Any time a team signs a 5-star prospect, there are going to be expectations. When the Buckeyes signed 5-star New York tight end Jeremy Ruckert this past winter, those expectations were ramped up by Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer.
“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,” Meyer said back in December. “His skill set is ridiculous. Now it’s a question of getting him ready to play.”
Getting him ready to play to this point has involved a long-distance relationship, and it will continue like that until he arrives on the Ohio State campus in a few weeks.
The expectations will continue as well, and for good reason.
“It will be interesting because he’s very talented, but very much so in a skill setting as a big receiver and great in the passing game,” OSU offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Kevin Wilson said. “I think as an incoming freshman, I think all of those guys are very, very good there.”
At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, Ruckert is not only an imposing receiver, he is also an athletic mismatch for those designated to defend his position. He can stretch the field, win 50/50 balls, pick up yards after the catch, and move the chains. For the quarterback in need, Ruckert should develop into a very cushy security blanket.
But like anybody on the Buckeye offense — and even more so for a tight end — Ruckert is going to have to be able to block.
Unfortunately for Ohio State, they don’t already have him on campus in order to develop him into the blocker they will eventually need. They are still keeping tabs on exactly what he is doing, however, and how much.
“Right now we’re talking weekly when we visit about what did you really do in workouts,” Wilson said. “I know you lifted, but what’s your body weight like? How many times are you benching 225? How strong are you getting? He has a body that I don’t want him to try to work so hard on getting strong. He’s a long guy, and I don’t want to have a high school young kid with a bad back. So I want him to get stronger, but I want him to be smart.”
While the Buckeyes want Jeremy Ruckert as good as possible as quickly as possible, they also know that that’s not how things work. It’s unlikely for any freshman to be equipped for everything they’re going to ask a player to do. At tight end, this is especially true. Some arrive as better blockers than receivers, other as better receivers than blockers.
The goal is to eventually build a complete tight end. They believe Ruckert will command early playing time based on his receiving skills. Until he becomes the blocker that they need, however, his playing time will always be limited.
“It’s a developmental position, so for him to really play significantly, how strong is he in the blocking game?” Wilson said. “And how does he hold up, because he’s going to have to block defensive ends. We’ll get phenomenal opportunity in practice with who he matches up against to see where he stands. I think he’ll be in the mix to play early as a receiver. And to be a complete player, is he strong enough and mature enough to block.”
If I had a dollar for every time I have heard this staff say “not ready to play” in reference to one of our players I would be a rich man… and it always begs the questions 1) if they aren’t ready then why the hell not? And 2) who is supposed to be getting them ready?