As I look at the Buckeye offensive line verbals I see a bunch of players that look like inside players. I could single out one that could play right tackle or could play left tackle in a pinch, for a half a game or so, but I see no true left tackle and no player I would project to right tackle except for need.
I cannot recall a collection of players like this in the state during the Tressel era. Massive kids. I am not talking about big framed kids. I am talking about serious wide bodies. My thinking when I first saw all these really big kids is it was about need. We don't need to move players down. We don't have time. In 2011 we need guard bodies. We don't need players no comments
One of the biggest stories in sports is playing out right now with the re-shuffling of the conferences. We saw a minor version of this a few years back when the SEC went to 12 teams with the addition of Arkansas and S.Carolina, and the expansion of the Big 8 into the Big 12. What is about to happen will rock college football line nothing since the decision to go to the 85 scholarship limit.
Yesterday on Bucknuts Fight Club I took the side of why Notre Dame should not join the Big Ten. I want Notre Dame to join as a Buckeye fan and someone who appreciates the tradition. I question whether it a smart move for Notre Dame.
Many argue that Penn State has not been the same since they joined the Big Ten. They were a national power when they came into the conference. Notre Dame is hurting right now. It is no comments
Bill Kuelic is of a mind that the Buckeyes only take one quarterback in this class. I can't wrap my mind around the idea that we are going to pass on an opportunity to upgrade the quarterback position, but there are currently five scholarship quarterbacks on the roster right now. I am including Verlon Reed until he is officially moved. Taking Jones too means there are technically seven quarterbacks in the roster so what Bill is saying is very logical. Another thing to consider. Look at it from Jones point of view. Fans are saying to redshirt him. Why would he want to do that? Just to be the starter for one year? That is the problem Jones has to deal with. He does have the better upside but he is not as ready to play as Miller, so he is going to have to wait until Miller gives him the opportunity to play. As good as Miller is, that might not happen for at least three years. I don't know if Jones will take any more coaching than Miller. I think we find out this year. I installed Jones as my #1 because I see a player who is getting better with every throw, but his standing atop my 2011 rankins is a very shaky one for that reason. My rating is about what he is going to be. He must continue to develop at no comments
The Buckeyes have stacked linebackers in the last five years or so like nobodys business. I would put the the linebackers who have been on this roster up against any school in the country during that period. USC, Texas, Florida, anybody. When you look at the fact that players like Etienne Sabino and Storm Klein would have to wait their turn and a player the caliber of Dorian Bell would have to redshirt, that tells you all you need to know about depth with the Buckeyes. Now it is a matter of keeping that talent coming this way. No other position has been about re-loading, not re-stocking with the Buckeyes.
Last year was a big blow. Losing Jordan Hicks was not going to impact the depth chart for this year. I said it before and I will say it again. Jordan Hicks was going to redshirt here. The thing is it hurt the overall talent level. That is where we want to look to with this recruiting no comments
I know some of you may be looking at the title of this post and you are thinking, "We are only halfway through 2011 and this whackjob is talking about 2012." No, it is not too early. Look at the class of 2011. It is for all intents over. Look at the number of offers out there. Look at the number of players who are leaning this way. Braxton Miller, Ron Tanner, Evan Spencer, Doran Grant and Aundray Walker, all stand as heavy Buckeye leans. It is just a matter of time with Nick Vannett. The Buckeyes are going to be hard to beat with Michael Bennett. That is ten verbals, and add these seven kids, all would be huge shocks if they went anywhere else, we are not going to see but a handful of offers.We will wait until signing day on Bennett, Vaughters and Trey DePriest.That is twenty slots accounted for in a class that is no comments
Not too long ago Mark Porter put up the full video for Braxton Miller. I had seen it earlier but I watched it again. Several times actually. I was so impressed. It brought me around to a new way of thinking with Miller.
I have been going at the who is better between Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller from the point of view of who is the better quarterback, and who has the better upside? There is a different way to look at this thing. Who is the better prospect? Look at the moves at :52, 2:15, 9:02 and 12:45 on the video. Those are the kinds of moves that you want to see in the open field by a great receiver, let alone a quarterback. Miller is not a great athletic quarterback, as in he runs very well for a quarterback. Those are moves that would make no comments
I think Nick Vannett will be a Buckeye before the week is out. That leaves us with what looks like about ten spots left in the class. I am going to look at the players I would like to finish this class off with. I have some criteria. The players have to be showing enough interest to make them viable candidates to be Buckeyes. The other rule is they have to have an offer which eliminates a personal favorite in Roger Williamson. The Buckeyes are talking to him but I don't see an offer until someone, like Ron Tanner, chooses to go elsewhere. That is something highly unlikely to happen.
