Football
Spring Wrap up - The Defense
By John PorentasThe Buckeyes were looking for replacements for starting linebackers James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman and defensive backs Donald Washington and Malcolm Jenkins this spring. The biggest problem the defensive coaching staff had in making those replacements was not finding players to step up, but choosing from the many players that actually did.
Linebackers: When spring practice began this was probably the position that commanded the most attention. Who would step up replace Laurinaitis and Freeman? When it ended the question had changed to "who are you going to keep off the field."
Junior linebacker Brian Rolle had an incredible spring and Tyler Moeller made play after play in both the spring game and the jersey scrimmage to toss their hats into the "how you gonna keep us off the field" ring. Fifth year senior Austin Spitler has waited his turn and is primed for his chance to be on the field, and junior Ross Homan is the lone returning starter from last year's group.
That's four linebackers for a team that plays two more often than it plays three these days, and it doesn't end there. Both Andrew Sweat and Etienne Sabino played very well this spring. If you scoring at home, that brings the total to six players for roughly 2.5 spots. It's a nice problem to have if you are a linebackers coach.
The OSU linebacking corps will give the defensive coaching staff tremendous flexibility this fall. Spitler and Homan can line up as a bigger, physical pair. Though they are both smallish as linebackers go, both Rolle and Moeller are hitters and playmakers who bring speed and versatility. Moeller may be OSU best blitzer and is strong enough in coverage to play OSU's star position in the nickel package. Sweat's style of play is probably closer to that of Homan and Spitler, while Sabino is both fast and physical, so much so that at times this spring he took reps with the defensive ends as a pass rusher.
The OSU coaching staff isn't likely to settle the question of who plays until next fall, but it's pretty safe to say that Spitler, Homan, Rolle and Moeller all will see considerable action. Chances are you will see more of Homan and Spitler against teams like Wisconsin and Penn State, and more of Moeller and Rolle against Illinois and Michigan.
Defensive Ends: Everybody knew about Thaddeus Gibson when spring began. Now everybody knows about Solomon Thomas as well. Thomas recorded an astounding seven sacks in the jersey scrimmage to thrust himself into the mix at defensive end, and to give you an idea of just how deep and strong the Buckeyes are at that position, Thomas may not have done enough.
Sophomore Nathan Williams sat out spring ball while recovering from off-season surgery thereby giving Thomas a chance for more reps, but when fall begins Williams will be back in the mix after a freshman year in which he at times looked unblockable. Fifth year senior Lawrence Wilson, a starter for two consecutive seasons and a player whose season was cut short by injury for two consecutive seasons, was able to take part in most drills this spring and will be back next fall. Senior Robert Rose slimmed down and was playing very well this spring until a knee injury about half way through spring practice limited his participation.
Nearly all those players need to work on something. Williams, Gibson and Thomas need to develop as run stoppers, Wilson needs to continue his rehab, and Rose must improve his pass rush and stay healthy. The players that do the most to strengthen their games in the areas in which they are weak will probably be the players on the field the most next fall. Gibson showed signs of progress against the run this spring and Rose looked like an improved pass rusher until the knee injury slowed him down. Much like the linebacker position, the defensive end spot is going to be more one of "who do we keep off the field" than "can we find guys to put on the field" when fall camp begins.
Haven't had enough? Don't forget about redshirt freshman Keith Wells. Wells is rehabbing from off-season surgery and didn't take part in spring practices, but can be a factor as well.
Defensive linemen: Poor Todd Denlinger. Denlinger was good enough to be a starter at times last year but was slowed by injuries. Now he's fighting for playing time. Juniors Dexter Larimore and Cameron Heyward both stepped it up this spring and look extremely strong in the middle of the OSU defense. Fifth-year senior Doug Worthington also had an excellent spring making plays in both the spring game and jersey scrimmage, the most memorable of which was a sack of Terrelle Pryor in which Worthington was able to stay with Pryor in a sprint to the edge to record the sack.
Those four are the candidates for what will likely be a four-man rotation in the defensive interior next fall, but redshirt Garrett Goebel also made his presence felt this spring. After spending his time on the scout team last year Goebel drew raves from his teammates and coaches as a young player who not only has the physical tools to play but also one who has mastered the OSU defense to an extent that belies his lack of experience. The only things standing between Goebel and being on the field is the presence of four experienced defensive linemen ahead of him.
Redshirt freshman Willie Mobley saw his first action after this spring after surgery. At times he looked a bit rusty in the early spring but picked it up as spring ball progressed. At 265 Mobley is not the biggest defensive lineman but is very quick and tough to block.
Safeties: Senior Anderson Russell had what we thought was an excellent spring, his best thus far as a Buckeye. Senior Kurt Coleman missed some time due to a minor injury but played well in the scrimmages and is a candidate for a captaincy in his senior season.
Those two entered spring ball as the top two safeties and its almost a sure bet that they ended there as well. Behind them junior Jermale Hines was impressive this spring, making plays as both a safety and at the star position at the nickel.
Redshirt freshman Orhian Johnson is a player who made a move this spring. The former high school quarterback drew raves from his teammates as a playmaker and from coaches as a young player who not only understands the game buy has incredible instincts on the football field to go along with his physical skills. Redshirt freshman Zach Domicone also flashed at times this spring.
If Johnson or Domicone are to be in the two deep they will have to pass veterans like redshirt sophomore Nate Oliver, senior Aaron Gant and redshirt sophomore Rocco Pentello who were also on hand this spring. True freshman Jamie Wood was also in spring camp but was slowed by a nagging minor injury.
Corner Backs: The Buckeyes needed to find two starters this spring that could play as cover corners after losing both Donald Washington and Malcolm Jenkins to the NFL draft. They probably found four.
Chimdi Chekwa returned as one probable starter and the competition between Andre Amos and Devon Torrence for the other starting spot led to two conclusions: One, that it was too close to call when spring ball ended and two, that both of them can play. Some observers thought that Torrence held the upper hand while others thought it was Amos. We think it's Amos, who was very consistent at practice and also made plays in both the jersey scrimmage and spring game.
Perhaps the most pleasant surprise was the play of true freshman C. J. Barnett. Barnett is a fluid athlete that can cover and will be heard from at OSU. Redshirt freshman Travis Howard got plenty of reps at corner this spring and was also impressive at times.
The trio of Chekwa, Amos and Torrence gives OSU the potential to put three cover corners on the field in nickel situations again this season like they did last year with Washington, Jenkins and Chekwa. Barnett and Howard will provide depth along with redshirt sophomore Donnie Evege.
Tomorrow - Offense and defense overview, what will the Buckeyes do?
Thursday- Special teams
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