It is the first trip for the Thundering Herd back to Columbus since a nailbiter in 2004, where Mike Nugent was given the task of booming a long field goal to win the game at the buzzer.  It is also the first trip, and first game, for new head coach Doc Holliday.  Holliday has been all over the college football map, but prominently taking an assistant job with new hire Urban Meyer at the University of Florida.  There, he did irresponsible things in 2006 that will not be belabored any further.  After leaving Gainesville for an assistant job at WVU, his alma mater, he moves down state to take the head coaching job from Mark Snyder, a former Ohio State assistant coach under Tressel.

It is hard for me to scout a team that has no previous games and, unlike Navy, no offensive system for which I have good familiarity.  Along the Olentangy tracked the new hires at the coordinator positions to infer what the Thundering Herd would like to do on offense and defense.  It appears Marshall’s offensive coordinator would like to establish a ground presence during this game, operating out of the shotgun.  His offense is more potent when it is toting the rock.  This has the added advantage of keeping Pryor and the Buckeyes off the field, should it work.  However, in doing so, Marshall’s offensive line will have to deal with a front that will include Cameron Heyward, John Simon and a crew of badass linebackers.  Expect very vanilla things on defense.  Their defensive coordinator, previously at Syracuse, utilizes a basic 4-3 with some minor adjustments for suspected point of attack for the offense.  In this aspect, we hope the Buckeye offense is as good as hyped.  It should just be a matter of execution and overpowering people at the point of attack.

The Buckeyes are favored by four touchdowns.  A victory is most important.  There is some speculation that the Buckeyes will try to win with a fairly vanilla display themselves to leave the Hurricanes guessing about what may be coming on offense and defense next Saturday.  Here are some things I will be watching for in this game:

• Jake Stoneburner and Zach Boren.  I believe these two are capable of some great things in 2010 at positions maligned by Ohio State fans as extra linemen.  If the Buckeyes will want to play things close to the vest (umm..) with Miami in mind, we hope that we will at least get a little stocking stuffer tonight.
• Watch the secondary.  They may not get tested too much in this game, and we hope they will be up to the task, but every Buckeye fan knows that this is the design flaw in the Big Ten’s Death Star.  Anderson Russell and Kurt Coleman have moved on.  Chimdi Chekwa, who can hold his own but is not the lockdown corner and leader that Jenkins was, is a little dinged up.  CJ Barnett is in for Orhian Johnson because of an injury.  Christian Bryant and Tyler Moeller are worth watching at the “star” position.
• Solomon Thomas is playing for the injured Nathan Williams.  The reports on Thomas suggest he has flashes of brilliance followed by stretches of being lost in the shuffle.  Williams gets much better, and more consistent pressure.  How much of a dropoff do the Bucks have with him in the fold?  Will he be targeted?
• Taurian Washington entered the opener against Navy last year as the #3 wide receiver.  He had two drops and was never heard from again.  He is back now by necessity; Duron Carter is playing community college ball.  How will he fare this game?  When we can see Corey “Philly” Brown flash his wares.
• Special teams was, at best, meek on last year’s Big Ten championship squad.  Buckeye fans hope that the offense will result in numerous kickoff scenarios tonight.  How will the coverage team fare after nearly making Kenjon Barner the MVP of the 2010 Rose Bowl?

I am proudly watching from my apartment and the Big Ten Network.  Yes, it finally came to Alabama.  For those of you enjoying the game in Columbus, pour one out for your homie in SEC country and then make a toast to life.  Drink up.  Buckeye football is back.

His recruitment ends before it truly started, but that is not to say that Ball couldn’t be big time in his class if he so desired.  He had been hearing from programs across the country in his sophomore year.  He is already hovering around the 6’0 200lb area and could actually get faster as he grows into his body.  He has a desirable combination of speed and power and can only get better.  Bucknuts lists strong interest from places like Wisconsin, Michigan, LSU, Michigan State and Oregon.  That is only a sample of schools that were interested in the lifelong Buckeye fan.  Ultimately, Ball went with the dream school and ended all speculation early.  He will join a backfield in 2012 that should be getting obscenely loaded with talent.

Importantly, Ball gets it done in the classroom as well.  He carries a 4.0.

Film is available after the jump.

• X Division: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
• O Division: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nerdwestern

Aware of the sensitivity regarding the split, especially of Ohio State and Michigan, the Big Ten announced there would be a protective cross-over game in a manner similar to the SEC’s guaranteed inter-divisional matchups (Auburn-Georgia, Alabama-Tennessee, LSU-Florida) and so on. These are:

• Illinois-Nerdwestern
• Indiana-Michigan State
• Ohio State-Michigan
• Penn State-Nebraska
• Purdue-Iowa
• Wisconsin-Minnesota

Off the bat, Ohio State and Michigan fans were assured that The Game will keep its usual spot at the end of the schedule. Several thoughts follow.

• RELAX EVERYONE. Just CHILL. They protected Indiana-Michigan State’s historic grudge match for the Old Brass Spittoon. I was worried there. We all were. Let the healing begin.
• I’m glad they also protected Purdue-Iowa. You know, two teams without any extended interaction with each other.
• Penn State-Nebraska as an annual occurrence is intriguing and a neat little surprise of the divisions. These two tradition laden programs have a history of 13 games with each other.
• Looking a little further, I wonder how happy Penn State fans are with this overall. Their fanbase was rightly concerned about becoming an island in a western alignment. Instead, they get to trek to Lincoln, Nebraska every other year, get Wisconsin and Illinois in their division and still have to play two other teams out west. That is still fairly punitive, though I think any arrangement was going to have their fans pack their bags and prepare for a long trip somewhere. Penn State is very isolated from the rest of the conference. There was no way to hide it. At least Big Ten fans get Penn State-Nebraska every year.
• This arrangement makes The Little Brown Jug (Minnesota-Michigan) and Illibuck (Illinois-Ohio State) now yearly occurrences. As if anyone gives a shit. Seriously, I do not care the slightest bit about that stupid turtle we play for. Illinois can keep it. Play with it if you want. Not like I care. I just want the win when we do play. The Little Brown Jug is a little more important in terms of historical context for both schools. However, Bo Schembechler singlehandedly killed that rivalry. The Gophers have won 3 times since Bo Schembechler took over at Michigan in 1969. Unlike the Illibuck, though, I think both sides care a little more about it. You don’t have any Illibuck restaurants in Columbus like you do a Little Brown Jug restaurant in Ann Arbor. All told: that is now an annual occurrence while Wisconsin gets taken away from Iowa and its desired yearly matchup with Nebraska? I’m not sure that’s worth it.

It works out, in a kind of ying-yang way. I guess.

But really, though, I am expecting Jim Delany to host his next teleconference by saying Cash Rules Everything Around Me and that the new divisions will be named “Barbasol” and “RO*TEL”.  Delany also talked about having divisional trophies (please, don’t).  If so, the winner of the Barbasol Division gets a big ol’ can of shaving cream.

I do want to delve into the “competitive equality” thing further.  Delany kept repeating it over and over through this process as if he knew what he was doing.  Heads up: you don’t.  You never know.  You can not forecast into the future and know with certainty that the competitively equal divisions outlined now will hold into the future.  Consider it an exercise of finding out “What’s in the box?”  You don’t know what’s in the box and you can’t open it, but you have to guess.  You can shake it, weigh it and so on, but you will never know for sure.  Looking from 1960 to 1967, would you have guessed Michigan and Ohio State would make the conference uncompetitive through the 1970s?  Looking at the 1970s, you may have guessed that Michigan would go to 5 Rose Bowls from the 1980 to 1989 seasons.  Seems to be a reasonable extrapolation.  Would you have guessed that Ohio State would only go once?  You may not have expected that Iowa would go twice and Illinois once.  In 2004, would you have guessed that Michigan would be struggling as bad as they are now?  You can come up with metrics to guess (weighing, shaking), but you still don’t know and you never will.  Remember: Sovietologists, the CIA experts and diplomats (many having PhDs, years of research and expertise) associated with tracking the trajectory of the Soviet Union, could not look into the future and see the events of the late 1980s unfolding.  And somehow you can? Don’t kid yourself.

