http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2016/01/ohio_state_football_2016_depth_1.html
http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2016/01/ohio_state_football_2016_depth_2.html
OFFENSE
LT
Jamarco Jones, Jr., 6-5, 310
Kevin Feder, R-Fr, 6-9, 305
Jones has been groomed as Taylor Decker's replacement all year, while Feder is a physical giant and part of the five-man 2015 offensive line recruiting class that was groomed this season.
LG
Billy Price, R-Jr., 6-4, 315
Evan Lisle, R-Jr., 6-7, 305
Price returns as a third-year starter, while Lisle was a major recruit in the 2013 class who should fight for the starting guard spot opposite Price.
C
Pat Elflein, Sr., 6-3, 300
Brady Taylor, R-So., 6-5, 300
Elflein returning as a third-year starter and sliding from guard to center stabilizes the line. He was the only Buckeye with a true NFL option who stayed in school, and that was a critical move for the line, with Taylor leading the inexperienced options behind him.
RG
Matthew Burrell, R-Fr., 6-3, 300
Demetrius Knox, R-So., 6-4, 305
The most wide-open competition on the line will be the second guard spot. Burrell, a four-star in 2015, and Knox, a four-star in 2014, lead the candidates.
RT
Isaiah Prince, So., 6-7, 305
Branden Bowen, R-Fr., 6-7, 320
One of four true freshmen from the entire 2015 class to play this season, Prince cracked the two-deep as a true freshman at right tackle and is the odds-on favorite to be a starter. Bowen is just another huge second-year player ready to compete.
TE
Marcus Baugh, R-Jr., 6-5, 255
Jake Hausmann, Fr., 6-5, 230
Baugh started four games late in the season as the Buckeyes went to more two-tight end sets. He'll start next season after taking major strides this year. Hausmann is a physically ready recruit who should offer that second tight end option.
WR
Noah Brown, R-So., 6-2, 222
Torrance Gibson, R-Fr., 6-4, 205
Brown broke his leg at the end of preseason camp, a loss that shook the Buckeyes, who expected him to contribute. Now? He'll be the No. 1 target for J.T. Barrett. Gibson is all potential, but he could certainly earn a ton of playing time in his second year as a receiver.
WR
Parris Campbell, R-So., 6-1, 205
Austin Mack, Fr., Fr., 6-2, 205
Campbell started three games early this season and impressed the Buckeyes with his blocking, though he dropped a few passes. An injury slowed his season, but he'll enter 2016 with more experience than anyone else in the receiver room. Mack, as a true freshman, should be polished enough to contribute. Other options like Terry McLaurin, James Clark and Alex Stump have just as much of a chance to earn playing time.
H-back
Dontre Wilson, Sr., 5-10, 195
Demario McCall, Fr., 5-10, 171
Wilson, bothered by foot trouble the last two seasons, gets a final chance to prove himself as a playmaker after catching just seven passes this season. If healthy, he could be a primary offensive focus. McCall fits the same profile as a true freshman, while K.J. Hill also worked at H-back while redshirting this season and could win the job as well.
RB
Curtis Samuel, Jr., 5-11, 200
Mike Weber, R-Fr., 5-10, 215
Samuel, uncertain where he'll wind up, is listed here under the belief the Buckeyes will want him to touch the ball as much as possible. This season, Ohio State's H-backs touched the ball 114 times. Starting running back Ezekiel Elliott touched it 316 times. So Samuel's best chance at a major impact is at running back, where sharing the job with Weber, who redshirted this season, could make a lot of sense.
QB
J.T. Barrett, R-Jr., 6-2, 225
Joe Burrow, R-Fr., 6-3, 208
Imagine this offense if Barrett wasn't returning? With a 15-2 record as a starter, Barrett brings enough experience to carry an offense lacking it everywhere else. The backup quarterback competition between Burrow and redshirt sophomore Stephen Collier can't be ignored, assuming Torrance Gibson stays at receiver for now. A redshirt freshman won that backup job two years ago in preseason and wound up starting the whole season. That was Barrett.
