JeffHCross
01-15-2015, 11:19 AM
Better late than never.
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac330/jeffhc/11W_header_zps643e55dc.png
Two years ago, Ohio State made a surprise national championship run, going undefeated. Last season they struggled offensively for most of the year, losing three games, including two in conference tilts. But the offense found some rhythm late, against Michigan and in the Capital One Bowl versus LSU. Can the Buckeyes carry that rhythm into 2016?
Quarterbacks
Player
Pos.
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Comp
Att
Yards
TD
INT
Comp
Rate
Sacks
Sack Rate
Yards/
Att.
Marcus Avery
QB
6'5”, 220
Grad
187
277
2224
24
16
67.5%
12
4.2%
8.0
Leroy Harris
QB
6'3”, 210
Grad
Torrance Gibson
QB/WR
5'11”, 177
FR
81
Jason Roberson
QB
6'1”, 236
JR
90
3
4
45
1
0
0.75
0
0
11.25
Marcus Crosby
QB
6'2”, 212
SR
74
Marcus Avery replaced Leroy Harris two seasons as the starting quarterback, and finished third in Heisman voting. His second year came with high expectations, but those expectations fell back to Earth, as Avery couldn't replicate either his passing numbers or running success from the previous season, let alone his Heisman campaign. Now Avery is gone, and for the past two seasons Jason Roberson has patiently waited in the wings as the presumed heir apparent behind center. But freshman Torrance Gibson enrolled in January, pushed Roberson for playing time in the spring, and then had an eye-opening performance in the spring game. Gibson is now the presumptive starter entering the season, and barring any unexpected changes, he will be the first freshman to start a season opener for the Buckeyes since Art Schlichter did so in 1978. Gibson is a run-first quarterback, though he possesses enough of a threat in his arm to keep defenses honest, especially in the Buckeyes' Read'n'Shoot attack.
Roberson will continue to be the backup, though he hopes he'll make more contributions than the four passes he threw all of last season. Ohio State fans, meanwhile, hope he won't have to. There's a saying that every fan base's favorite player is the backup quarterback, but in Columbus it might be that the best player is the backup quarterback.
Running Backs
Player
Pos.
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Rushes
Yards
TD
Yards/
Carry
% of Team
Yards
David Edwards
HB
5'11”, 211
Grad
30
164
4
5.5
5.2%
Kris Davis
HB
6'0”, 211
JR
83
252
1612
16
6.4
51.0%
Drew Thornton
HB
5'11”, 204
FR
78
Paul Robinson
HB
5'10”, 212
JR
83
Redshirt
Nathan Jackson
HB
5'11”, 210
SR
84
65
325
4
5.0
10.3%
Louis Rhodes
HB/WR
6'4”, 190
SO
80
10
32
0
3.2
1.0%
Cory Rivera
FB
6'2”, 233
SO
69
0
0
0
Last season, Kris Davis had merely the fourth best season in history for an Ohio State running back. His 1612 yards was surpassed only by Eddie George, Keith Byars and Archie Griffin in the annals of Ohio State history. Now in his third season, Davis expects to grow upon his previous successes, with more mentions in the Ohio State record book sure to come his way.
It is expected that Davis will share more of the carries this year, however, as two stud freshmen will come to campus this fall. Drew Thornton and Ray Hines are both athletic players whose skills translate to multiple positions, but both are expected to primarily be ball carries for the Buckeyes. Both are in the scat-back mold like DeAnthony Thomas was for Oregon a few seasons ago. Expect one, most likely Hines, to redshirt this season, while the other, most likely Thornton, finds himself in select packages throughout the season.
Louis Rhodes returns to the backfield after a one-year experiment at wide receiver. Nathan Jackson, last year's backup, will likely be the third back in rotation.
Receivers
Player
Pos.
