Hey everyone! For those who don’t know me, I’m Alex Gleitman and I’m a new staff writer/recruiting analyst here at BuckeyeGrove.com. I have been covering Ohio State recruiting, football, and basketball for over 11 years, and previously wrote at Eleven Warriors and Bucknuts. I couldn’t be happier to now be a part of the best team of Ohio State insiders on the internet.
For those of you who do know me and have followed my work elsewhere, thanks for being here---I’m happy to see you all again!
I’m also excited to bring everyone the first edition of “A-Deck”, which will be my weekly column where I provide my thoughts, what I’m hearing, and inside scoop on Ohio State recruiting, as well as some team coverage. We’re releasing the first edition today, as it’s my first day with the site, but this will normally be a feature that runs on Wednesdays, so I hope to see you all on a weekly basis then.
Being that the start of fall camp is tomorrow, I thought it would be appropriate to kick off this feature with some deep insight into the 2019 Buckeyes, courtesy of a number of tied-in sources I’ve spoken to in the last week. These sources were generous enough to share their honest, position-by-position, thoughts on how the players on each side of the ball have looked from January through the summer, and what they expect from them this coming fall.
In the first addition of “A-Deck”, we’ll bring you those thoughts on the offensive position groups, and follow that up next Wednesday with the defensive side of the ball.
QUARTERBACK
Justin Fields: “He has the best all-around natural set of skills of any quarterback I’ve ever seen,” one source said. “He has a big time arm. He can go over the top with touch down the field. And he can drill it into tight windows on short to intermediate throws. His running ability is special for the position, but it won’t be on full display, as the staff really wants to try and protect him from getting hurt. There will be some zone read and some RPO, but due to lack of proven depth at quarterback, and the back-up [Gunnar Hoak] having a very different style than Justin, the staff just wants to limit the shots he’s going to take in the open field. He doesn’t throw with anticipation anywhere near as well as Dwayne [Haskins]. His footwork is also all over the place, but that is common in young quarterbacks. His football IQ is not on par with Dwayne’s either, but he can make up for that with his athleticism and ability to improvise in ways that Dwayne couldn’t. This whole season hinges on his ability to learn the game, protect himself by calling the proper protections, and being a field general. Nothing else is a concern with him and he will get better as the season goes on.”
“The playbook is a work in progress,” a second source shared. “He feels comfortable with what Coach Day and Coach Yurcich have installed thus far. You will see many more RPO plays this year versus last year, given his natural abilities and strengths. He ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at 228-pounds about a month ago during testing, and he’s only going to get faster working with the strength and conditioning staff at Ohio State. Similar to the way Clemson developed Trevor Lawrence last year, they will open more of the playbook each week, give Justin a little more than he can handle as well to see how far they can push him and what he’s capable of. I think there will be some rough patches in the beginning of the season, as he doesn’t have the game experience, even coming out of high school. People forget he got hurt in both his sophomore and senior seasons. He needs the experience, and you see Coach Day emphasizing that every time he talks about Justin and how he’s progressing. He’s definitely a bit raw, and I think they’ll rely on his athleticism early on to keep teams off balance and play to his strengths. But, once he figures it out, whether it’s game 4 or game 10, he will live up to the hype and all of the rankings and stuff he had coming out of high school.”
Gunnar Hoak: “I still don’t know all that much about him,” a source stated. “But I can see that he is definitely more of a prototypical drop back passer as compared to Fields, so you can’t run the exact same offense as you would with Fields, should he have to go into the game. He’s got a pretty high football IQ and his rhythm and accuracy are strong. He is a better fit for the offense we ran last year, but has nowhere near the upside that Fields has.