DEFENSE
DE
Sam Hubbard, R-So, 6-5, 265
Jalyn Holmes, Jr., 6-5, 265
Hubbard played a lot this season as a pass rusher on third downs and as a replacement for Joey Bosa, who was suspended for the opener and ejected early in the Fiesta Bowl. He actually finished with 6.5 sacks, which was more than Bosa, and ranked second on the team behind Tyquan Lewis. As much as Bosa was a game-changing force who drew the blocking attention of a line and made everyone better, Hubbard as is well-positioned as a player could be to try to replace him. Holmes battled Hubbard for that backup end spot early in camp and also saw action and should fight for playing time again.
DT
Michael Hill, R-Jr., 6-3, 295
Malik Barrow, Fr., 6-3, 270
Urban Meyer said Thursday the defensive tackles are the most uncertain spots on the roster, and he worried about the depth there all season. Hill worked in there the most among the players returning, with Adolphus Washington, Tommy Schutt and Joel Hale leaving, but the competition is wide open. There are enough questions that Meyer mentioned two early-enrolling freshmen who report when classes start Monday that could challenge for time on the line. He couldn't say their names, but he meant Barrow and Jonathon Cooper, who may be more of an end. So we'll throw Barrow in now, but this fight for playing time will be hard to handicap.
DT
Donovan Munger, R-So., 6-4, 300
Dre'Mont Jones, R-Fr., 6-3, 280
Munger, from Shaker Heights, holds the spot based on previous playing time as a backup, but watch Jones. The former St. Ignatius star redshirted with a knee injury this season, but Urban Meyer and Luke Fickell have both mentioned him as a player who caught their eye in bowl practice. He'll be among the most interesting stories of the spring. The rest of the possibilities are nearly endless, from incoming freshmen Cooper and Nick Bosa (coming off an ACL) who could maybe slide inside, to veteran Tracy Sprinkle, to first-year players Robert Landers, Davon Hamilton and Joshua Alabi, who all redshirted this season.
DE
Tyquan Lewis, R-Jr., 6-4, 260
Jashon Cornell, R-Fr., 6-3, 265
Does the average Ohio State fan know Lewis led the Buckeyes with eight sacks this season? As one of three returning starters on the defense, he'll have to prove he can be that productive with more attention. Cornell is a four-star recruit from Minnesota who redshirted this season, but redshirt sophomore Darius Slade, Cooper and Bosa could also factor into the two-deep. Bosa looked more like a sure bet to play in 2016 before his knee injury.
WLB
Dante Booker, Jr., 6-3, 233
Justin Hilliard, R-Fr., 6-1, 230
Booker, an SVSM grad and former Mr. Football, is a physical match for Joshua Perry, who started at this spot the last three seasons, ranking fourth, first and second on the team in tackles from this play-making position. Linebackers coach Luke Fickell said Booker would start as of today, while Hilliard is a four-star recruit who may be slowed in the spring while recovering from an injury after redshirting this season.
MLB
Raekwon McMillan, Jr., 6-2, 240
Nick Conner, R-Fr., 6-3, 230
The defense belongs to McMillan, who has already been proclaimed a captain by Urban Meyer. He'll run the defense from the middle as he did this season while leading the Buckeyes in tackles with the potential to be an All-American. Conner redshirted with a knee injury this season after drawing praise and should also be slowed in spring, but he's being groomed as McMillan's replacement.
SLB
Chris Worley, R-Jr., 6-2, 225
Jerome Baker, So., 6-1, 215
Worley was neck-and-neck with Darron Lee when Lee won a starting job in 2014 and since then he's been waiting for his shot. With Lee's departure for the NFL, the Glenville grad will get that. The Buckeyes are high on Worley, but they're also high on Baker, the Benedictine grad who impressed on special teams this season. Both Booker and Worley will have to be sharp to fend off Baker's play for a starting job.