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Catches
Yards
TD
Yds/
Catch
% of Team
Catches
% of Team
Yards
Tim Herron
WR
6'4”, 196
Grad
55
803
8
14.6
28.9%
35.4%
Larry Williams
TE
6'4”, 237
Grad
41
419
4
10.2
21.6%
18.5%
David Little
WR
6'2”, 212
SR
89
31
390
6
12.6
16.3%
17.2%
Garrett Baker
WR
6'3”, 194
JR
85
30
437
3
14.6
15.8%
19.3%
Brad Parker
WR
6'4”, 249
FR
83
Redshirt
Jake Overstreet
WR
5'11”, 183
SR
78
1
4
0
4.0
0.5%
0.2%
John Matthews
WR
6'4”, 231
JR
79
4
29
0
Torrance Gibson
QB/WR
5'11”, 177
FR
81
Lance Marshall
WR/TE
6'3”, 257
SO
84
Redshirt
Drew Mitchell
TE
6'4”, 227
FR
78
Lonnie Tidwell
TE
6'7”, 244
JR
74
2
12
1
6.0
1.1%
0.5%
Another season with disappointing results in the passing game has come and gone. With the loss of top target Tim Herron, can the Buckeye receivers rebound and provide a threat to go along with the running attack?
David Little enters his senior season as the top returning threat, and a reliable target on the outside. But the most interesting addition this year is former JUCO Lance Marshall, a WR/TE tweener that will line up in the slot most often this season, yet possesses the size to assist as a blocker in the running game. Don't be surprised to see him line up in both WR and TE positions throughout the year.
Offensive Line
Player
Pos.
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Career Starts
Will Fellows
LG
5'11”, 287
Grad
13
Casey Herring
LT
6'5”, 300
JR
77
0
Joshua Newman
LG
6'6”, 288
JR
76
26
Nate Moore
C
6'1”, 285
SO
86
13
Nate Newberry
RG
6'4”, 266
JR
76
26
Bryan Lacey
RT
6'5”, 295
JR
77
26
Dwayne Rice
C
6'5”, 309
SO
78
0
Danny Outlaw
RT
6'4”, 308
SO
72
0
Carlos Bobo
RG
6'3”, 312
FR
77
Redshirt
Bryan McKinney
LT
6'4”, 284
FR
76
Redshirt
William Parrish
RT
6'4”, 292
FR
73
Redshirt
With only one starter to replace on the offensive line, Ohio State found themselves in a good position in terms of experience in the trenches this season. Casey Herring, a two year backup, will slide into the left tackle spot and be responsible for the quarterback's blind side. Herring is another road-grader, naturally. Nate Moore, the second year center, is one of the best players on the team, and will lead the line from the pivot point.
Defensive Line
Player
Pos
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Tackles
% of Team
TFL
Sacks
Int
PBU
FF
SO
Marcus Harrell
LE
6'4”, 271
Grad
1
0.2%
0
0
Todd Pace
RE
6'5”, 265
Grad
1
0.2%
1
1
David Murray
DT
6'3”, 289
Grad
7
1.3%
4
1
1
Brent McCoy
DT
6'1”, 310
SO
80
23
4.2%
9
4
Aaron Shaw
LE
6'2”, 255
SO
81
27
5.0%
17
6
Brandon Walker
RE
6'1”, 232
JR
82
18
3.3%
8
2
1
Jamie Rogers
DT
6'2”, 301
SO
76
JUCO
Charles May
DT
6'4”, 258
FR
65
Kenneth Holmes
RE
6'1”, 244
SR
75
0
0.0%
0
0
Marcus Brooks
LE
6'4”, 259
FR
78
Redshirt
The Ohio State defensive line will look very familiar to Big Ten fans this season, with all three starters from last year returning. Aaron Shaw and Brandon Walker will be bringing pressure from the DE position, with space-eater Brent McCoy at the nose. Ohio State has multiple defensive formations, and will change between 4-man, 3-man, and 2-man lines. JUCO transfer Jamie Rogers will provide depth at the DT position, where the depth is lightest on this Buckeye team.
