pedestrian day slinging the ball for him — going just 4 of 13 for 131 yards and a TD. Fields also got “sacked” four times, though the no-live tacking rule made some of those defensive stats fool’s gold. However, Fields is still finding his way in this offense and Ryan Day is nowhere near naming a starter at the quarterback position yet.
At the end of it all, you have to believe all that promise will eventually take hold and Fields will grab this thing and run with it. He’s not quite there yet though, and there will need to be more development, and more grasping of the offense to make this fall all the more fun.
Next … Introducing Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson is going to make an impact this fall
Jaelen Gill was targeted more than any other receiver on the field Saturday, but there was little doubt who the most athletically gifted receiver was. His name is Garrett Wilson and he has been turning heads in practice on a consistent basis.
He’s athletic and fast, and has some very, very mature ball skills for an incoming freshman. Ohio State lost three exceptional wide-receiving talents to graduation last year, but it still has a lot in the cupboard to play with in 2019.
After watching what the native Texan can do, I find it hard to believe he won’t see the field, and I’m talking more than just a scarlet and gray cup of coffee. It’s early, but he might be a three-year player that the coaching staff will want to get on the field now.
Bank on it.
Next … A new H-back emerges
Watch out for Jaelen Gill as well
Speaking of Jaelen Gill, he has been singled out by the media and coaching staff as one of the most improved players this spring. He didn’t get much time with Parris Campbell blazing through opponents’ defenses last year, but he got a ton of targets and led the team in receiving yards today.
Again, you can’t exactly draw too many conclusions from a scrimmage, but it’s clear that Gill has the confidence of the quarterbacks and coaching staff, has a knack for getting open, and has a good chance of seeing a major bump in production this year.
The H-back is a very important game-breaking position in Ryan Day’s offense, and he looks more than adequate. He should be a part of the rotation there and not just in mop up duty.
Next … Defensive backs getting aggressive
Secondary ball hawks?
I don’t know if he’ll crack the rotation in the secondary in the two-deep or not, but Jahsen Wint showed some playmaking ability on the back end Saturday. He had two interceptions and showed his skill in reading and breaking on the ball.
Amir Riep also had a pick on an athletic play that set up a score, along with a handful of tackles. And while both guys aren’t some of the returning and known commodities you would expect to plug into the starting secondary, it appears as though there’s some depth developing there. It seems to be a more aggressive and competitive bunch that you’ll see this coming fall.
One can only hope. If the defensive backs can cut down on some of the big plays we saw last year, maybe the offense won’t have to carry the burden so much.
Next … What’s the deal behind Dobbins?
Running backs are young and thin, but talented
J.K. Dobbins is the clear No. 1 back this coming year, but heaven forbid he fights any type of injury or needs significant spells at times, there’s not a lot of proven ability behind him.
But no worries. Master Teague had a solid day and looked a little more explosive than what I remember last year, and you have to figure Demario McCall will get some time there if needed. Marcus Crowley will be able to mix for depth at the position.
It’s Ohio State, so the expectation is that the next man up will plug and play in this offense. I see no reason to think that will be a problem, and a guy like Teague who has durable size and explosiveness might be the guy right behind Dobbins as it stands right now.