CB
Gareon Conley, R-Jr., 6-0, 195
Denzel Ward, So., 5-11, 180
Conley returns as one of three starters and corners coach Kerry Coombs raved about Conley's ability to step into the top corner job and lead in the meeting room with the departure of Eli Apple. Ward, from Nordonia, starred on special teams as a true freshman and turned heads with his speed. So he'll wage a battle to play as well.
CB
Damon Webb, Jr., 5-11, 193
Marshon Lattimore, R-So., 6-0, 195
Webb served as Ohio State's nickelback on third-down passing situations this year, but he missed several games in the middle of the season and battled an ankle injury. He leads the pack to replace Apple. Lattimore, a Glenville grad, is right there, too, if he can avoid the hamstring problems that plagued his first two seasons in Columbus. Sophomore Eric Glover-Williams and redshirt freshmen Damon Arnette and Joshua Norwood will also compete for time.
S
Erick Smith, Jr., 6-0, 202
Jahsen Wint, Fr., 5-11, 186
This is the thinnest spot on the roster and it's not close. There are three scholarship safeties on the team and two suffered season-ending injuries this season. That includes Smith, the Glenville grad who should be a lock to slide into a starting spot but who is coming off an ACL tear. So that's a question. Also making this two-deep is Wint, an incoming freshman who committed to Ohio State this month, because there are so few other options. One is walkon Jarrod Barnes, a former special teams player at Louisville. But there may need to be creative solutions here, though suggestions about shifting Damon Webb or Jerome Baker to safety were basically shot down by coaches.
S
Cameron Burrows, R-Jr., 6-0, 208
Malik Hooker, R-So., 6-2, 205
The starting battle among the three scholarship players - Smith, Burrows and Hooker - could be fierce. Burrows pushed Vonn Bell for a starting job in 2014 but saw his 2015 ended by a foot injury. Hooker has earned praise from Urban Meyer for his special teams play and is healthy, which may give him a leg up on a starting job. But he has played less defense than Smith and Burrows, who get the nods for now. The spring and preseason will be about getting safeties healthy and finding some depth with the departures of starters Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell.
http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2016/01/ohio_state_football_2016_depth_2.html
OFFENSE
LT
Jamarco Jones, Jr., 6-5, 310
Kevin Feder, R-Fr, 6-9, 305
Jones has been groomed as Taylor Decker's replacement all year, while Feder is a physical giant and part of the five-man 2015 offensive line recruiting class that was groomed this season.
LG
Billy Price, R-Jr., 6-4, 315
Evan Lisle, R-Jr., 6-7, 305
Price returns as a third-year starter, while Lisle was a major recruit in the 2013 class who should fight for the starting guard spot opposite Price.
C
Pat Elflein, Sr., 6-3, 300
Brady Taylor, R-So., 6-5, 300
Elflein returning as a third-year starter and sliding from guard to center stabilizes the line. He was the only Buckeye with a true NFL option who stayed in school, and that was a critical move for the line, with Taylor leading the inexperienced options behind him.
RG
Matthew Burrell, R-Fr., 6-3, 300
Demetrius Knox, R-So., 6-4, 305
The most wide-open competition on the line will be the second guard spot. Burrell, a four-star in 2015, and Knox, a four-star in 2014, lead the candidates.
RT
Isaiah Prince, So., 6-7, 305
Branden Bowen, R-Fr., 6-7, 320
One of four true freshmen from the entire 2015 class to play this season, Prince cracked the two-deep as a true freshman at right tackle and is the odds-on favorite to be a starter. Bowen is just another huge second-year player ready to compete.
TE
Marcus Baugh, R-Jr., 6-5, 255
Jake Hausmann, Fr., 6-5, 230
Baugh started four games late in the season as the Buckeyes went to more two-tight end sets. He'll start next season after taking major strides this year. Hausmann is a physically ready recruit who should offer that second tight end option.
WR
Noah Brown, R-So., 6-2, 222
Torrance Gibson, R-Fr., 6-4, 205
Brown broke his leg at the end of preseason camp, a loss that shook the Buckeyes, who expected him to contribute. Now? He'll be the No. 1 target for J.T. Barrett. Gibson is all potential, but he could certainly earn a ton of playing time in his second year as a receiver.