Braxton Miller - Seeing his full junior film has me thinking about Miller in an entirely different no comments
The Buckeyes landed a big need in the last couple of days with a verbal from Florida Barron Collier tight end Jeff Heuerman. He also had offers from Tennessee, Wisconsin, Boston College, Maryland and Michigan, to name just a few. Florida had been showing a good deal of interest but had not come in with an offer. His Dad played basketball at Michigan. I only got see a handful of plays but he shows both the receiving and the blocking that the Buckeyes desperately need at the position. I like his athleticism.
Even more good news could be coming soon as I have heard that Nick Vannett could be a Buckeye soon. The handwriting was on the wall late last week when he decided to come to no comments
Defensive line - I love what I am hearing about this unit. I could pass along a story about every player on the depth chart. To think the Buckeyes lost three starters from this uint, a couple of seniors who had been integral to the success of the unit over the past couple of years in Doug Worthington and Todd Denlinger, as well as Thad Gibson and be better. Yes, I am saying better. Observers are telling me this unit with Cam Heyward, John Simon, Dex Larimore and Nathan Williams will be better than last years unit. Heyward has had a monster spring. He stepped forward as a vocal leader in addition to taking his game to another level. Nathan Williams will be better than Thaddeus Gibson. Think Mike Vrabel. I have always said that you have to believe you are the man to be the man. That is what I have heard about the Buckeye defensive line. They know they are good. One observer said they have the "swagger." One player I want to single out is Keith Wells. He shows flashes of being an NFL player. He is ever finds the focus to be an every down and an ever rep guy, he will be a great player. That intensity and focus are currently lacking.
Linebackers - It is more trying to find the reps for everyone with the linebackers. Rolle and Homan are every down players. They never leave the field. Having linebackers that can cover as well as play the run is what everyone is looking for. It looks like Etienne Sabino has arrived. He was as good as any linebacker prospect to ever come into the program in my time. He has stepped it up and nailed down the third linebacker spot. Dorian Bell is playing so well that the starters all need to keep playing as well as they are playing. All he needs is a shot. Andrew Sweat was not completely healthy. He will be right back in the mix this fall. I don't know what is going on with Whiting. With this depth chart it is hard to stand out but I never heard anything to make me think it was the depth chart that was keeping him from having an impact. I was never really a fan. He is young. Way too early to say he is not going to have an impact, especially with his pass defense skills in this day and age where linebackers must be as good against the pass as they are against the run. A name to keep in mind is walk-on Tony Jackson. He is running with the 2s a good bit. I remember him from high school. He had a very unstable senior year. We know he was a player but the Southwestern City School District was already showing signs of disarray. He was at the new Grove City school then disappeared and showed up eventually at Westland. He is not the usual walk-on. He was a player who was going to see Big Ten offers if he had a more stable situation. What a steal by the staff.
Defensive backs - Torrence, Chekwa, Hines and Johnson look like a really solid unit. I am not so sure about the back-ups. We have seen the staff be very aggressive in recruiting with defensive backs. Based on what I am hearing out of camp I can see why. Veteran Donnie Evege was the only corner who showed he is ready to play. Both Corey Brown and Dom Clarke struggled in coverage. I always saw Corey Brown as a safety. I did not see the hips and the recovery speed to be a corner at this level. I suspect we see him at safety before his career is down here. It is too early to get worried about corner but I would like to see more athletes in the mix. For the first time Ohrian Johnson showed me that he could be the man at free safety. He was always a good athlete but he never showed me anything on the field. I saw him around the ball in the spring game. That is the first thing I want from my free safety. We will see about the back-ups. I have concerns not just at safety but at corner too.
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I thought I would wait until the end of spring to make a report on what I am hearing. So often the reports from one practice are misleading. I will start with the offense:
Quarterback - Surprises all the way around here. Pryor is "much improved." What you saw Saturday on his second series is what he showed all of spring. Timing was one thing pointed out that he has improved on. That is going to be huge. Confidence is another. We saw it on the touchdown pass. Pryor would not have made that throw. He would ahve takent off because he lacked the confidence to let the pattern mature. Almost as big is the news of the improvement of Kenny Guiton. He is looking like a legit candidate to be the starter once no comments