Linebackers
Player
Pos
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Tackles
% of Team
TFL
Sacks
Int
PBU
FF
SO
Barry Lloyd
OLB
6'3”, 234
Grad
26
4.8%
8
3
1
Ryan Perkins
OLB
6'1”, 240
Grad
51
9.4%
11
1
2
Randy Williams
MLB
6'1”, 208
SR
86
74
13.6%
7
1
4
5
Todd Dingle
MLB
5'11”, 212
FR
73
Redshirt
Daniel Miller
OLB
6'1”, 218
SO
76
6
1.1%
3
2
Robin Hodges
OLB
6'4”, 251
SO
80
Redshirt
Brandon Frederick
OLB
6'3”, 224
SR
77
6
1.1%
1
0
Desmond Hamby
MLB
6'1”, 218
SR
82
13
2.4%
4
0
1
Paul Hawthorne
MLB
6'0”, 238
JR
72
1
0.2%
0
0
Maurice Walker
MLB
5'9”, 223
JR
68
1
0.2%
0
0
Leading tackler Randy Williams returns for his senior season, and will again man the middle for the linebackers. Redshirt freshman Todd Dingle will be the second middle backer when the Buckeyes have four on the field, but otherwise will be on the sideline. Buckeye coaches hope to get Dingle as much playing time as possible, as the young man has a nose for the ball that is unrivaled by his teammates. The Buckeyes do lose the two starters at the OLB positions to graduation, and lose 15% of their total tackles in the process. Daniel Miller takes one outside spot after getting a lot of spot duty last season, and Robin Hodges will take the other outside spot after redshirting last year. Hodges has some experience from playing his true freshman year, so neither outside backer comes into the season green.
A seemingly-insane four linebackers are expected to redshirt this season.
Secondary
Player
Pos
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Tackles
% of Team
TFL
Sacks
Int
PBU
FF
SO
Robert Ellis
CB
6'1”, 180
Grad
38
7.0%
3
0
1
2
Edward Wood
CB
6'1”, 196
Grad
15
2.8%
1
0
2
2
Austin Davis
FS
6'3”, 209
Grad
2
0.4%
0
0
2
Rashad Alston
SS
6'1”, 194
Grad
70
12.8%
2
1
1
6
Derrick Thomas
CB
5'11”, 201
JR
86
51
9.4%
3
0
2
5
Nate Cox
CB
6'0”, 162
SR
81
Redshirt
DeAndre Chance
STAR
6'0”, 175
SR
81
Redshirt
Craig Smith
FS
6'2”, 180
JR
85
57
10.5%
2
1
5
Lee Gore
SS
5'9”, 166
JR
86
39
7.2%
6
0
1
1
Eric Henry
CB
6'1”, 177
SR
82
17
3.1%
1
0
1
1
Ryan Greene
CB
5'11”, 204
FR
76
Redshirt
Michael Busch
CB
6'1”, 199
SR
75
0
0.0%
0
0
Zach Martin
CB
6'1”, 185
FR
74
Redshirt
Derrick Hall
FS
6'1”, 190
JR
79
Redshirt
Eric Foreman
FS
6'1”, 200
SR
79
Redshirt
Jerome Thomas
SS
6'2”, 212
SO
82
1
0.2%
0
0
Easily the most experienced position on the Buckeye roster, Ohio State may be able to fill almost their entire secondary two-deep with seniors, and all will be upperclassmen. Many of these two-deep players redshirted last season due to other experience (four defensive backs graduated last season, all of whom were on the two-deep), but all have previous experience either starting or among the first off the bench. The biggest change for Ohio State this season is Lee Gore will take over the starting Strong Safety position, after starting two seasons at the STAR. Without a suitable safety to play the STAR in his stead, Ohio State will go with a traditional Nickelback alignment instead of the three safety formations they've relied on the last two seasons.
Like the linebacker position, Ohio State is filling the cupboards with defensive backs, with five players expected to redshirt this season.
Specialists
Player
Pos
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
PAT
FG
FG Pct
Punts
Net Avg
TB
I20
Carl Bentley
P/K
6'2”, 180
SO
61
12
100%
21
42.7
61 K/O, 2 P
10
Spencer Cox
K
6'0”, 176
JR
0
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Redshirt sophomore Carl Bentley took all kicking duties last season, hitting 100% of his field goals and averaging 42.7 net yards on his punts. He is expected to perform all the kicking duties again this season. Spencer Cox is available, if needed, as well.