I think splitting Ohio State-Michigan, but keeping it at the end of the season, was the compromise to turn the reaction from Ohio State and Michigan fans against itself.  An objection about moving The Game, as Delany freely admitted to considering¹, was that it would be hijacking an institution in the once-in-a-decade probability that a rematch may occur in the Big Ten championship game.  Splitting Ohio State and Michigan, but keeping the game at the end of the season, may have been a way to call that bluff.  The Game remains where it is and, if Ohio State and Michigan fans are right, it will be played twice approximately one out of every ten trials.  Neither side gets what it truly wants.

Ultimately, it reflects uncertainty from Delany and company about the nature of the product.  If you are secure in the product, you should not have to rig the divisions to make an Ohio State-Michigan rematch possible.  If neither Ohio State nor Michigan appears in it for the next 20 years², it should still pack seats because it’s the Big Ten Championship game.  This is not the ACC; Midwesterners care about the sport.  There are no Boston Colleges or Dukes.  Even if Indiana, decidedly neutral on football, makes it to the finale, it would still put people in seats.  This alignment is as much about “competitive equality” as it is a prayer to God, begging “Oh God, please don’t let Minnesota or Northwestern get in.”

I am still not crazy about these divisions.  Divisions should not have to be gerrymandered in order to produce specific outcomes.  Rather than try to neutralize “the Big Four”, you would want to encourage everyone else to commit even further to the sport.  But with some of the other hare-brained things being discussed, I guess I should be grateful that the Big Ten divisions and format are what they are.

2011, 2012 Schedules Announced

With the new divisions, the Big Ten also announced the new schedules.  I give Ohio State’s 2011 and 2012 schedules below.  Thoughts follow.

On Twitter, I fearlessly predicted that Ohio State and Nebraska would be playing in 2011 and that it would become a talking point afterward.  I got the first part right, but did not have the patience to listen to DiNardo any longer than what was required.  Pelini’s Cornhuskers make the return trip to Ohio State in 2012.

Coincidentally, Ohio State’s 2011 and 2012 Big Ten opener remained the same: Michigan State.

By a fluke, Ohio State will host Penn State in 2011.  The Buckeyes have hosted the Nittany Lions in every even-numbered year since 1996.  Consider this retribution for having to go on the road to play them in 1994 and 1995.  Fortunately, the 1994 game never happened.  I don’t like to discuss things that decidedly did not happen ever on this blog.  End of discussion.

Nerdwestern ducked Ohio State for another two years, making it four years since the Buckeyes have given the Nerds the rightful wedgies they deserve.  They will be getting wedgies of the atomic variety should they cross paths in 2013.

Elsewhere

I am intrigued that Penn State and Nebraska will be playing yearly and that Iowa-Nebraska will be a regular season-ender.  This is the right way to go.  Their games will be enjoyable.

Penn State fans are probably rejoicing that they are free of their obligations to play Michigan State.

Nebraska’s Big Ten opener in 2011 and 2012 is against Wisconsin, starting in Madison.  I smell Alvarez.

1. He admitted to moving it to no earlier than mid-November.
2. Bite your tongue about Ohio State, but nevertheless…

Height: 5’7
Weight: 178lbs
40: 4.5
High School: St. Francis DeSales HS; Columbus, Ohio

I should not have gone there, but oh well.

The service academies carry a level of prestige in other facets, but they are unlikely to generate much enthusiasm in terms of college football.  Further, the academies need “commitments” from recruits in more ways than one.  It is not a bad thing to be reticent about committing in that particular way.  Griffin’s only other offer was from I-AA Eastern Illinois.  Absent any other Division I offers, Griffin did not commit to anyone on signing day.

His Commitment: A few days later, Griffin called Jim Tressel asking if it would be okay to come to the program as a walk-on and if the staff would be willing to give him the opportunity.  Tressel told him he would get back to him on it.  Unsure of where it might lead, Griffin resumed life as normal as a basketball player at DeSales.  A week later, Tressel called back and said that he could bypass the walk-on route altogether if he would accept a scholarship offer being extended to him.  With Thaddeus Gibson going pro and the Buckeyes striking out on some of their late options (Seantrel Henderson, Matt James), the coaching staff felt that Griffin was worth it.  He accepted immediately.  The final commitment of the 2010 class, it made the day of a lifelong fan who had just called a week earlier to ask about walking on.

Where He Excels: Adam came to Ohio State with no clear idea of what position he would be given the task of learning.  Some programs interested in him looked at him on both offense and defense.  He is a cornerback if he is on defense.  He is working with the cornerbacks as of right now and I have not been able to discern how well he is adjusting.  He is either a receiver or a tailback on offense.  He brings something to either position, but I definitely looked at him as if he would be playing on offense somewhere.

I really think he is special with the ball in his hands and I would like to see him as a slot receiver.  Buckeye fans who came of age actually watching his father, some dude named Archie, play for Ohio State will see his dad’s “wiggle”.  I remember my dad telling me that Archie didn’t run so much as he vibrated down the field.  It seemed Archie could move in three directions simultaneously, breaking ankles while using a developed upper body to elude the arm tackles he would get by juking defenders out of their feet.  Adam has some of his dad’s “wiggle”.  He has good vision with the ball in his hand and is fairly nimble-footed.  He knows how to follow blockers.  Dad was a better power-runner than Adam is, but you’ll see in his highlights just how well the flexbone triple-option offense suited him at DeSales.

Must Work On: Adam did not get a lot of interest from Division I programs because he lacks ideal everything at any position he will play.  It is a rough way of saying it, but he lacks the ideal height for a receiver or defensive back.  He lacks the hip drive and lower body strength to get through the line of scrimmage at tailback.  His top-end speed is decent, but he does not have the proverbial “jets” that you would want.  I know, it sounds rough on him.

I really think he could carve out a niche as a slot receiver.  I think he is better with the ball in his hands than he is trying to defend it.  He has good vision and knows how to maneuver his blocks.  I am not saying he will be a star at Ohio State and that would be totally unfair to him to expect him to match his dad’s legacy.  Nevertheless, if he commits to learning the tricks of the trade (especially creating separation w/ precise route running), he could be fairly annoying to opposing defenders on short yardage situations.

Failing that, I think defensive backs have the lowest “height requirement”.  It is where he is now.  Whatever the case, developing upper body strength is imperative.

Redshirt? Yep.  This one is a no-brainer.  He will benefit from the additional year in figuring out how to make the most of his talents.

Highlights: Senior season, 15 minutes of it.

Miscellany:

• Kevin Griffin, his cousin, was the last Griffin to come to Ohio State on scholarship.  Kevin is Ray’s son and was the first commitment in the 1994 class.  He became a special teams standout by the end of his career.
• His older brother, Andre Griffin, came to Ohio State as a walk-on tailback in the late 1990s and early 2000s.  He is currently an assistant coach at Saginaw Valley State.
• You want a little factoid about the Griffins that will make you cringe?  Only one of them, Keith (the youngest one, I think), has a national championship.  Keith Griffin was part of Schnellenberger’s fabled 1983 Miami Hurricanes team.  It certainly was not for lack of opportunities for Archie, Duncan and Ray at Ohio State.  Hopefully Adam will be the breakthrough.
• Adam has been good friends with Clark Kellogg’s son, Nick.  Both played on the DeSales basketball team.  Nick Kellogg is at Ohio University now on scholarship for basketball.
• Eleven Warriors caught up with Adam Griffin shortly after news of his commitment went public.  He said he would likely have taken up the offer from Air Force if Ohio State did not come through.
• He wears #9 for Ohio State.  Archie gave the okay to un-retire #45 for Adam if he wanted it, but Adam did not accept.  4+5=9 anyways.
• Cardinal Mooney beat Griffin’s DeSales team in the Division III state title game, ending Griffin’s high school football career.
• Vital statistics, courtesy of Scout.com.

