COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State offensive coordinator and tight end coach Kevin Wilson met with the media on Monday along with a handful of tight ends.
Here are the highlights of what was said.
Kevin Wilson
+ The defense is competitive. They are throwing a lot and handling it well. Practice has been very physical and there has been a lot of back and forth. “It has been challenging.”
+ On the scrimmage on Saturday, Wilson said it was good and they got a lot of work in for the younger players. Dallan Hayden popped a few big runs which was nice to see. But they were just a little inconsistent and need to get better there.
+ In practice on Monday they had players in for 8-9 plays in a row instead of 3-4.
+ A challenge of the offense is that people assume they will pick up where they left off. They can’t “get too big for their briches.” They are always fighting to stay on point and improve. Players are trying to stay humble and grounded and they need to start back over.
+ Cade Stover is going to have a really good year. “He does so many things right that you want a leader to do. He’s one of the dudes of our team.”
Gee Scott Jr.
+ He is getting used to the added weight at 240 lbs. He got to Ohio State at 210 and played tight end last year at 220. He doesn’t feel slower but notices the weight in his explosiveness. He feels like he takes on blocks better with the added weight.
+ He is still learning tight end because there are so many jobs. “It’s something for the long haul.”
+ On fully embracing tight end, Scott said at first he had doubts and questioned whether he was good enough to make the transition. But he said he put one foot in front of the other. The end goal is to be a tight end in the NFL.
+ On his role in the tight end room, Scott said the more he can do, the more he will play. He doesn’t want to be one-sided and just be a route runner. “My goal at tight end is to not have a role, but to do everything.”
Cade Stover
+ “We just want to be tough” on the goals of the tight end room. Toughness is a learned trait and they want to be fast, physical and talented, but they want to be tough.
+ On being named a captain, Stover said growing up in Ohio it was always a goal of his. He modeled everything after Jonathon Cooper and wanted to be like him.
+ On finding a position for him where he could be comfortable, Stover said he feels completely different than he did in training camp a year ago. He feels comfortable, good, and confident with where he’s at.
Mitch Rossi
+ On the pressure of an increased role and returning from his injury, Rossi said he’s trying to come back as fast as he can from the injury but he also wants to be better than where he was last year, so there’s a real sense of urgency.
+ They want to be able to get a tough yard on 3rd-and-1, Rossi said that’s something they want to be a part of their identity. In terms of being a complete offense, they need that and he feels confident about it.
+ He’s trying to improve as a complete player and they want to be a more complete offense overall.
+ The defense is presenting a lot of good challenges and they disguise things well. “We’re used to kind of getting after them and it’s good to have that increased challenge.”
+ All of the tight ends represent different advantages. They don’t care about not being “true tight ends” as long as they can be used as a weapon.
Bennett Christian
+ Tight end is such a developmental position, “it’s like learning a few positions at once.” He’s feels like he is doing good so far but is not where he wants to be. Coming to Ohio State in the spring helped get things started.
+ He came in with a run-blocking system but the receiver part is what he needs to work on more. Going against the receivers here is making him a lot better.
+ He had a few ‘welcome to Ohio State moments’, most were in the spring but one was in the scrimmage on Saturday trying to block Tyler Friday. “That guy brings it.”
