A Lot to Like
This past Wednesday, Ohio State signed 21 very talented players, including nine of the Top 100 players in the 247Sports Composite.
Those players include the nation’s best defensive tackle in Taron Vincent, the nation’s best all-purpose back in Jaelen Gill, the best tight end in Jeremy Ruckert, the best center in Matthew Jones, and the best overall junior college prospect in defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson.
All told, 14 of OSU’s 21 signees rank in the top 10 at their respective positions.
When Urban Meyer was asked for the strengths of this recruiting class, he started with the defensive line, and then went to one of those top 10 players in Oklahoma safety Josh Proctor.
“Well, I think there’s no doubt the interior defensive line,” he said. “There’s so many — one of my favorite players is a guy that was absolutely relentless in the pursuit was Josh Proctor, Player of the Year in the state of Oklahoma. Obviously a heck of a football program there, and he made the decision to join us.”
But then the conversation turned to one of those No. 1 overall prospects, and even though Meyer didn’t want to, he couldn’t stop himself from giving an early evaluation of the potential the Buckeyes had just brought on board.
“And then I’m looking at one of the — I do this quite often. It’s not fair to the young people, but I think Jeremy Ruckert might be the best tight end prospect that I’ve ever seen and recruited,” he said. “His skill set is ridiculous. Now it’s a question of getting him ready to play. And there’s many more, I just picked a couple there.”
The Learning Curves
When that signing class does arrive, they will begin workouts and practices with fancy plans on starting this game or that game, and making the key play in the Michigan game.
What they have to learn upon arrival, however, is that the key play that they want to make in the Michigan game, might just be on special teams. And before a player can see offense or defense, they must first contribute and make an impact in the kicking game.
“When you first get here, you learn that you’ve got to start on two special teams to even try and get on the field at your position,” said receiver Terry McLaurin. “They take that so very seriously here. And I feel like the number one thing that provides for you is just hunger.”
The value of every snap is instilled early on, and even though freshmen may not be getting their names called on television, so many of them have important roles to play, which then builds their confidence and carries them into further progression.
“You come here as a four- or five-star or a highly recruited guy out of your area and you just think everything’s going to work and you’re going to play your position right away,” McLaurin said. “But playing those special teams and learning how big of an impact that makes on the games here, it makes you feel like you’re adding some value to the program. So that feeling of adding value and just that chip on your shoulder, I feel like carries on to your future and to competing for a spot at your position.”
There’s a Reason It’s Predictable
Ohio State fans have a love-hate relationship with one of Urban Meyer’s favorite plays.
In short-yardage situations, often you will see the Buckeye offense go to an empty set with just J.T. Barrett in the backfield. Everybody in the world knows the run is coming, and yet much more often than not, Barrett picks up the first down.
Fans think back to when the quarterback hasn’t been able to get to the marker — like in the Big Ten Championship Game in 2013, but that is one of the few times the play has fallen short.
“Well, historically it goes back to 2001 at Bowling Green,” Urban Meyer said of one of his pet plays. “Dan Mullen was on my staff, and this is before teams really did a lot of that. The other guy that was really good at that was Bill Snyder at Kansas State. I went there and spent a week and watched how he did his business, and he was doing things that other people didn’t do, and it’s sheer numbers.”
So much of Meyer’s offensive philosophy is about number advantages. The read-option helps equate numbers of blockers and defenders because it removes the need for a blocker by allowing the quarterback to negate one defender.
On the short-yardage situations, it’s about moving as many defenders out of the box as possible.
“You put five guys out, they’ve got five guys that have now just left the box, and you put a free safety back there, and there’s only five guys left,” he said. “Does that make sense? And so your numbers are called equated.”
The numbers being less of an advantage for a defense helps Barrett be able to get the necessary yard or two.
“That’s one reason,” Meyer said. “And he is dynamic at getting — he’s a very good reader. He’s a very good understander. He’s excellent with ball security, and it works.”
Barrett is a good runner and he knows where to go, but it still takes more than that according to Meyer.
“You’re forgetting two things,” he said. “Number one, he’s one of the most competitive human beings that stands on this earth; and number two his toughness. All the other things are true, too, but when you have a competitor like that, you know who’s going to touch the ball. I’ve said that over the headsets many times: ‘J.T. is carrying this ball.'”