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac330/jeffhc/11W_header_zps643e55dc.png
Two years ago, Ohio State made a surprise national championship run, going undefeated. Last season they struggled offensively for most of the year, losing three games, including two in conference tilts. But the offense found some rhythm late, against Michigan and in the Capital One Bowl versus LSU. Can the Buckeyes carry that rhythm into 2016?
Quarterbacks
Player
Pos.
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Comp
Att
Yards
TD
INT
Comp
Rate
Sacks
Sack Rate
Yards/
Att.
Marcus Avery
QB
6'5”, 220
Grad
187
277
2224
24
16
67.5%
12
4.2%
8.0
Leroy Harris
QB
6'3”, 210
Grad
Torrance Gibson
QB/WR
5'11”, 177
FR
81
Jason Roberson
QB
6'1”, 236
JR
90
3
4
45
1
0
0.75
0
0
11.25
Marcus Crosby
QB
6'2”, 212
SR
74
Marcus Avery replaced Leroy Harris two seasons as the starting quarterback, and finished third in Heisman voting. His second year came with high expectations, but those expectations fell back to Earth, as Avery couldn't replicate either his passing numbers or running success from the previous season, let alone his Heisman campaign. Now Avery is gone, and for the past two seasons Jason Roberson has patiently waited in the wings as the presumed heir apparent behind center. But freshman Torrance Gibson enrolled in January, pushed Roberson for playing time in the spring, and then had an eye-opening performance in the spring game. Gibson is now the presumptive starter entering the season, and barring any unexpected changes, he will be the first freshman to start a season opener for the Buckeyes since Art Schlichter did so in 1978. Gibson is a run-first quarterback, though he possesses enough of a threat in his arm to keep defenses honest, especially in the Buckeyes' Read'n'Shoot attack.
Roberson will continue to be the backup, though he hopes he'll make more contributions than the four passes he threw all of last season. Ohio State fans, meanwhile, hope he won't have to. There's a saying that every fan base's favorite player is the backup quarterback, but in Columbus it might be that the best player is the backup quarterback.
Running Backs
Player
Pos.
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Rushes
Yards
TD
Yards/
Carry
% of Team
Yards
David Edwards
HB
5'11”, 211
Grad
30
164
4
5.5
5.2%
Kris Davis
HB
6'0”, 211
JR
83
252
1612
16
6.4
51.0%
Drew Thornton
HB
5'11”, 204
FR
78
Paul Robinson
HB
5'10”, 212
JR
83
Redshirt
Nathan Jackson
HB
5'11”, 210
SR
84
65
325
4
5.0
10.3%
Louis Rhodes
HB/WR
6'4”, 190
SO
80
10
32
0
3.2
1.0%
Cory Rivera
FB
6'2”, 233
SO
69
0
0
0
Last season, Kris Davis had merely the fourth best season in history for an Ohio State running back. His 1612 yards was surpassed only by Eddie George, Keith Byars and Archie Griffin in the annals of Ohio State history. Now in his third season, Davis expects to grow upon his previous successes, with more mentions in the Ohio State record book sure to come his way.
It is expected that Davis will share more of the carries this year, however, as two stud freshmen will come to campus this fall. Drew Thornton and Ray Hines are both athletic players whose skills translate to multiple positions, but both are expected to primarily be ball carries for the Buckeyes. Both are in the scat-back mold like DeAnthony Thomas was for Oregon a few seasons ago. Expect one, most likely Hines, to redshirt this season, while the other, most likely Thornton, finds himself in select packages throughout the season.
Louis Rhodes returns to the backfield after a one-year experiment at wide receiver. Nathan Jackson, last year's backup, will likely be the third back in rotation.
Receivers
Player
Pos.