He rushed for 940 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior, totaling 1,736 all-purpose yards; on defense, he accounted for 47 tackles and a pair of interceptions.

I think Adam Griffin is now better known…

The More You Know

…as is the entire 2010 recruiting class.  Football season, y’all.

This 17th installment of this now 19-part series in its third edition titled Better Know A Buckeye covers Christian Bryant.  Bryant is a defensive back coming out of the storied Glenville program out of Cleveland.  The Tarblooders have sent one of their own to Ohio State on scholarship every year since 2002.  Sometimes Ted Ginn Sr’s program sends more than one to Columbus.  Last year gave us Marcus Hall and Jonathan Newsome.  This year, Bryant alone fortifies the I-71 pipeline.  He is better known in usual fashion in this feature.

Height: 5’9
Weight: 178lbs
40: 4.46
Bench Max: 225
Bench Reps: 7
Shuttle: 4.18
Vertical: 34 inches
GPA: 3.25
High School: Glenville HS; Cleveland, OH

His Recruitment:  I have written several BKAB features by now on Tarblooders.  Their stories are similar.  Ted Ginn Sr has developed a very good program in Cleveland since taking over the job there.  They annually graduate some of the area’s best athletes.  They draw attention early because of their prowess and because of how well Ginn markets them and gets them exposure with colleges in the region.  They also tend to sit on offers for awhile in order to get the maximum exposure for the school, program and future recruits.  As such, recruitment starts early and ends late.  Bryant is no different.  He already had the attention of Ohio State in July 2008, a staff that always likes to know who Ted Ginn Sr has on deck.  Ohio State was not the only one interested.  He was hearing from programs like Illinois, Wisconsin, WVU, Michigan State, Tennessee and Cincinnati through his junior season.  Offers soon accumulated.  However, Ohio State was a little slower in ultimately extending an offer.  This eventually came in May 2009 and itwas the offer that Bryant had been waiting for.

“It’s a big relief. I don’t have to worry about it anymore,” Bryant told Bucknuts.com’s Gary Housteau. “Right now they’re probably my number one. I’m really excited about it.”

Like most Tarblooders the Buckeyes pursue, it certainly does not end here.  Bryant took unofficial visits to Ohio State and other places through the fall.  He was at Ohio State for the USC game on an unofficial visit, commenting how the fans there were well aware of who he was and were screaming his name.  Further, he and high school teammate and Buckeye target Latwan Anderson arrived at Michigan State for an official visit near the end of October.  Dantonio and company came after the Glenville teammates hard, with both sharing different thoughts about their experiences in East Lansing. Ultimately, Bryant’s commitment to high school football took priority.  He was a senior leader on a Tarblooder team with strong state title aspirations.  While the Tarblooders continued their march to Canton, Bryant’s recruitment was kept on the back burner for the most part.

After the season concluded, Bryant took his official visit to Ohio State.  He was no stranger to Columbus, so ultimately nothing was new.  He also intended to exhaust a few more of his official visits before ultimately announcing.  In particular, he swung by North Carolina.  It was a trip that put the Tar Heels into his top two shortly after wrapping up at the US Army All-American Bowl.  He identified January 25th as the date he was going to commit.  When that day eventually came, there was ultimately not a lot of suspense over who he was going to pick.

His Commitment: Buckeye fans are blessed that Christian Bryant ultimately chose to stay home, etching his name into the pipeline that has given Ohio State such recent greats like Donte Whitner, Troy Smith and Ted Ginn Jr while also providing newer blood like Bryant Browning, Marcus Hall and Jonathan Newsome.

Bryant went with the hat gimmick that most kids do these days.  I don’t particularly care for it, but Bryant set up the routine by speaking first from the heart.

“First I just want to thank my mom and my dad for being there for me through the entire recruiting process,” Bryant said. “They’ve been great parents and they’ve just been here with me through the tough roads and the great roads.”

After thanking his coaches, teammates and support at Glenville, Bryant then spoke about the recruiting process in general.

“The recruiting process has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but it has also been exhausting,” Bryant said. “Also I’ve visited several colleges, there were pros and cons about each college, but in the final decision I had to think about not only myself, but I had to think about my family and my community. This city and state has been good to me and in my future I just want to do great things and give back to the children that came before and that’s coming after me.”

With the necessary preliminaries out of the way, Bryant concluded the matter appropriately.

“Therefore today,” he continued, “I’ll be making my commitment, not only for the next four years but for the rest of my life, and I’ll be choosing The Ohio State University.”

He donned the Block O hat accordingly, forgoing the UNC Tar Heel blue ballcap also on the table.

Bryant’s commitment was the last one before signing day and, as fate would have it, the only Tarblooder in the class.  Matt James ended up committing to Notre Dame.  Seantrel Henderson and Latwan Anderson, the other two players of interest for the Buckeyes by this time, ended up committing to USC and West Virginia respectively before both wound up at Miami several months later.  Bryant was the cherry on top for this recruiting class, giving the Buckeyes another true defensive back alongside Bradley Roby.

Where He Excels: Again, I like cheating and doing these after they have already enrolled.  I get to update my prior expectations about how they will perform at the college level with actual information about how they are already performing at the college level.  Christian Bryant has been one of the success stories among the incoming freshmen.  He is also one of the few that are already on the depth chart for Marshall.

Bryant compared himself to fellow Tarblooder alumnus Donte Whitner.  Buckeye recruitniks were quietly throwing around an allusion that is not to be used liberally: Antoine Winfield.  I obviously do not have to stress how serious of a reference that is, but observers are already seeing just how ferociously he hits in that tiny frame of his.  To be sure, we saw this from his time at Glenville.  That it has already come up at Ohio State has people very excited that he could be an immediate contributor on defense for his true freshman season.  Whether he reaches that level remains to be seen.

Elsewhere, Bryant is very quick (not necessarily “fast”, more on that later) and shows a very good burst out of a cut or pivot.  He moves his hips very well.

Must Work On: One of the nascent curiosities about Bryant is just how fast he is.  He has a good burst out of the gates, but there is curiosity if he has the necessary foot speed to be a cornerback.  The cornerback/safety question came up throughout his recruitment.  Most expected he would end up a safety (and a good one), but that this issue might take awhile to resolve.  The sooner he moves into either/or, the better.

You may have noticed that Bryant is a little on the tiny side.  At 5’9 178lbs, that Antoine Winfield comparison just seems so right¹.  It is not debilitating to be that small and playing as a defensive back, but the weaknesses are obvious.  I’m not sure how you can “must work on” this.  What am I going to do, ask that he get taller?

Redshirt? Nope. He factors in the “star” rotation at Ohio State.

Highlights: Senior film.

Miscellany:

• Bryant has a younger brother about 8 years his junior named Coby.  Yes: Coby Bryant.
• With all the talent that Ted Ginn Sr has graduated through the years, it’s any wonder how Glenville doesn’t have an entire wing at the school to house trophies.  The state title eluded them once more in Bryant’s final game.  The Tarblooders lost the state final to Hilliard Davidson out of the Ohio Capital Conference.
• Bryant played in the US Army All-American Bowl, the Big 33 game and the Ohio North-South Classic.  The following write-ups are available for his participating in Big 33 (first) and the Ohio North-South Classic (second).