WR
Parris Campbell, R-So., 6-1, 205
Austin Mack, Fr., Fr., 6-2, 205
Campbell started three games early this season and impressed the Buckeyes with his blocking, though he dropped a few passes. An injury slowed his season, but he'll enter 2016 with more experience than anyone else in the receiver room. Mack, as a true freshman, should be polished enough to contribute. Other options like Terry McLaurin, James Clark and Alex Stump have just as much of a chance to earn playing time.
H-back
Dontre Wilson, Sr., 5-10, 195
Demario McCall, Fr., 5-10, 171
Wilson, bothered by foot trouble the last two seasons, gets a final chance to prove himself as a playmaker after catching just seven passes this season. If healthy, he could be a primary offensive focus. McCall fits the same profile as a true freshman, while K.J. Hill also worked at H-back while redshirting this season and could win the job as well.
RB
Curtis Samuel, Jr., 5-11, 200
Mike Weber, R-Fr., 5-10, 215
Samuel, uncertain where he'll wind up, is listed here under the belief the Buckeyes will want him to touch the ball as much as possible. This season, Ohio State's H-backs touched the ball 114 times. Starting running back Ezekiel Elliott touched it 316 times. So Samuel's best chance at a major impact is at running back, where sharing the job with Weber, who redshirted this season, could make a lot of sense.
QB
J.T. Barrett, R-Jr., 6-2, 225
Joe Burrow, R-Fr., 6-3, 208
Imagine this offense if Barrett wasn't returning? With a 15-2 record as a starter, Barrett brings enough experience to carry an offense lacking it everywhere else. The backup quarterback competition between Burrow and redshirt sophomore Stephen Collier can't be ignored, assuming Torrance Gibson stays at receiver for now. A redshirt freshman won that backup job two years ago in preseason and wound up starting the whole season. That was Barrett.
DEFENSE
DE
Sam Hubbard, R-So, 6-5, 265
Jalyn Holmes, Jr., 6-5, 265
Hubbard played a lot this season as a pass rusher on third downs and as a replacement for Joey Bosa, who was suspended for the opener and ejected early in the Fiesta Bowl. He actually finished with 6.5 sacks, which was more than Bosa, and ranked second on the team behind Tyquan Lewis. As much as Bosa was a game-changing force who drew the blocking attention of a line and made everyone better, Hubbard as is well-positioned as a player could be to try to replace him. Holmes battled Hubbard for that backup end spot early in camp and also saw action and should fight for playing time again.
DT
Michael Hill, R-Jr., 6-3, 295
Malik Barrow, Fr., 6-3, 270
Urban Meyer said Thursday the defensive tackles are the most uncertain spots on the roster, and he worried about the depth there all season. Hill worked in there the most among the players returning, with Adolphus Washington, Tommy Schutt and Joel Hale leaving, but the competition is wide open. There are enough questions that Meyer mentioned two early-enrolling freshmen who report when classes start Monday that could challenge for time on the line. He couldn't say their names, but he meant Barrow and Jonathon Cooper, who may be more of an end. So we'll throw Barrow in now, but this fight for playing time will be hard to handicap.
DT
Donovan Munger, R-So., 6-4, 300
Dre'Mont Jones, R-Fr., 6-3, 280
Munger, from Shaker Heights, holds the spot based on previous playing time as a backup, but watch Jones. The former St. Ignatius star redshirted with a knee injury this season, but Urban Meyer and Luke Fickell have both mentioned him as a player who caught their eye in bowl practice. He'll be among the most interesting stories of the spring. The rest of the possibilities are nearly endless, from incoming freshmen Cooper and Nick Bosa (coming off an ACL) who could maybe slide inside, to veteran Tracy Sprinkle, to first-year players Robert Landers, Davon Hamilton and Joshua Alabi, who all redshirted this season.
