Spring football starts on Monday for the Buckeyes, so with that in mind we thought it would be a good time to touch on the storylines that everyone will be watching over the next six weeks.
Today we will begin with the offense, where 2,000 yards rushing and 1,800 yards receiving have left for the NFL and will need to be replaced. That process will begin this spring, but not without plenty of questions of just exactly how.
Nobody in the Big Ten will be weeping for Ohio State as they search for a new starting running back, two new starting receivers, and two new starting offensive linemen.
Few teams in the nation are as well equipped to provide acceptable answers to these storylines as the Buckeyes.
Let’s begin.
Can Gunnar Hoak stay at No. 2?
Gunnar Hoak will open the spring as Justin Fields’ backup, but will he stay there throughout camp? With two blue-chip quarterbacks now on campus in CJ Stroud and Jack Miller, can he hold both of them off as they vie to take his job? Given his nine or so months at Ohio State, the playbook should have gestated nicely into a firm understanding of exactly what Ryan Day wants from his quarterbacks.
Will Master Teague get pushed?
Marcus Crowley likely won’t be able to go this spring, so the competition to unseat Master Teague as the presumptive starter at running back this season won’t get entirely underway until August. But that doesn’t mean Demario McCall or Steele Chambers can’t make a move. Of course, there is also the possibility that Teague leaves no doubt this spring that the job is going to be difficult to take from him.
Who steps up with reps?
While the long-time vets get some breaks during practice, does anybody step up with those reps and earn a longer look? As Thayer Munford is getting a break at left tackle, will somebody like Dawand Jones or Max Wray or Paris Johnson take advantage of the opportunities and show that they belong? You know what, there really aren’t many long-time starters on this offense, so maybe this is just a storyline for the guys behind Munford.
What will the freshman receivers do?
The Buckeyes signed four top guys at receiver in the 2020 recruiting class and all four are already enrolled, so they are most definitely a storyline. Back on signing day, head coach Ryan Day said all four are capable of making it into the two-deep of a receiver group where they want six guys consistently playing. Will any of the four make plays immediately like Garrett Wilson did a year ago? Probably.
How will the veteran receivers respond?
There are also a number of veteran receivers who have yet to establish themselves, which they’ll be looking to remedy in the spring. Jaylen Harris, Jaelen Gill, Ellijah Gardiner, and Kamryn Babb are all headed into at least their third year on campus, but have combined for just 16 career receptions. That’s not the end of the world when you consider neither Parris Campbell nor Terry McLaurin had a catch until their third year on campus. Still, now is the time to emerge, especially with back-to-back classes of very talented receivers poised for breakout performances.
Where is Harry Miller?
As a true freshman last summer, Harry Miller was described as the most advanced young center anybody at Ohio State had ever seen. Considering starting center Josh Myers is back for another year, it will be interesting to see where Miller lines up. Most expect him to be competing for a starting spot this year, but will he be at the open left guard position, or will he possibly move Myers over a spot?
How good does Paris Johnson look this early?
Paris Johnson was the top-ranked offensive tackle in the 2020 recruiting class, so he comes to Ohio State with significant expectations. Will Johnson line up at left tackle to prepare him for the eventual take over when Thayer Munford leaves after the year? Or will he be in the competition for the open right tackle job? Of course, even if he never sniffs the right side this spring, if he does well enough on the left side, they’ll let him compete for the right tackle job in the fall.
Is Nicholas Petit-Frere ready to be a full-time starter?
The last 5-star offensive tackle the Buckeyes signed before Paris Johnson was Nicholas Petit-Frere, who now enters year three on campus and is primed to start at right tackle. In his one starting audition last year, however, he wasn’t quite ready. He’s bigger and stronger than he’s ever been, and it hasn’t been easy to get to this point. With two years remaining on his clock, is this the start of his potential being realized?
What do we see from Demario McCall?
Amazingly, Demario McCall is now headed into his fifth year as a Buckeye. So much of that time has been spent injured or in position limbo, but now with this being his last spring, what will we see from him? He has switched to a new number, ditching 30 for 3, so new number, new attitude. There is no doubting McCall’s ability to make plays, but will he get more opportunities, and can he respond consistently?
Who steps up for the departed Liam McCullough?
Liam McCullough is gone and he may have been the only perfect Buckeye ever. And now the search for a new long-snapper begins. There are a couple of options in McCullough’s brother Roen, who is a redshirt sophomore, as well as Bradley Robinson, who is a redshirt senior and has a brother who was a long-snapper at Michigan.