Christian Bryant, CB/WR Glenville (Ohio State)

Bryant was probably the best player on the field Saturday night. He was only challenged once on defense in the first half, which came on a deep throw late in the second quarter, and he stayed with his man step for step as the ball fell incomplete. Most of the night, the quarterbacks never even looked his way.

He did have an interception late in the game that was waved off because he was called for pass interference while he and the receiver were battling for a jump ball. He was also strong against the run, and showed a nice open-field tackle on a scrambling quarterback.

But it wasn’t just defense where he excelled, because he caught quite a few balls (6 receptions for 47 yards) in the game as well—including the game-winning touchdown. He was very elusive as a slot receiver and became one of quarterback Mark Myers’ go-to receivers as the game wore on. Exhausted towards the latter stages of the game, Bryant had to dig down in order to come through for his teammates at the end.

“I was beat, but I knew I had to suck it up for the team,” he said. “They were all telling me that they needed me, and I just wanted to go out there and contribute to the team so that we could tie the series up at 9-9, and that’s what we did.”

Even though he caught the game-winning touchdown, the week’s events off the field seemed to excite Bryant even more.

“This experience was mind blowing,” he admitted. “Just having our buddies—the special needs children, it was a really good experience for me. I loved it. It was a humbling experience. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“I will remember this for the rest of my life.”

ON CHRISTIAN BRYANT…

One of the biggest names in the game, Bryant had an up and down night for the North. He didn’t get burned for any of the South’s big plays, but also didn’t make many big plays. His biggest play did come in the end zone when he broke up a pass intended for tight end Alex Welch (Notre Dame) on third down.

He wasn’t very impressive as a return man, not because he lacks the speed and athleticism but more because of the way he approaches the whole process. He comes across as a maverick back there. On the first punt of the game, Bryant scooped a ball that bounced inside the 15 yard line despite the fact there were players from both teams all around. He did it again later, scooping up a ball that he had no business trying to field and then there’s the matter of the way he carries it. Talk about a loaf of bread, Bryant holds that thing out almost like he’s enticing defenders to go for the ball so he can pull it back and take off the other way. That’s not going to be tolerated at the college level.

Lastly Bryant did make some nice tackles, showing good pursuit and effort, but he was ejected late in the game for throwing the ball back to the ref with what was deemed too much velocity.

• Buckeye fans may be a little curious about Bryant in light of Hall’s “academic redshirt”.  In fact, Bryant carries a 3.2, was never in any position of concern on academics, and was also offered by Stanford.  His mom talked here about how he does the extra little things in the classroom.
• Alex of Eleven Warriors scored this interview with Bryant after the Ohio North-South game.
• Signing day Q&A with him and Darryl Baldwin, who actually beat out Bryant to win the area’s player of the year honor by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
• Played Wayne, high school of Braxton Miller, in the third game of his senior season.  The Tarblooders crushed Wayne, 53-28.  Photos are here.
• Vital statistics, courtesy of Bucknuts:

* Vital Statistics: Bryant earned first-team All-Ohio honors in Division I while leading Glenville to a 13-2 record and a berth in the state championship game. He played defensive back, wide receiver, some at quarterback and also handled kicking and punting duties for the Tarblooders. As a senior, he had 82 tackles and five interceptions (two for touchdowns). On offense, he had 17 catches for over 200 yards and also had 17 carries for over 300 yards. In all, he had 13 touchdowns for the year. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 9. He has been selected for the Ohio All-Star Classic April 23 at Ohio Stadium as well as the Big 33 Football Classic in June. He becomes the 16^th Glenville played in nine years to sign with the Buckeyes.

* Rankings: He is rated as the No. 11 overall senior prospect in Ohio, according to Ohio High magazine/JJHuddle.com. Also rated as the No. 9 overall prospect in the state, according to The Ohio Football Recruiting News. ESPN Scouts Inc. rates Bryant as the nation’s 35th-best safety. SuperPrep considers Bryant as an All-American, ranking him as the 27th-best prospect in the Midwest and the nation’s No. 35 defensive back.

I think I can say Bryant is now better known.

The More You Know

I’ll put him on the board too.

1. Winfield is listed at 5’9 180lbs for the Vikings

This 16th installment covers Bradley Roby, who came to Ohio State with cornerback in mind.  Roby had an interesting road to Columbus.  A high school teammate and family friend of Cameron Heyward, the Suwanee, Georgia native entertained interest from Ohio State before quickly committing to Vanderbilt to play wide receiver.  Though committed to the Commodores, Roby began to look around.  Ohio State extended an offer at the end of 2009 and Roby committed thereafter.  He is better known in this feature in the usual manner.

Height: 5’11
Weight: 176lbs
40: 4.4
Bench Max: 245lbs
Vertical: 40 inches
GPA: 3.86
High School: Peachtree Ridge High School; Suwanee, Georgia

His Recruitment: Roby started receiving attention from Ohio State in June 2009.  An aforementioned family friend of Cam Heyward, Heyward’s mother had painted Ohio State in such a positive light that he too became interested in Ohio State.  He came to Columbus for camp, leaving Jim Tressel impressed.  Tressel wanted to see him in person before extending an offer, promising to send a scholarship offer shortly.  It did not come and, before the end of July, he was committed to Vanderbilt.  And thus it ends.  Que sera sera.  Ohio State has lost stranger recruiting battles.

Ohio State fans are fortunate that it did not end there.  Roby remained committed to Vanderbilt, but was considering his other options in the months following his verbal commitment.  He visited Auburn in early November, another school that had been after Roby.  Auburn’s coaching staff requited that by making a visit to Roby a month later.  More importantly, Ohio State made their move in the middle of December, finally extending a written scholarship offer.  The offer put Ohio State really high on Roby’s list, making it apparent he was rethinking his commitment to Vanderbilt.  The Buckeyes’ interest came in the wake of Joshua Shaw‘s mid-November commitment to Florida and Lamarcus Joyner‘s early December commitment to Florida State.  Ohio State’s recruiting class had no cornerback commitments at the time.  Meanwhile, Vanderbilt’s recruiting class had three additional wide receivers.  I think Roby preferred to play wide receiver, but was ultimately ambivalent on the position.  He wants to see the field as soon as possible.  Ohio State started looking like the place to do it.  A January 8th visit to Ohio State seemed to do the trick.

His Commitment: Word broke that Roby had changed his commitment from Vanderbilt to Ohio State on January 13th.  Roby’s high school coach confirmed this.  However, Roby himself felt the need to expand on why he made the switch after news of the commitment became public.  He explained that he thought Ohio State is everything he wanted in a college.  He likes Jim Tressel, even going so far to say he’s a funny guy¹.  Further, an uncertain coaching landscape that saw Urban Meyer retire and unretire, Kelly leave Cincinnati midstream to take the job at Notre Dame and Bobby Bowden unceremoniously dumped at Florida State, Roby liked that Jim Tressel wasn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future.  As such, Bobby Johnson’s inexplicably timed retirement from Vanderbilt a month ago makes the switch to Ohio State fortuitous.

There was more that Roby shared.  As it turns out, Roby had been committed to Ohio State for awhile.  He kept quiet on the matter because he did not want his decision to potentially sway other recruits on the fence about Vanderbilt.  While he made the decision that he ultimately did not want to play for Bobby Johnson and his staff, he still genuinely liked them and did not want to sabotage their recruiting class because of his individual decision.  Bill Kurelic called such a move the first he has witnessed in all his years covering college football recruiting.

Where He Excels: Roby exemplifies how a class light on big names like the 2008 class can still have such intriguing potential.  Roby did not have a particularly strong offer sheet when he switched from Vanderbilt to Ohio State, though offers from places like Auburn, Boston College, WVU and Ole Miss are nothing to sneeze at.  Even more interesting, Georgia and Alabama extended offers shortly after he committed to Ohio State.  Roby appreciated the offers, but was not going to waver from his commitment to the Buckeyes.

