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Spring Ball Postmortem - Part I of a Multi-Part Series
By John Porentas

Spring football is over, and from all accounts from the coaching staff and players, this was a pretty good spring for the Buckeyes.

The lone negative this spring is a large one, the serious neck injury to wide receiver Tyson Gentry. On the positive side, the Buckeyes made progress in areas of concern, and several new names and faces emerged as people who can help the Buckeyes next fall.

The unquestioned largest area of concern coming into spring ball was the defense, particularly at linebacker. The Buckeyes must replace nine starters including a trio of standout linebackers next season. OSU tight end Rory Nicol, who practiced against that defense every day this spring, said he is not worried about the defense.

"That defense isn't going to be weak," said Nicol.

"People fail to realize how many guys are over there that played significant time here. They need to mesh together, but as far as having individuals who are great players, we have them. They're going to be fine.

"They're a physical unit and fast. We have a lot of speed over there and a lot of young guys who are anxious to make a name for themselves and some coaches who know what it takes," said Nicol.

Nicol's comments were echoed by several members of the defense when we asked them why they could good next year despite their apparent lack of playing experience.

"Speed," said safety Jamario O'Neal, summing up in one word why he thinks the defense will be good next year.

"We have guys who are just faster. There were a lot of fast guys last year, but this year there are more guys that run 4.3 running around on the field. We show 4.3 speed all the time. I think our speed and breaking on the ball are going to be the difference between last year's team and this year's team," O'Neal said.

The lone knock on last year's defense was the lack of turnovers produced. Next year's defense has the potential to be much more productive in that area, and came up with four turnovers in the spring game, three on interceptions and one on a fumble recovery. That should bring a smile to the face of defensive coordinator Jim Heacock who said before the spring game "For me I like playmakers, and you can't tell that until we scrimmage. What I like is to have a scrimmage and who goes out there and makes plays. Who makes sacks, who causes fumbles, who gets interceptions, that's what those guys that we lost did. Now we have to find out who these new playmakers are going to be."

The linebacker corps that was seen as decimated has suddenly become a logjam positions. Linebackers coach Luke Fickell said this spring that at least seven players have stepped up to have a shot at starting positions, and after the jersey scrimmage and spring game, it is clear that Fickell knew what he was talking about. Marcus Freeman, John Kerr and James Laurinaitis are the front runners as starters, but Curtis Terry, Ross Homan, Larry Grant and Chad Hoobler all have emerged as players who could challenge for time. That, according to Laurinaitis, should make the Buckeyes better next fall.

"We have a lot of guys at linebacker right now," said Laurinaitis.

"We have six or seven guys that could play, and like coach says, that's something that's going to benefit us the whole year, because if you have one bad week of practice, you might not be starting that week. I think it keeps you more focused and keeps you into it more and it's going to benefit our overall defensive unit.

"You're constantly thinking that you can't take a day off, because the guy behind you might or the guy next to me is working out. I can't take this day off because that's one day closer that he's getting to that spot. I think that keeps a driving passion for everybody in our group."

The DBs

In the defensive backfield, Malcolm Jenkins probably has one corner spot nailed down, and Jamario O'Neal probably has one safety spot secured. The other two spots, however, are up for grabs with a host of talented candidates. Brandon Mitchell, Anderson Russell and Nick Patterson will compete for the other starting safety spot. Mike Roberts, Andre Amos, Antonio Smith, Brandon Underwood and Kurt Coleman will battle it out at the corner.

Patterson was penciled in at the safety spot when spring drills began, but don't count out Mitchell or Russell next fall. Russell is talented and will benefit from time in the weight room over the summer, and Mitchell is a hungry players who will be in his final season as a Buckeye. Both will make a challenge for the starting role.

At corner, Antonio Smith started for the Scarlet defense in the spring game, and that team pitched a shutout. Perhaps the play of day in the defensive backfield, however, was made by freshman corner Kurt Coleman who intercepted a Todd Boeckman pass intended for Albert Dukes with a diving, athletic play that caught a lot of eyes. You can be sure that Heacock, who is looking for playmakers, noticed. Jim Tressel did.

"I thought Kurt Coleman's interception was very athletic," said Tressel. "Kurt has very good ball skills."

The play definitely impressed Boeckman.