RUNNING BACK
Dobbins: “J.K. could run for 2,000 yards this year if he gets the touches,” a source said. “He has gotten quicker and increased his top speed this off-season. Last year he focused too much on being more of a power, punishing type of rusher, as he felt that was missing from his game as a freshman and was asked to take on more of a workhorse back type of role, where he would wear down a defense throughout the game. This year he has been told to return to freshman form, make more people miss and after getting those first four, five yards, take it to the house. This is a style that suits his skill set much better and I think there will be a visible difference when you see him take the field. He knows this is a big year for him, and that barring anything unexpected happening, it’s very likely his last year in Columbus. Having Fields as a legitimate running threat should also help J.K. out a bunch as well, as last year team’s didn’t have to worry about Dwayne running at all. They’ll have to account for the QB as a runner this year, which should help all of the backs out.
Demario McCall: “Demario, I think he’s actually going to have a significant role this year outside of being just a return man,” the source opined. “I know you hear it every year that this will be the year where he gets into the rotation more, but I do think this is really it. Last year, the team up north kept a slow ‘backer to the boundary, away from the strength of the formation, so the staff put Demario in at running back to the boundary against that player and he just ran wheel routes against him because they knew it was a huge mismatch. I wouldn’t be shocked if you see more of that this year and they take advantage of his skill set by creating mismatches out of the backfield and in the slot. I think you’ll also see him involved in the screen game and also in the speed option game on the perimeter when he spells J.K. in the backfield.”
Master Teague: “He is mischaracterized by the media as a power back. Make no mistake, he has plenty of power, but he also has some serious speed. I think he has the potential to be that bell cow type of back after J.K. leaves, and you will see what I’m talking about in flashes this year when he comes in to spell him at times. He is a straight dog, and runs angry. He also has the speed to take it to the house on any snap. Additionally, he does something very well that is key, in being a willing blocker. Do you remember when they used to have either two backs in the game or at times they would bring someone like [Curtis] Samuel in to be used as a blocking running back? You will see some of that with Master because he is good in pass pro and if we call speed QB sweep, he will fly out there and flatten someone as a blocker. His hands are definitely a liability, as he’s not a great pass-catcher yet, but he works as hard as anyone in that locker room, so I’m sure by the time he’s playing full time he will be serviceable in that area.”
Marcus Crowley: “He runs angry,” the same source said. “You can tell he came in with a chip on his shoulder a bit, felt a little disrespected by the lack of attention he got from other college programs and the media. He was the freaking Florida Gatorade Player of the Year, yet he didn’t hold all the offers he felt he should have, nor did he get the media attention he should have. That’s OK though, because it’s a big win for Ohio State. He reminds me of Carlos Hyde a little bit, who was known for running like a man possessed in practice and having to be consistently told to ease up a bit, chill out and not injur any teammates. Crowley doesn’t possess the top end speed, and his acceleration is just average right now, but he will hit you in the mouth and he definitely has potential to be a very good starting running back here.”
WIDE RECEIVER
One source shared thoughts on many in the room:
KJ Hill: “I don’t have to say much because everyone knows who he is by now. But I will say this: He is pissed off that he didn’t get a ton of love from the NFL Draft advisory board and had used that to fuel his off-season. A lot of guys he played alongside are now millionaires and he wants to prove that he belongs up there with them. He is hungry this year and it will show.”
Austin Mack: “People forget that Mack was so good in camp last year that he came out of August as the guy who could be the featured receiver on this team. I’m not sure exactly what happened last year, but he just didn’t look as great early in the year as he did in camp, and I think the struggles he had against TCU got in his head a bit, before he eventually got knocked out for the year with an injury. I think Austin can be second on the team this year in production (behind Hill), and I think he will be the guy we all hoped he’d be last year. He has been humbled a bit and is ready to go out and prove himself on the field.”
Binjimen Victor: “The guy makes you want to pull your [expletive] hair out sometimes. He’s so good. So good, but sometimes you think you’re watching a first year guy with his lack of consistency. He will make a circus catch on a play that leaves you in disbelief (see Penn State last year), but then the next play he’ll make the wrong route conversion and the quarterback will get picked. He has come a long way, but still has some maturing and growing up to do. Have seen him make strides this off-season on that end, though, so I’m hopeful that translates on the field. He’s supremely talented and gifted, and if he makes the step we’re all hoping for, he can be the best receiver on this team and an AJ Green-type of player. If he doesn’t make that step, he’ll end up as a 20 catch, 300-yard receiver, which is far less than what his ceiling is. It’s really a flip of a coin and kind of a ‘seeing is believing’ type of deal.”