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Catches
Yards
TD
Yds/
Catch
% of Team
Catches
% of Team
Yards
Tim Herron
WR
6'4”, 196
Grad
55
803
8
14.6
28.9%
35.4%
Larry Williams
TE
6'4”, 237
Grad
41
419
4
10.2
21.6%
18.5%
David Little
WR
6'2”, 212
SR
89
31
390
6
12.6
16.3%
17.2%
Garrett Baker
WR
6'3”, 194
JR
85
30
437
3
14.6
15.8%
19.3%
Brad Parker
WR
6'4”, 249
FR
83
Redshirt
Jake Overstreet
WR
5'11”, 183
SR
78
1
4
0
4.0
0.5%
0.2%
John Matthews
WR
6'4”, 231
JR
79
4
29
0
Torrance Gibson
QB/WR
5'11”, 177
FR
81
Lance Marshall
WR/TE
6'3”, 257
SO
84
Redshirt
Drew Mitchell
TE
6'4”, 227
FR
78
Lonnie Tidwell
TE
6'7”, 244
JR
74
2
12
1
6.0
1.1%
0.5%
Another season with disappointing results in the passing game has come and gone. With the loss of top target Tim Herron, can the Buckeye receivers rebound and provide a threat to go along with the running attack?
David Little enters his senior season as the top returning threat, and a reliable target on the outside. But the most interesting addition this year is former JUCO Lance Marshall, a WR/TE tweener that will line up in the slot most often this season, yet possesses the size to assist as a blocker in the running game. Don't be surprised to see him line up in both WR and TE positions throughout the year.
Offensive Line
Player
Pos.
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Career Starts
Will Fellows
LG
5'11”, 287
Grad
13
Casey Herring
LT
6'5”, 300
JR
77
0
Joshua Newman
LG
6'6”, 288
JR
76
26
Nate Moore
C
6'1”, 285
SO
86
13
Nate Newberry
RG
6'4”, 266
JR
76
26
Bryan Lacey
RT
6'5”, 295
JR
77
26
Dwayne Rice
C
6'5”, 309
SO
78
0
Danny Outlaw
RT
6'4”, 308
SO
72
0
Carlos Bobo
RG
6'3”, 312
FR
77
Redshirt
Bryan McKinney
LT
6'4”, 284
FR
76
Redshirt
William Parrish
RT
6'4”, 292
FR
73
Redshirt
With only one starter to replace on the offensive line, Ohio State found themselves in a good position in terms of experience in the trenches this season. Casey Herring, a two year backup, will slide into the left tackle spot and be responsible for the quarterback's blind side. Herring is another road-grader, naturally. Nate Moore, the second year center, is one of the best players on the team, and will lead the line from the pivot point.
Defensive Line
Player
Pos
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Tackles
% of Team
TFL
Sacks
Int
PBU
FF
SO
Marcus Harrell
LE
6'4”, 271
Grad
1
0.2%
0
0
Todd Pace
RE
6'5”, 265
Grad
1
0.2%
1
1
David Murray
DT
6'3”, 289
Grad
7
1.3%
4
1
1
Brent McCoy
DT
6'1”, 310
SO
80
23
4.2%
9
4
Aaron Shaw
LE
6'2”, 255
SO
81
27
5.0%
17
6
Brandon Walker
RE
6'1”, 232
JR
82
18
3.3%
8
2
1
Jamie Rogers
DT
6'2”, 301
SO
76
JUCO
Charles May
DT
6'4”, 258
FR
65
Kenneth Holmes
RE
6'1”, 244
SR
75
0
0.0%
0
0
Marcus Brooks
LE
6'4”, 259
FR
78
Redshirt
The Ohio State defensive line will look very familiar to Big Ten fans this season, with all three starters from last year returning. Aaron Shaw and Brandon Walker will be bringing pressure from the DE position, with space-eater Brent McCoy at the nose. Ohio State has multiple defensive formations, and will change between 4-man, 3-man, and 2-man lines. JUCO transfer Jamie Rogers will provide depth at the DT position, where the depth is lightest on this Buckeye team.