Roby is a very good athlete.  Most recruiting evaluations, assuming that wide receiver is what he wanted to be and what he was going to do, grade him as a very good athlete who uses quickness to his advantage.  He is only 5’11-6’0, but he has a basketball player’s wingspan and the corollary vertical to boot.  Good wide receivers make even better defensive backs in my opinion.  Knowing he will make the transition to cornerback, I really like what he can do with that wingspan.  Further, his wide receiver skills make him really good with the ball in the air.  You never know what becomes of recruits that come to the secondary in droves, just to see only two or three of them play any meaningful snaps.  Still, I am curious and I like what I see.

Must Work On: Roby could be either wide receiver or cornerback at this level.  I think he has the higher ceiling at defensive back, but is definitely more polished as a wide receiver at the moment.  Roby played both positions in high school.  Indeed, he was the quintessential ringer of his team.  His coach capitalized on any opportunity to have him on the field making plays.  Regardless, this is where some of the learning curve will set in for Roby.

Redshirt? Roby is fast enough and a good enough athlete that he could contribute to special teams as a freshman if he absolutely wants to play.  Ultimately, I think he redshirts and starts contributing next year.  The Buckeyes already have their fair share of defensive backs who redshirted last year and Christian Bryant is ahead of him right now.  A redshirt will do him well.

Highlights: There are some midseason highlights from his senior season.  These are embedded below.

Miscellany:

• Cameron Heyward’s mother gets a bit of an assist with this.  Again, kids have free will and the school and program can sell themselves, but Charlotte Heyward-Blackwell appears to be responsible for putting in a good word for the Buckeyes to start the process.  She and Roby’s mother are very close friends and Heyward-Blackwell has been effusive in her praise of how the Buckeye program is run.  Further, Roby’s mother joined Heyward-Blackwell in Pasadena to watch the Buckeyes Duck hunt.  She came back impressed with the experience and the fan support for the team.
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution write-up of Roby’s commitment to Ohio State: here.
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution named Roby as first team all-state at wide receiver.  It disagreed with the AP’s confining him to first team all-state at athlete, saying that his contributions as a wide receiver on a predominantly running team were invaluable.  He had only 29 catches in this rush-heavy offense, but could score touchdowns five different ways and, according to the AJC, was “perhaps the state’s most versatile player”.
• Won the Atlanta Touchdown Club‘s Iron Man Award
• Roby carries a 3.8 GPA and is serious about the off-the-field stuff.  He participated in Ideals Leadership and DECA Club.  I have not heard of the former, but the latter is an organization for people interested in marketing.
• He also played basketball and ran track.
• Vital statistics, courtesy of Bucknuts:

* Vital Statistics: As a senior, Roby recorded 40 tackles and six interceptions including two returned for touchdowns. He also caught 26 passes for 570 yards (21.9 average) and five touchdowns. As a junior in 2008, Roby caught 29 passes for 500 yards and five touchdowns. He projects as a cornerback with the Buckeyes. He comes from the same high school as current Buckeye defensive end Cameron Heyward.

* Rankings: Roby is rated as the nation’s No. 41 athlete prospect by ESPN Scouts Inc. SuperPrep ranks Roby as the 65th-best prospect in Georgia.

Since all Buckeyes must be better known, I’ll consider Roby to be, well, better known.

The More You Know

1. This underscores sentiment among many players that Jim Tressel is the biggest jokester on the team.

Johnathan Hankins, a defensive tackle from Detroit’s Southeastern HS, will be the 15th installment of this now 19-part series titled Better Know A Buckeye, currently in its third edition.  Hankins was a curious case through the recruiting process.  Uncertainty about who exactly offered was omnipresent through the recruiting process.  He acquired offers from Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama and Florida, but was the sixth or seventh option for the in-state (and apparently childhood favorite) Michigan Wolverines.  Michigan State passed on him outright.  He is better known in this feature, in usual fashion.

Height: 6’3
Weight: 336lbs
40: 5.1
Bench: 365lbs
Squat: 550lbs
High School: Southeastern HS; Detroit, TSUN

His Recruitment: Hankins was not first on Ohio State’s list at his position, nor even from the high school.  The Buckeyes had a long interest in his Southeastern teammate William Gholston (Vernon’s cousin), a Michigan State commit and eventual Michigan State enrollee.  Hankins appeared on Ohio State’s radar as well, culminating in some serious interest from the Buckeyes in June 2009.  He mentioned Ohio State as a favorite and claimed an offer early in the month.  Two weeks later, there was serious rumblings among Buckeye recruitniks that he was going to commit.  He did not.  The problem was not that those rumors were red herrings, per se.  He apparently did not have the offer that he thought he did.  It is tricky to succinctly parlay the real confusion among Buckeye fans that follow recruiting regarding the status of “Big Hank”.  It is definitely one of those rare times you wish coaches could talk about recruits publicly to clear the air, but Hankins’ offer (assuming there was one) was conditional.  Ohio State, perhaps like a few other programs, had some concerns about his weight and if he was going to qualify.  They were definitely interested, but may have wanted to see more before they themselves committed to Hankins.  All bets off regarding Ohio State, the only school to step forward and give an unconditional offer was Virginia.  Al Groh needed the talent approaching a make-or-break 2009 season (he was fired anyways), even if it meant hiding non-qualifiers at Fork Union (Morgan Moses).

Buckeye fans got a better understanding of what Hankins’ status was as the summer gave way to fall.  Laken Tomlinson‘s commitment to, of all places, Duke put a new emphasis on getting Hankins into the fold.  He came to Columbus on an unofficial visit to get a tour.  Therein, the point was driven home.  Hankins knew he had to get his academic house in order, with Subtle Tressel showing Hankins around the academic facilities and some academic advisors.  Subtle Tressel, being subtle, used his EA Sports’ NCAA Football ’10 academics recruiting pitch that Hankins recapped as follows.

“He said education is first there,” Hankins said.  “He said if I come to Ohio State I will get my degree.”

In the meantime, Hankins had already made preparations for an unofficial visit to Ohio State for the ill-fated USC game.  He made good on that vow to come to Columbus for that game (as did almost everyone).  By this time, it was very clear to everyone involved that Hankins was very fond of the Buckeyes.  He really liked Tressel and everyone else on the coaching staff that he was able to meet.   The atmosphere for the USC game, clearly the MVP of the game, wowed Big Hank.  After the fact, he told Bill Kurelic that he wanted to suit up for the Buckeyes by the end of that game.  Hankins did not delve into recruiting too much for the remainder of the fall.  He focused on his academics and his senior season, which ultimately culminated in a playoffs loss to Sterling Heights’ Adlai E. Stevenson (seriously) High School in the quarterfinals.

The end of his senior season of football freed Hankins to commit more time to finding a college.  This roughly monthlong stretch culminating with his commitment in the first week of January, also coincides with some very interesting developments in his recruitment.  By the end, it was beginning to resemble the Joseph Barksdale saga, albeit with a different set of antagonists.  The Florida Gators, a trump card nowadays in most recruiting situations, flew him to Gainesville for an official visit.  He left with a scholarship offer.  Hankins was pretty clear through the fall that Ohio State was on top of the leaderboard.  The Gators supplanted the Buckeyes after his visit to Gainesville.  It did not end there.  He was notified while coming back from Gainesville that Michigan was going to send the offer he always wanted¹.   According to the Detroit Free Press, the offer comes after Rodriguez was able to see his stamina demonstrated through the course of a season.  He took a visit to Ann Arbor shortly thereafter, a quick trip approximately 40 minutes west.  He already had a good feeling for Michigan.  He enjoyed the visit, but nothing was ultimately new.  Late into the process, Hankins wanted to take his official visit to Ohio State before making a decision.