Chris Olave: “He’s gained good weight, which he definitely needed to do. I read on another site that he’s not a true speed guy—I saw that and laughed. He has run sub-4.4 in our testing. He also has an abnormally high football IQ for a young receiver. They’ll move him around a bit this year, including in the slot, and use him in a number of different ways. He is the future of the position room and I truly believe he can be a 1,000-yard receiver here next year, along with the next guy I am going to speak about.”
Garrett Wilson: “Freak of nature. He and the ball are like two magnets that come together no matter where it’s thrown or how it comes out. If it’s in his radius, he’s catching it. He catches literally everything, has good wheels, and can jump out of the stadium. If he isn’t an All-American and first round pick after he’s done with his time at Ohio State, than I don’t know anything about the game (barring injury). I am that sure of him.”
A second source on Wilson: “He is a beast. I think he’s the most talented player in that room already. He is going to be a major contributor early and often.”
Jaelen Gill: “He’s explosive and has a similar skill set to Parris Campbell. He may not be as strong as Parris was, but Parris didn’t have as much wiggle as Jaelen does. He’s got nice agility and catches the ball well for a young guy who was primarily a high school running back.”
Jaylen Harris: “Has a lot of potential. I think he will be a top three receiver on next year’s time, but for now he’ll just be a back of the rotation guy, because there’s so much senior depth ahead of him. He’s a big-bodied guy who won’t wow you with speed, but has great ball skills. He can definitely play here.”
TIGHT END
Overall thoughts: “I keep hearing Coach Day talk about how this is a strength for the team, but I’d have to disagree at this point in time,” a source told Buckeye Grove. “[Rashod] Berry is a freak athlete, there’s no denying that. But he’s wildly inconsistent and because of that he can’t be counted on to be the guy. [Luke] Farrell does everything right. He’s a tough guy, he plays hard, he does all the little things. He just lacks elite athleticism and so he is limited to some extent, but very valuable as a blocker. [Jeremy] Ruckert has a lot of mismatch ability. He reminds me of Tyler Eifert a bit, and he will get some opportunities this year where he is isolated with a bunch to the opposite side to force a single coverage mismatch, and we can throw a fade to him in the red-zone. He isn’t a good blocker yet, but isn’t terrible. He wants to do the little things right and has that blue collar mindset and work ethic, which is why he’ll get more and more snaps as he improves throughout the year.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Overall thoughts: “I’m taking everything I’m hearing about competition at all spots with a grain of salt,” a good source told Rivals. “Josh [Myers] is the starting center. Thayer [Munford] is the starting left tackle. Wyatt [Davis] is the starter at right guard. The transfer from Rutgers [Jonah Jackson] has done well so far and I think he’s the guy at left guard. That leaves [Josh] Alabi, Nick Petit[-Frere], and [Branden] Bowen to battle it out for right tackle. My gut tells me Bowen is too inconsistent, and I’d have it as a coin toss between NPF and Alabi, but Bowen does have the experience edge over the other two. My head tells me Alabi is going to be the guy at the end of camp, but we will see what happens. Here at OSU we value experience and seniority on the offensive line and we have historically given guys the nod there, especially at right tackle. This year may not be any different.
“Outside of the starters, Matthew Jones will have a really nice career here, and I think he will be the swing guard should Davis or Jackson go done. He will rep at center in practice too. Since he moved out of the dorms, he’s been a bit lazy, and a bit immature, and that is getting him a trip into the doghouse, which is not where you want to be to start camp. But I think he’ll get through that adjustment and get where he needs to be.
“[Max] Wray and [Ryan] Jacoby could have very bright futures as well and I see both as starters down the road as well. Harry Miller is everything you’ve heard about and more. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him be the back-up center this year. [Dawand] Jones is an absolute monster physically, and I can’t wait to see him with a year of learning technique under his belt. Finally, I’m not sure what is going to happen in regards to a mission trip for Enokk [Vimahi], but he’s got great potential to be an outstanding guard at this level.”