"When I threw the ball I thought 'That's a touchdown for sure.' When I saw it in the air I thought it was a touchdown for sure. He made a great play on the ball. I give him a lot of credit. It was a a helluva play," Boeckman said.

For Coleman, it is simply what he has always done.

"I've always had a knack for the ball," he said. "Ever since I started in sixth grade I've had ten interceptions every season. I just feel like the ball is mine when it's in the air."

Coleman is one of those new faces that could make an impact next fall. We were impressed with him, and though his attitude is clearly not braggadocios, he has the kind confidence coaches like in a cornerback.

"I feel I have a way to push my way into the starting rotation but the DBs here are really great. If I'm not ready for the job then I know someone else is better, but I feel I can work my way into it," he said after the spring game.

Hunger

The Buckeyes coaching staff should have a pretty good idea who their playmakers are after this spring, but the gnawing concern is that no matter how fast or talented those players are, they will to some extent be green. We posed that question to some of the leading candidates to be on the field for the defense when the season begins, and to a man they all said the same thing, the defense might be green, but it will be good, if for no other reason than they are tired of hearing about how weak they will be.

"We're very hungry," said O'Neal.

"We feel like we have to go out and do and prove to not only ourselves but to the Buckeye Nation that we're not losing anything, but we're just gaining guys that are hungry and want to ball. We have something to prove," O'Neal said.

It was a pervading sentiment.

"I would say that we're hungry. We're hungry to go out there and shut people out, do great things on defense," said defensive end Vernon Gholston.

"I think the thing is for our team is that we have a bunch of players who came here that if they went to other programs they could be starting right away," said Laurinaitis.

"I think it's good, because we have the fire to kind of prove that we belong here. We know we lost a lot of great people and we know you can't really replace them. You can't fill their shoes, you have to make your own shoes."

Up Front

If the cobbler can make a pair of shoes where the hunger to prove a point trumps a lack of experience, the Buckeye defense could be good next fall. If that's not enough for you, however, there is another reason to think that might be true. Say what you want, but the game off football has always been won and lost at the line of scrimmage, and next year's defensive line should be good. Defensive end Lawrence Wilson is definitely buying into that premise.

"The defensive line is going to control the game," said Wilson.

"We have the starters back and they're doing a great job leading us. The d-line has to step up for this defense to be good."

Quinn Pitcock will be back next fall for his senior season, and David Patterson will move inside to what most feel is his natural position.That duo does in fact have the potential to be a dominating front on the interior. Joel Penton and Nadar Abdallah will provide depth, and freshman Todd Denlinger shows great promise on the inside. Penton impresses us as the kind of player who will indeed have his career-best season as a senior, much like David Thompson did in 2002. Abdallah has been waiting in the wings for a chance, and at 310 pounds is the biggest of OSU's interior defensive linemen.

At the ends, Wilson has drawn raves, and is now a bigger, faster athlete then when he arrived last fall, though reports of a sudden increase in his size proved to less-than accurate. He is bigger, but he wasn't exactly small last year in his first season as a Buckeye. He was listed at 235 by OSU, but Wilson said that was inaccurate.

"That was my senior year in high school. I played at 265 to 270 last year.

"From last season I gained about five pounds, but I got a lot stronger. I weigh about 275 now," said Wilson.

"I've gained speed as well. When I came in I ran a 4.65, and recently I ran a 4.57, so working with Butch Reynolds and the strength and conditioning staff definitely made me better," Wilson said

Wilson said that he is physically better, but that his biggest improvement came in other areas.

"I think I've gotten more mature. Last year when I was playing I was thinking too much. The coaches told me 'Don't think. Just go, go play,' and that's what I tried to do all spring. I think I definitely did a better job," he said.

Wilson will be joined at the defensive end spot by Alex Barrow, Jay Richardson and Gholstin. Like the linebacker position, the competition for starting positions should make them all better, and the Buckeyes should have depth that will allow them to rotate players.

An almost-forgotten player that could also impact the defense next fall is Mike D'Andrea. D'Andrea missed spring ball while recovering from an knee injury, but could make an impact at either linebacker or defensive end if he is healthy next fall.

Spring Ball Postmortem - Part II of a Multi-Part Series- The Offensive Line

Spring Ball Postmortem - Part III of a Multi-Part Series- Offensive Skill

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