Then Alabama came calling.  Nick Saban and Bobby Williams spent many years at East Lansing, developing a network of contacts throughout Michigan that they have exploited, with much success, in the form of Mark Ingram.  Being the undefeated SEC champions playing for a national title probably carries some sway too.  The visit and offer to Hankins came with a new interest in William Gholston as well, coinciding with some uncertainty in his recruitment.  A hopeful visit to Tuscaloosa never materialized, leaving Ohio State with his last official visit on December 11th.  The visit catapulted Ohio State back on top of Florida, confining Michigan to a clear, distant third place.  Rodriguez made an in-house visit with Hankins immediately after he finished his official visit at Ohio State.  It should have been clear to Rodriguez, though.  If he did not commit to Michigan when he made his official visit there, he was not going to commit now.

Most people following the new explosion of interest in Hankins felt more comfortable saying he would end up at Ohio State.  This became public in early January.

His Commitment: The Buckeyes’ victory in the Rose Bowl was followed with the first recruiting dividend, Johnathan Hankins’ commitment.

Hankins commitment gave the Buckeyes a nice rebound from losing Shariff Floyd to Florida a few days earlier.  It also gives the Buckeyes a nice recruiting victory over Rich Rodriguez, who had gone all out through December in trying to get his commitment.  Hankins’ decision to receive sanctuary in The Great State of Ohio from That State Up North comes as a result of several factors making Ohio State the most appropriate choice.  Ohio State had academic facilities to Hankins’ liking and had developed a good rapport with Jim Heacock and Jim Tressel.  Further, Ohio State for a Michigander can be a change of scenery that is still ultimately close to home.  I think Hankins was always going to remain close to home if he could.  Columbus is just down the road.  He also mentioned the following:

“Seeing them in the Rose Bowl, I wanted to be part of that,” Hankins said.  “I want to help them win a National Championship.

Nothing to it but to do it.

Where He Excels: I like when I do these features after they already enrolled.  I get to update my prior expectations about how they will perform at the college level with new information about how they are actually performing at the college level.

Big Hank, demonstrating that there is no point faxing an LOI unless you look damn good doing it.

Hankins is the defensive tackle most Buckeye fans have wanted for some time.  He is also the type of defensive tackle that has Buckeye fans smelling blood after seeing what their version of the 3-4 can do to opposing offensive lines.  He is not the Adam Bellamy-type of defensive tackle prospect, but rather a two-gapping big ol’ boy that can plug spaces and allow linebackers to blitz and ultimately raise ungodly hell in the backfield.  Far from just a simple space eater, Hankins is fairly quick for being a big ol’ boy.  Hustle is always something you want more and more of for a lineman of his size, but I already see things here to my liking.

Must Work On: Hankins will have to be ever vigilant regarding his frame while playing for Ohio State.  It is too easy to pack on pounds and he will want to add only “good weight”.  If he is too big, he is too slow and struggling too much to move his weight around the line of scrimmage.  Everyone is happy with how he showed up, but he has been openly fatigued through some stretches in the heat, humidity and the grind of practice.

Big Hank is the life of parties he does not attend

I think he is a bit raw, though he had impressed enough to be getting serious praise.  He is a big kid that will need to be mindful that they come bigger on the other side of the ball at the college level.  His pad level can rise during plays, and when he is tired (naturally).  Remember: low man wins in football.  Stand up and be escorted by an offensive lineman into the secondary.

Redshirt? If I had penned this feature three months earlier, I would say he very likely redshirts.  Now, he is on the two deep at the defensive tackle/nose tackle position currently occupied by Dex Larimore.  Good job, young man.  I like being wrong under these circumstances.

Highlights: This is junior year film and is the best I could find.

Miscellany:

• His high school’s team nickname is the Jungaleers.  The origin of the nickname, as best as I can tell, comes from the fact that the Great Lakes are bordered by fairly swampy lands.  The high school was placed on a part of Detroit that was largely underdeveloped and resembled a “jungle”.  Saying you were going to the high school was akin to saying you were “going to the jungle”.  The nickname for the school’s athletics apparently comes from that.
• Their league, Detroit Public 1, includes Cass Tech.  Cass Tech, home of the “Technicians”, is Vernon Gholston’s alma mater.
• Video interview from signing day: here.
• I wrote his recruitment piece from an Ohio State perspective.  He also acquired offers from Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Toledo and Bowling Green, according to Rivals.
• I was confused for the longest time just exactly how you spell his first name.  Scout and Rivals spelled it differently, with Scout going with Johnathan and Rivals going with Johnathon.  The former is apparently correct and listed on Ohio State’s website.
• Official bio says he was also in drama club.  Very cool.
• Vital statistics, courtesy of Bucknuts.

* Vital Statistics: Hankins was a four-year starter at nose guard for Southeastern. As a senior, he had 85 tackles and 12 sacks. As a junior, he registered 85 tackles (55 solo) and nine sacks.

* Rankings: Hankins is rated as the nation’s 49th-best defensive tackle by ESPN Scouts Inc. SuperPrep ranks him as the 33rd-best prospect in the Midwest and the ninth-best prospect in Michigan. The Detroit News ranks Hankins as the No. 5 prospect in Michigan.

I think Big Hank is now better known.

The More You Know

1. The intensity of the interest in the Wolverines is probably a function of which Michigan scout/fan you interview, but everything I read suggested that Michigan was the team he followed growing up.

As such, the news that Ohio State has concluded fall camp, named its captains for the 2010 season and has released the tentative depth chart for the Marshall game reminds us all that the season is just around the corner. I will discuss these news items below.

Ohio State Names Six Captains
The Buckeyes named six captains for the 2010 season, matching a team high once achieved in 1982 (Glen Cobb, Jerome Foster, Joe Lukens, Marcus Marek, Tim Spencer and Gary Williams). Bryant Browning, Dane Sanzenbacher and Brandon Saine will serve as team leaders of the offense. Meanwhile, Brian Rolle, Cameron Heyward, and Ross Homan will lead the defense. All six are seniors and shared their thoughts about what being a captain means to them.  For example:

“I was surprised to hear my name called,” said Saine, a tailback from Piqua High in Piqua, Ohio, who has rushed for 1,071 career yards as a Buckeye.

“I just want to lead by example and try to do things right.”

Depth Chart Announced

The more interesting news item leading up to the kickoff against Marshall happens to be the recently released depth chart.

There is a fair number of freshmen on the two-deep. It should be no surprise that a linemen-heavy 2009 recruiting class, most of whom redshirted, is starting to manifest in the two-deep so early. Corey Linsley and Jack Mewhort swapped positions (which really surprised me). Linsley is the backup center while Mewhort is serving as Bryant Browning’s understudy. A pleasant surprise under not-so-pleasant circumstances is Andrew Norwell. Norwell rebounded from a nasty leg injury in his senior season to catapult to the two-deep at right tackle, a move that occurs in the wake of Marcus Hall having to take an “academic redshirt” for the 2010 season.

Norwell is not the only true freshman making waves. Drew Basil has the necessary leg strength to be the first team kickoff specialist and is also backing up Devin Barclay at full time kicker. Christian Bryant has had an amazing camp, something I expected to him but like reading nonetheless. He is on the depth chart at the star position and will almost certainly see the field in 2010. Also, Johnathan Hankins is listed as the backup defensive tackle to Dexter Larimore. “Big Hank”, all 6’3 335lbs of “Big Hank”, will be substitute nose tackle for an Ohio State defense that has found a niche with its version of a 3-4 defense. Corey Brown also made the depth chart at wide receiver to begin the season, culminating another fine camp performance. He is joined by his evil twin, Corey Brown. Yes, two Corey Browns, both from Pennsylvania, and both on the depth chart. Suck on that, y’all.