For those of you who do know me and have followed my work elsewhere, thanks for being here---I’m happy to see you all again!
I’m also excited to bring everyone the first edition of “A-Deck”, which will be my weekly column where I provide my thoughts, what I’m hearing, and inside scoop on Ohio State recruiting, as well as some team coverage. We’re releasing the first edition today, as it’s my first day with the site, but this will normally be a feature that runs on Wednesdays, so I hope to see you all on a weekly basis then.
Being that the start of fall camp is tomorrow, I thought it would be appropriate to kick off this feature with some deep insight into the 2019 Buckeyes, courtesy of a number of tied-in sources I’ve spoken to in the last week. These sources were generous enough to share their honest, position-by-position, thoughts on how the players on each side of the ball have looked from January through the summer, and what they expect from them this coming fall.
In the first addition of “A-Deck”, we’ll bring you those thoughts on the offensive position groups, and follow that up next Wednesday with the defensive side of the ball.
QUARTERBACK
Justin Fields: “He has the best all-around natural set of skills of any quarterback I’ve ever seen,” one source said. “He has a big time arm. He can go over the top with touch down the field. And he can drill it into tight windows on short to intermediate throws. His running ability is special for the position, but it won’t be on full display, as the staff really wants to try and protect him from getting hurt. There will be some zone read and some RPO, but due to lack of proven depth at quarterback, and the back-up [Gunnar Hoak] having a very different style than Justin, the staff just wants to limit the shots he’s going to take in the open field. He doesn’t throw with anticipation anywhere near as well as Dwayne [Haskins]. His footwork is also all over the place, but that is common in young quarterbacks. His football IQ is not on par with Dwayne’s either, but he can make up for that with his athleticism and ability to improvise in ways that Dwayne couldn’t. This whole season hinges on his ability to learn the game, protect himself by calling the proper protections, and being a field general. Nothing else is a concern with him and he will get better as the season goes on.”
“The playbook is a work in progress,” a second source shared. “He feels comfortable with what Coach Day and Coach Yurcich have installed thus far. You will see many more RPO plays this year versus last year, given his natural abilities and strengths. He ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at 228-pounds about a month ago during testing, and he’s only going to get faster working with the strength and conditioning staff at Ohio State. Similar to the way Clemson developed Trevor Lawrence last year, they will open more of the playbook each week, give Justin a little more than he can handle as well to see how far they can push him and what he’s capable of. I think there will be some rough patches in the beginning of the season, as he doesn’t have the game experience, even coming out of high school. People forget he got hurt in both his sophomore and senior seasons. He needs the experience, and you see Coach Day emphasizing that every time he talks about Justin and how he’s progressing. He’s definitely a bit raw, and I think they’ll rely on his athleticism early on to keep teams off balance and play to his strengths. But, once he figures it out, whether it’s game 4 or game 10, he will live up to the hype and all of the rankings and stuff he had coming out of high school.”
Gunnar Hoak: “I still don’t know all that much about him,” a source stated. “But I can see that he is definitely more of a prototypical drop back passer as compared to Fields, so you can’t run the exact same offense as you would with Fields, should he have to go into the game. He’s got a pretty high football IQ and his rhythm and accuracy are strong. He is a better fit for the offense we ran last year, but has nowhere near the upside that Fields has.
RUNNING BACK
Dobbins: “J.K. could run for 2,000 yards this year if he gets the touches,” a source said. “He has gotten quicker and increased his top speed this off-season. Last year he focused too much on being more of a power, punishing type of rusher, as he felt that was missing from his game as a freshman and was asked to take on more of a workhorse back type of role, where he would wear down a defense throughout the game. This year he has been told to return to freshman form, make more people miss and after getting those first four, five yards, take it to the house. This is a style that suits his skill set much better and I think there will be a visible difference when you see him take the field. He knows this is a big year for him, and that barring anything unexpected happening, it’s very likely his last year in Columbus. Having Fields as a legitimate running threat should also help J.K. out a bunch as well, as last year team’s didn’t have to worry about Dwayne running at all. They’ll have to account for the QB as a runner this year, which should help all of the backs out.