DE
Tyquan Lewis, R-Jr., 6-4, 260
Jashon Cornell, R-Fr., 6-3, 265
Does the average Ohio State fan know Lewis led the Buckeyes with eight sacks this season? As one of three returning starters on the defense, he'll have to prove he can be that productive with more attention. Cornell is a four-star recruit from Minnesota who redshirted this season, but redshirt sophomore Darius Slade, Cooper and Bosa could also factor into the two-deep. Bosa looked more like a sure bet to play in 2016 before his knee injury.
WLB
Dante Booker, Jr., 6-3, 233
Justin Hilliard, R-Fr., 6-1, 230
Booker, an SVSM grad and former Mr. Football, is a physical match for Joshua Perry, who started at this spot the last three seasons, ranking fourth, first and second on the team in tackles from this play-making position. Linebackers coach Luke Fickell said Booker would start as of today, while Hilliard is a four-star recruit who may be slowed in the spring while recovering from an injury after redshirting this season.
MLB
Raekwon McMillan, Jr., 6-2, 240
Nick Conner, R-Fr., 6-3, 230
The defense belongs to McMillan, who has already been proclaimed a captain by Urban Meyer. He'll run the defense from the middle as he did this season while leading the Buckeyes in tackles with the potential to be an All-American. Conner redshirted with a knee injury this season after drawing praise and should also be slowed in spring, but he's being groomed as McMillan's replacement.
SLB
Chris Worley, R-Jr., 6-2, 225
Jerome Baker, So., 6-1, 215
Worley was neck-and-neck with Darron Lee when Lee won a starting job in 2014 and since then he's been waiting for his shot. With Lee's departure for the NFL, the Glenville grad will get that. The Buckeyes are high on Worley, but they're also high on Baker, the Benedictine grad who impressed on special teams this season. Both Booker and Worley will have to be sharp to fend off Baker's play for a starting job.
CB
Gareon Conley, R-Jr., 6-0, 195
Denzel Ward, So., 5-11, 180
Conley returns as one of three starters and corners coach Kerry Coombs raved about Conley's ability to step into the top corner job and lead in the meeting room with the departure of Eli Apple. Ward, from Nordonia, starred on special teams as a true freshman and turned heads with his speed. So he'll wage a battle to play as well.
CB
Damon Webb, Jr., 5-11, 193
Marshon Lattimore, R-So., 6-0, 195
Webb served as Ohio State's nickelback on third-down passing situations this year, but he missed several games in the middle of the season and battled an ankle injury. He leads the pack to replace Apple. Lattimore, a Glenville grad, is right there, too, if he can avoid the hamstring problems that plagued his first two seasons in Columbus. Sophomore Eric Glover-Williams and redshirt freshmen Damon Arnette and Joshua Norwood will also compete for time.
S
Erick Smith, Jr., 6-0, 202
Jahsen Wint, Fr., 5-11, 186
This is the thinnest spot on the roster and it's not close. There are three scholarship safeties on the team and two suffered season-ending injuries this season. That includes Smith, the Glenville grad who should be a lock to slide into a starting spot but who is coming off an ACL tear. So that's a question. Also making this two-deep is Wint, an incoming freshman who committed to Ohio State this month, because there are so few other options. One is walkon Jarrod Barnes, a former special teams player at Louisville. But there may need to be creative solutions here, though suggestions about shifting Damon Webb or Jerome Baker to safety were basically shot down by coaches.
S
Cameron Burrows, R-Jr., 6-0, 208
Malik Hooker, R-So., 6-2, 205
The starting battle among the three scholarship players - Smith, Burrows and Hooker - could be fierce. Burrows pushed Vonn Bell for a starting job in 2014 but saw his 2015 ended by a foot injury. Hooker has earned praise from Urban Meyer for his special teams play and is healthy, which may give him a leg up on a starting job. But he has played less defense than Smith and Burrows, who get the nods for now. The spring and preseason will be about getting safeties healthy and finding some depth with the departures of starters Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell.