The big bombshell on the depth chart is Andrew Sweat, who has come all the way back from an ACL tear to lock down the starting spot at strongside linebacker. That Sweat could miss six months of football and still leapfrog, if tentatively, Etienne Sabino says a lot about his natural football instincts. I was really bullish on Sabino coming out of high school, thinking that he would thrive at middle linebacker. He is back in the MIKE linebacker two-deep, sharing second team duties with sophomore Storm Klein.

CJ Barnett, a redshirt freshman, is also listed as a starter at strong safety. I am not reading too much into this. I suspect Barnett has been doing really well to be in that position, but a minor leg injury to Orhian Johnson has me thinking that Johnson’s injury contributed to this as much as Barnett’s performance in transitioning from cornerback to safety.

What Have We Learned?

The O-Zone has an article on the ten things we learned from camp that is worth reading. I’ll try to complement that with some speculations of my own, informed only as much as I’ve been able to see in practice and read about after the fact.

I like what I’ve seen and read from Terrelle Pryor, though no one should expect that he morphed into Peyton Manning in the offseason. Pryor is being listed as an odds-on Heisman favorite, something that I think might be too tentative. To be sure, his position has a bit of a logjam that includes Kellen Moore, Ryan Mallett, Andrew Luck and many others. The reigning winner returns to Alabama to share carries with Trent Richardson. I think Pryor is capable of steadily leading the Buckeyes through the 2010 season and into the national title game. God willing. Should he do that, he would be a hard person to beat in the Heisman vote given the preseason hype toward his season. Definitely pray that this happens.

Second, the Buckeyes appear to have a wealth of talent at the running back position. Mainstays like Dan Herron and Brandon Saine will be complemented with up-and-comers like Carlos Hyde and Jaamal Berry and sophomore Jordan Hall. Depending on who you talk to, the young’ns on the roster might be the best tailbacks in the tandem. I’ve read reports that rave about Carlos Hyde, characterizing him as the ideal tailback for what Jim Tressel likes to do. Add Terrelle Pryor into the mix and Ohio State could rival Alabama for the nation’s best rushing attack. Either way, I get more excited about this particular aspect of the 2010 Buckeyes the more I think about it.

On that same note of preseason excitement, I am really interested in seeing how Ohio State plans to incorporate Jake Stoneburner and Zach Boren into the receiving game. I genuinely believe we are going to see these two make some plays going forward. In terms of talent, Stoneburner and Boren might be the best Tressel’s had at the “positions that are glorified extra linemen” position in his time at Ohio State.

The interior of the offensive line was the strength of the entire unit by season’s end. It returns in full to lead the way. It appears that Ohio State still wants a little more out of the tackles. Marcus Hall’s “academic redshirt” definitely does not help on gamedays, though working the scout team should make for better practices and hopefully help Ohio State (and Hall) in the long run.

Questions still appear to loom about the extent to which Taurian Washington can reliably assist the Buckeyes as a third team wide receiver. Ill-timed and inexpicable drops have occurred here and there in practice, to the point that it usually comes up in some kind of post-practice report. Don’t underestimate the loss of Duron Carter in the offseason. Ohio State has options, but Carter was the answer we had at the position. Look to Chris Fields and Philly Brown to contribute as well. Selfishly, I want Buckeye legacy, fifth year senior and fellow southern Californian Grant Schwartz to see the field in 4/5 wide sets in the fall as well. I’m pulling for him.

I don’t have too many observations on the defensive side of the ball, other than a real hope that the Buckeyes can find the necessary depth on the defensive line that gave the Buckeyes the Defensive Line From Hell in 2009. We really need Nathan Williams at 100 percent capacity. He is nursing a lower leg injury sustained during the kick scrimmage and everyone is optimistic he will be fine going forward. He needs to be. Solomon Thomas has flashes, but that is the point. Williams gets much better and more consistent pressure. Elsewhere, I am pleased to know that Melvin Fellows’ Safari Planet has performed well as Cam Heyward’s understudy through camp. However, he is nursing a bit of an injury that has opened the door for redshirt freshman Adam Bellamy to backup Heyward. The dropoff appears to be sizable. It seems Ohio State has found some answers in the middle with Johnathan Hankins and Garrett Goebel. Goebel, long a player that everyone liked, was just leapfrogged by John Simon early last year. That says much more about Simon than Goebel.

Beyond that, we know what we are getting with our linebackers and I think everyone knows that the secondary will not be the strength of our defense. I have little to add here that has not already been said. Instead, let’s watch some hype videos for this season from Robby Kitchel.

The same guy also mined through a few of my YouTube videos, putting together this awesome clip of the Buckeye greats of yesteryear. I really like this one.

Height: 6’2
Weight: 185lbs
40: 4.5
High School: Marion-Franklin HS; Columbus, OH

His Recruitment: Verlon’s first offers came from MAC schools, namely Toledo and Bowling Green.  Kent State eventually followed.  Ohio State, always aware of the talent in their own backyard, sent out feelers as well to let Verlon know that they were aware of him and were indeed evaluating him.  In this regard, Verlon’s recruitment resembled almost anyone else’s recruitment.  Even the four and five stars in-state often start off small in their junior year before acquiring some big BCS offers at the end of their junior year or in the late summer and fall of their senior year.  However, Verlon never quite got to this stage in his recruitment.  He expressed interest in a variety of BCS schools, namely West Virginia, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa and, of course, Ohio State.  However, as a dual-threat quarterback without the desirable attributes for a BCS offer, most of these programs would have to have high evaluations of him at other positions in order to extend offers.  Remember: recruiting quarterbacks is precarious.  As a general rule, you would like to have one in a class.  You typically do not take more than two.  Even BCS programs sympathetic with Verlon’s overall style at quarterback did not grade him highly enough to merit an offer.  His lone BCS offer came from Syracuse. A quality academic institution with a not uninteresting history in college football, their current status did not elicit too much excitement.  Verlon kept looking for offers through the fall (namely from Ohio State) and eyed the end of his senior season as a time to make a decision.

Fortunately, Verlon’s time with Ohio State eventually came.  He got the coveted scholarship offer in early December.  While Verlon still wanted to evaluate his options, his options essentially became Toledo or Ohio State.  There was no containing his excitement while being interviewed and pressed about the topic with Ohio State’s recruiting affiliates.  An official visit was scheduled for the next week, one that resulted in the usual glowing reviews.  A commitment came three days later.

His Commitment: Verlon Reed eventually committed to the Buckeyes, ending a recruitment with Ohio State where more patience was shown by Verlon in getting the offer than in Ohio State waiting on Verlon’s decision.

“(Ohio State) is everything I expected, it’s a home inside a home,” Reed said. “It’s a dream come true, something I wanted to do my whole life.

“Ohio State has always been a dream for me and now I have the opportunity.  It just feels likes the best thing for me and my family.”

Reed and his mother Scharr Roseboro were very impressed with their visit to OSU.

“It was great,” Roseboro said. “It really was. I know I had a lot of fun.”

The commitment was Ohio State’s 14th of the 2010 class, not counting Carlos Hyde.  It is also Ohio State’s second quarterback in the 2010 class, after Taylor Graham.  At least, it is nominally.  Few expect Verlon to be a quarterback, which will be discussed below.

Another Day, Another MVP Award

Simply put, I like Verlon Reed.  I really do.  Anyone who follows through with a vow to give it his all and perform admirably in the summer has my respect.  Further, anyone who responds to suggestions of being dead to rights at the quarterback position by earning the MVP of the two biggest post-season exhibition games in the state automatically becomes a winner in my book.  I don’t know what will become of his career at Ohio State at a position that Ohio State will annually stock with as much blue chippers as they can (wide receiver, defensive back).  I do know, though, that Buckeye fans will appreciate the effort, the enthusiasm he has for the hometown school, and that he is — as his high school coach said — a winner.