Linebackers
Player
Pos
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Tackles
% of Team
TFL
Sacks
Int
PBU
FF
SO
Barry Lloyd
OLB
6'3”, 234
Grad
26
4.8%
8
3
1
Ryan Perkins
OLB
6'1”, 240
Grad
51
9.4%
11
1
2
Randy Williams
MLB
6'1”, 208
SR
86
74
13.6%
7
1
4
5
Todd Dingle
MLB
5'11”, 212
FR
73
Redshirt
Daniel Miller
OLB
6'1”, 218
SO
76
6
1.1%
3
2
Robin Hodges
OLB
6'4”, 251
SO
80
Redshirt
Brandon Frederick
OLB
6'3”, 224
SR
77
6
1.1%
1
0
Desmond Hamby
MLB
6'1”, 218
SR
82
13
2.4%
4
0
1
Paul Hawthorne
MLB
6'0”, 238
JR
72
1
0.2%
0
0
Maurice Walker
MLB
5'9”, 223
JR
68
1
0.2%
0
0
Leading tackler Randy Williams returns for his senior season, and will again man the middle for the linebackers. Redshirt freshman Todd Dingle will be the second middle backer when the Buckeyes have four on the field, but otherwise will be on the sideline. Buckeye coaches hope to get Dingle as much playing time as possible, as the young man has a nose for the ball that is unrivaled by his teammates. The Buckeyes do lose the two starters at the OLB positions to graduation, and lose 15% of their total tackles in the process. Daniel Miller takes one outside spot after getting a lot of spot duty last season, and Robin Hodges will take the other outside spot after redshirting last year. Hodges has some experience from playing his true freshman year, so neither outside backer comes into the season green.
A seemingly-insane four linebackers are expected to redshirt this season.
Secondary
Player
Pos
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
Tackles
% of Team
TFL
Sacks
Int
PBU
FF
SO
Robert Ellis
CB
6'1”, 180
Grad
38
7.0%
3
0
1
2
Edward Wood
CB
6'1”, 196
Grad
15
2.8%
1
0
2
2
Austin Davis
FS
6'3”, 209
Grad
2
0.4%
0
0
2
Rashad Alston
SS
6'1”, 194
Grad
70
12.8%
2
1
1
6
Derrick Thomas
CB
5'11”, 201
JR
86
51
9.4%
3
0
2
5
Nate Cox
CB
6'0”, 162
SR
81
Redshirt
DeAndre Chance
STAR
6'0”, 175
SR
81
Redshirt
Craig Smith
FS
6'2”, 180
JR
85
57
10.5%
2
1
5
Lee Gore
SS
5'9”, 166
JR
86
39
7.2%
6
0
1
1
Eric Henry
CB
6'1”, 177
SR
82
17
3.1%
1
0
1
1
Ryan Greene
CB
5'11”, 204
FR
76
Redshirt
Michael Busch
CB
6'1”, 199
SR
75
0
0.0%
0
0
Zach Martin
CB
6'1”, 185
FR
74
Redshirt
Derrick Hall
FS
6'1”, 190
JR
79
Redshirt
Eric Foreman
FS
6'1”, 200
SR
79
Redshirt
Jerome Thomas
SS
6'2”, 212
SO
82
1
0.2%
0
0
Easily the most experienced position on the Buckeye roster, Ohio State may be able to fill almost their entire secondary two-deep with seniors, and all will be upperclassmen. Many of these two-deep players redshirted last season due to other experience (four defensive backs graduated last season, all of whom were on the two-deep), but all have previous experience either starting or among the first off the bench. The biggest change for Ohio State this season is Lee Gore will take over the starting Strong Safety position, after starting two seasons at the STAR. Without a suitable safety to play the STAR in his stead, Ohio State will go with a traditional Nickelback alignment instead of the three safety formations they've relied on the last two seasons.
Like the linebacker position, Ohio State is filling the cupboards with defensive backs, with five players expected to redshirt this season.
Specialists
Player
Pos
Ht, Wt
Year
Rating
PAT
FG
FG Pct
Punts
Net Avg
TB
I20
Carl Bentley
P/K
6'2”, 180
SO
61
12
100%
21
42.7
61 K/O, 2 P
10
Spencer Cox
K
6'0”, 176
JR
0
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Redshirt sophomore Carl Bentley took all kicking duties last season, hitting 100% of his field goals and averaging 42.7 net yards on his punts. He is expected to perform all the kicking duties again this season. Spencer Cox is available, if needed, as well.