Leaps and Bounds
One of the fun parts about the start of spring football is finding out which players should be expected to make a jump thanks to a productive offseason. Players work side-by-side all winter long and they see everything. Sure, they might be a bit biased, but the answers are interesting nonetheless.
When fourth-year junior nose tackle Robert Landers was asked who is standing out to him, he immediately mentioned the guy he will be sharing reps with this season.
“The person that sticks out to me most is Davon Hamilton,” he said. “That will be a guy to really look for coming into next season. Me and Davon have been really close over the years because we all came in together. The way he’s been lately is just lights out. I’m excited to see what he’s going to do, especially as a teammate. It’ll be amazing to see what the season has in store for us.”
The Waiting is the Hardest Part?
After the 2017 season, H-back Parris Campbell thought about leaving for the NFL. He had just completed his fourth year as a Buckeye, and sometimes that can be more than enough for some players.
Instead of leaving, however, he chose to return, just like every other upperclassman in the receivers room.
This past month as he has been preparing for and participating in spring football, those former teammates who are headed off to the NFL are busy training for their next step. Many of those players return to OSU to work with the position coaches in preparation for Ohio State’s Pro Day later this month.
Campbell has seen the work going on and has taken notice.
“It’s very motivational,” he said. “And for me personally, because I know my goals, I know where I want to get, it gets me excited and it gets me jacked up. Just to see those guys going through the process that I one day want to go through.
“It’s motivational just because you’ve played with those guys, you’ve grown close to those guys, you have a relationship with those guys. You’re happy for them, but then again, you know with another year, with more preparation and more time, you’ll get better every day and you can be there next year.”
On the Mend, Off the Cuff
Speaking of H-backs, the Buckeyes will not have their entire stable of slot receivers available this spring. Fourth-year junior K.J. Hill has been in a sling since January due to shoulder surgery. He expects to be good to go by the end of April, however.
“I’m going to be out the whole spring,” Hill said. “I’m trying to rehab right now. I’m feeling better. The injury happened in the USC game on a punt return. I got the surgery done in January so I’ll be back after spring. Rotator cuff.”
Inside AND Out?
One of the major discussions over the offseason for the Ohio State defense has been about how the Buckeyes are going to replace three talented defensive ends.
You don’t just lose three NFL defensive ends and not miss a step.
Right?
That’s a question to be answered down the road, but another question has already been answered by defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
In the search for defensive end replacements, one of the names brought up quite a bit was defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones. Jones came to Ohio State as a defensive end, but grew into a tackle. Given his talked-about prowess as a pass rusher, there was some thought that he could kick outside and stabilize the rotation at end.
Instead, that move was made by Jashon Cornell, who also came to Ohio State as a highly-touted defensive end before growing into a tackle.
So does that mean the end of the idea that Jones could play defensive end this season? Probably.
“I think he’s probably the best three technique rusher in the Big Ten, in my eyes with what he does,” Johnson said. “So there’s a good chance that we’ll add him to our Rushmen package. Instead of going off the field, he’ll probably stay on the field right now, so that’s another reason to take advantage of his skill set.”