Must Work On: I must resist the temptation to pick up the low-hanging fruit, but it is obvious to everyone that transitioning to an entirely new position will require Verlon to not only grasp the big picture, but master all the little things.  If he becomes a wide receiver, he will have to learn how to read the defensive back in front of you, how/when to cut off routes, how to catch away from the body and so on.  Further, all wideouts are expected to block.  Those that block well, play (we obviously want a little more from Sanzy in this regard).  At 6’2, 185lbs and a 4.5-ish 40, Verlon has the tools to become an effective receiver for Ohio State.  He could also thrive at safety should he make it back to defense.

Redshirt? The transition for Verlon to positions where there is already good depth ahead of him (either at wide receiver or safety, but wide receiver at the moment) makes him a pretty safe choice for a redshirt.  The reports I read of him are very positive, but not enough to get him on to the field in 2010.

Highlights: These are all of him at quarterback, but you can discern his obvious athletic abilities below.

Miscellany:

• Verlon played in both the Big 33 game and the Ohio North-South Classic.  He picked up MVP in honors in both games.  He was on the South’s squad in the Ohio North-South Classic, playing against a North team that included fellow Buckeyes JT Moore, Christian Bryant, Tyrone Williams and Darryl Baldwin.  All but Williams joined him in the Big 33 game.
• The O-Zone had the following write-ups regarding Verlon after both games.  The write-up from the Ohio North-South Classic is first, followed by the observations from the Big 33 game.

ON VERLON REED…

As for Reed, I did not think he played all that great outside of the one run, and even he was surprised to get the MVP award. He did not look good as a passer, missing his first five attempts and not completing his first pass until the third quarter. He was intercepted in the first half on a ball that was thrown behind his receiver, and after the game he said he felt he had an off night throwing the ball.

The run itself was a thing of beauty, however. He should have been tackled two or three times but run through one tackle and made a couple guys miss with nice jukes. The main thing that impressed me on the run was the speed. With kids like that you wonder how they would look against better competition, and on that play he looked like the fastest player in the game.

Verlon Reed, QB/Ath Marion-Franklin (Ohio State)

Reed again showed himself to be a terrific athlete, spinning out of many a grasp at quarterback, but is still lacking enough awareness and accuracy to show that he can be a quarterback at Ohio State. He ducked and dodged about three pursuers on one play, but ended up fumbling the ball when he got hit as he was spinning away from another would-be tackler. He finished the game 7-11 passing for 55 yards, and rushed for 60 yards.

His biggest play came on a 74-yard touchdown run on a simple zone read. His speed was clearly evident as he raced the entire Pennsylvania defense into the endzone—and stretched his lead.

“I couldn’t do it without the other ten guys and everybody blocking,” said Reed, talking about his touchdown run. “I cut outside and saw my receiver had his man on skates going to the inside, so I just cut out and off to the races. It was great.”

Fortunately for Reed, his versatility will allow him ample opportunity to find the field in other ways if he never makes it at quarterback. He started the game at wide receiver for Ohio, and didn’t look out of place. He also played some cornerback but did get beat badly on an overthrown out and up. He did everything his team asked of him, and he did it because he knew that’s what it would take to secure the victory.

“You don’t want to lose, but at the same time it’s an all-star game, so you want to have fun while you’re doing it,” he explained. “But at the end of the day, we know how storied this rivalry is, so we wanted the victory very badly.”

Reed’s future may ultimately be on the defensive side of the ball, but he has enough skill that you would like to see what he could do on offense before shipping him off. Perhaps most importantly, he is going to work for every opportunity that he is given.

• Alex, of Eleven Warriors, was on hand to watch the Ohio North-South Classic.  He interviewed Verlon Reed after the game.
• Verlon is the first city league kid to come to Ohio State on scholarship since 2004.  That class happened to include three city league alums, only one of whom Buckeye fans will probably remember (Dionte Johnson [Eastmoor], Sirjo Welch [Beechcroft], Erik Haw [Independence]).
• He took his official visit with his mother, both of whom clearly enjoyed their visit.  Mom came back particularly impressed with how she schooled Paul Haynes in a game of billiards.

“It was great,” Roseboro said.  “It really was.  I know I had a lot of fun.

“I kicked one of the coaches butts in pool.  I kicked Coach (Paul) Haynes butt.”

• He gave an interview with the ABC affiliate in Columbus, which you can see here.
• His Marion-Franklin Red Devils team advanced to the Division II semifinals in his senior season before losing to Cincinnati’s Winton Woods by a score of 69-35.  You may remember Winton Woods as the school of Dominique Brown, a very late Buckeye offer that eventually committed to Louisville to play quarterback.
• Verlon was a freshman when his high school coach, Brian Haffele, came to Columbus’ Marion-Franklin.  As you’ll hear in the video, a freshman Verlon introduced himself to his new coach by saying he was the future and would be his next Ohio State offer.  Haffele responded with “alright freshman, get back in line”, not knowing how prophetic Verlon’s words really were.
• He wears #14 for Ohio State, but wore #10 for Marion-Franklin because he was coming of age when Troy Smith was quarterbacking the Buckeyes.  Verlon is a very big Troy Smith fan.
• Big time college football offers are rare for city league kids and I do not know who the last high profile athlete was to come out of Columbus’ Marion-Franklin.  Verlon signing with the hometown Buckeyes was obviously a huge deal, which is why you see the novelty-sized LOI and the Ohio State sash in the picture on top of the post.  It was a big celebration and send-off for Verlon. You can watch his interview below

• The Plain Dealer has a better focus of Verlon Reed’s Ohio State sash.  I want an Ohio State sash.

• A lot of the excitement for Verlon from his school stems from how positively they rate him as a young man.  Ken Gordon penned an article where Verlon expressed his awareness of the gravity of the offer from Ohio State and how he wants to make the most of it: on the field, and off of it.  You should read the whole article here.  I reproduce some of it below.

Reed loves it. He has a heart for community service. In addition to Stand and Deliver, he serves as a mentor for younger students in his South Side neighborhood.

Red Devils coach Brian Haffele said he recently saw Reed help an elderly woman cross a snowy street. Is this young man for real?

Community involvement is one of the reasons Reed said he chose Ohio State. He was impressed with the football team’s extensive outreach program, and he loved the fact that he could have an impact on his hometown.

“It’s just like normal to me,” Reed said. “I’ve always been brought up to do the right thing, so being able to have the opportunity to do all that, I’ll take advantage of that.”

I think Verlon Reed is now better known.

The More You Know

I think that date on the schedule had been previously allocated to Michigan State as a conference game, though that was pushed forward to October 1st.  That date, and October 15th, are open dates on Ohio State’s schedule as the new conference alignment is being finalized.  As it stands, Ohio State will host another BCS opponent shortly after coming back from Miami, Florida for the return leg of the series with the Hurricanes.  Colorado will receive $1.4 million dollars for their troubles, something that will probably go to Dan Hawkins’ buyout.  I can’t imagine he sticks around much longer.

Ohio State and Colorado have a little bit of a history.  The two sides first met in Ohio Stadium in 1971, an ill-fated season for the Buckeyes and the first after the Super Sophomores had all graduated.  They met again in the 1977 Orange Bowl, Ohio State’s first non-Rose Bowl game.  The Buckeyes conceded the first ten points of the game, but scored the next 27 en route to a 27-10 victory.  A home-and-home series was scheduled shortly thereafter, taking place in 1985 and 1986.  The Buckeyes won both games.  I have both the 1977 Orange Bowl and 1985 matchup in my collection.  You can watch them below.

The schedule is still in flux and we’re all praying that the Big Ten does not screw up and put Michigan and Ohio State in separate divisions.  Nevertheless, as Ramzy noted, a 2011 schedule including Miami, Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan, Colorado  and possibly Iowa ranks as the most obscenely difficult schedule in the history of college football… of 1990.