Demario McCall: “Demario, I think he’s actually going to have a significant role this year outside of being just a return man,” the source opined. “I know you hear it every year that this will be the year where he gets into the rotation more, but I do think this is really it. Last year, the team up north kept a slow ‘backer to the boundary, away from the strength of the formation, so the staff put Demario in at running back to the boundary against that player and he just ran wheel routes against him because they knew it was a huge mismatch. I wouldn’t be shocked if you see more of that this year and they take advantage of his skill set by creating mismatches out of the backfield and in the slot. I think you’ll also see him involved in the screen game and also in the speed option game on the perimeter when he spells J.K. in the backfield.”
Master Teague: “He is mischaracterized by the media as a power back. Make no mistake, he has plenty of power, but he also has some serious speed. I think he has the potential to be that bell cow type of back after J.K. leaves, and you will see what I’m talking about in flashes this year when he comes in to spell him at times. He is a straight dog, and runs angry. He also has the speed to take it to the house on any snap. Additionally, he does something very well that is key, in being a willing blocker. Do you remember when they used to have either two backs in the game or at times they would bring someone like [Curtis] Samuel in to be used as a blocking running back? You will see some of that with Master because he is good in pass pro and if we call speed QB sweep, he will fly out there and flatten someone as a blocker. His hands are definitely a liability, as he’s not a great pass-catcher yet, but he works as hard as anyone in that locker room, so I’m sure by the time he’s playing full time he will be serviceable in that area.”
Marcus Crowley: “He runs angry,” the same source said. “You can tell he came in with a chip on his shoulder a bit, felt a little disrespected by the lack of attention he got from other college programs and the media. He was the freaking Florida Gatorade Player of the Year, yet he didn’t hold all the offers he felt he should have, nor did he get the media attention he should have. That’s OK though, because it’s a big win for Ohio State. He reminds me of Carlos Hyde a little bit, who was known for running like a man possessed in practice and having to be consistently told to ease up a bit, chill out and not injur any teammates. Crowley doesn’t possess the top end speed, and his acceleration is just average right now, but he will hit you in the mouth and he definitely has potential to be a very good starting running back here.”
WIDE RECEIVER
One source shared thoughts on many in the room:
KJ Hill: “I don’t have to say much because everyone knows who he is by now. But I will say this: He is pissed off that he didn’t get a ton of love from the NFL Draft advisory board and had used that to fuel his off-season. A lot of guys he played alongside are now millionaires and he wants to prove that he belongs up there with them. He is hungry this year and it will show.”
Austin Mack: “People forget that Mack was so good in camp last year that he came out of August as the guy who could be the featured receiver on this team. I’m not sure exactly what happened last year, but he just didn’t look as great early in the year as he did in camp, and I think the struggles he had against TCU got in his head a bit, before he eventually got knocked out for the year with an injury. I think Austin can be second on the team this year in production (behind Hill), and I think he will be the guy we all hoped he’d be last year. He has been humbled a bit and is ready to go out and prove himself on the field.”
Binjimen Victor: “The guy makes you want to pull your [expletive] hair out sometimes. He’s so good. So good, but sometimes you think you’re watching a first year guy with his lack of consistency. He will make a circus catch on a play that leaves you in disbelief (see Penn State last year), but then the next play he’ll make the wrong route conversion and the quarterback will get picked. He has come a long way, but still has some maturing and growing up to do. Have seen him make strides this off-season on that end, though, so I’m hopeful that translates on the field. He’s supremely talented and gifted, and if he makes the step we’re all hoping for, he can be the best receiver on this team and an AJ Green-type of player. If he doesn’t make that step, he’ll end up as a 20 catch, 300-yard receiver, which is far less than what his ceiling is. It’s really a flip of a coin and kind of a ‘seeing is believing’ type of deal.”
Chris Olave: “He’s gained good weight, which he definitely needed to do. I read on another site that he’s not a true speed guy—I saw that and laughed. He has run sub-4.4 in our testing. He also has an abnormally high football IQ for a young receiver. They’ll move him around a bit this year, including in the slot, and use him in a number of different ways. He is the future of the position room and I truly believe he can be a 1,000-yard receiver here next year, along with the next guy I am going to speak about.”
Garrett Wilson: “Freak of nature. He and the ball are like two magnets that come together no matter where it’s thrown or how it comes out. If it’s in his radius, he’s catching it. He catches literally everything, has good wheels, and can jump out of the stadium. If he isn’t an All-American and first round pick after he’s done with his time at Ohio State, than I don’t know anything about the game (barring injury). I am that sure of him.”
A second source on Wilson: “He is a beast. I think he’s the most talented player in that room already. He is going to be a major contributor early and often.”
Jaelen Gill: “He’s explosive and has a similar skill set to Parris Campbell. He may not be as strong as Parris was, but Parris didn’t have as much wiggle as Jaelen does. He’s got nice agility and catches the ball well for a young guy who was primarily a high school running back.”
Jaylen Harris: “Has a lot of potential. I think he will be a top three receiver on next year’s time, but for now he’ll just be a back of the rotation guy, because there’s so much senior depth ahead of him. He’s a big-bodied guy who won’t wow you with speed, but has great ball skills. He can definitely play here.”
TIGHT END
Overall thoughts: “I keep hearing Coach Day talk about how this is a strength for the team, but I’d have to disagree at this point in time,” a source told Buckeye Grove. “[Rashod] Berry is a freak athlete, there’s no denying that. But he’s wildly inconsistent and because of that he can’t be counted on to be the guy. [Luke] Farrell does everything right. He’s a tough guy, he plays hard, he does all the little things. He just lacks elite athleticism and so he is limited to some extent, but very valuable as a blocker. [Jeremy] Ruckert has a lot of mismatch ability. He reminds me of Tyler Eifert a bit, and he will get some opportunities this year where he is isolated with a bunch to the opposite side to force a single coverage mismatch, and we can throw a fade to him in the red-zone. He isn’t a good blocker yet, but isn’t terrible. He wants to do the little things right and has that blue collar mindset and work ethic, which is why he’ll get more and more snaps as he improves throughout the year.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Overall thoughts: “I’m taking everything I’m hearing about competition at all spots with a grain of salt,” a good source told Rivals. “Josh [Myers] is the starting center. Thayer [Munford] is the starting left tackle. Wyatt [Davis] is the starter at right guard. The transfer from Rutgers [Jonah Jackson] has done well so far and I think he’s the guy at left guard. That leaves [Josh] Alabi, Nick Petit[-Frere], and [Branden] Bowen to battle it out for right tackle. My gut tells me Bowen is too inconsistent, and I’d have it as a coin toss between NPF and Alabi, but Bowen does have the experience edge over the other two. My head tells me Alabi is going to be the guy at the end of camp, but we will see what happens. Here at OSU we value experience and seniority on the offensive line and we have historically given guys the nod there, especially at right tackle. This year may not be any different.
“Outside of the starters, Matthew Jones will have a really nice career here, and I think he will be the swing guard should Davis or Jackson go done. He will rep at center in practice too. Since he moved out of the dorms, he’s been a bit lazy, and a bit immature, and that is getting him a trip into the doghouse, which is not where you want to be to start camp. But I think he’ll get through that adjustment and get where he needs to be.
“[Max] Wray and [Ryan] Jacoby could have very bright futures as well and I see both as starters down the road as well. Harry Miller is everything you’ve heard about and more. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him be the back-up center this year. [Dawand] Jones is an absolute monster physically, and I can’t wait to see him with a year of learning technique under his belt. Finally, I’m not sure what is going to happen in regards to a mission trip for Enokk [Vimahi], but he’s got great potential to be an outstanding guard at this level.”
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