There's going to be PLENTY of preview content coming your way over the next month or so ahead of Ohio State's spring game. But I just wanted to give you all some quick ideas that are coming up ahead of the Buckeyes' official start of spring practice tomorrow morning. A lot of these will be expounded upon as the offseason rolls along, and some of these may not be the ideas that end up being the "most important" in the long run. But these are the things I'm wondering about in the early stages.
- Which Ohio State linebacker will become Malcolm Rodriguez? — I wrote about this in regards to 2023 LB Tackett Curtis a few weeks ago, but whether it's was with Duke or Oklahoma State, an outside linebacker has been the face of each Jim Knowles defense, known for his versatility and just plain explosiveness. Knowles will need someone in his room to kind of set the tone in that area, whether it's one of the veterans like Steele Chambers or a newcomer like Cade Stover. This player will likely take the Buckeyes where it wants to go in the fall and will represent that defensive shift as a whole.
- Will Ohio State be able to latch onto Jim Knowles' defense that relies so heavily on pressure? Knowles' defense is one that thrives when defensive players aren't thinking. The aggressiveness is something the Ohio State defensive coordinator needs his players to have ingrained in them. It's something Ohio State showed a bit of a year ago, but there was no dominant defensive end, tackle or outside linebacker to be the example of what it means to rush aggressively. Could it be Zach Harrison, looking to boost his draft stock returning for his senior season? Could it be Caden Curry at the LEO or Tyleik Williams in the middle?
- What will the interior of Ohio State's offensive line look like? Will Paris Johnson Jr.'s transition back to tackle be as seamless as we all think it's going to be? — These are kind of in the same vein. Johnson move is a given. It's the position he was recruited to play at the college level, adapting to where the Buckeyes needed him to be to get in the starting five last year. But the fact is that Johnson has not played a snap at tackle in his college career. Yes, he's probably lined up against some of the best defensive ends that Ohio State has had to offer him, but, especially after a Michigan game where Aidan Hutchinson made Nicholas Petit-Frere look like one of those saloon doors, it's not a given that his adjustment will be quick. And with that, how will Matthew Jones and likely Donovan Jackson adapt to full-time work as starting guards inside with center Luke Wypler?
- Who will be that No. 3 wide receiver? Will this be "the year" Julian Fleming's been hoping and waiting for? — There's a moment from last year that doesn't leave my mind. As we're talking with Julian Fleming, I simply asked him what his goals were for the rest of his college career. He went big: first-round draft pick, Biletnikoff Award winner. Fleming doesn't see anything less as an option. For a former No. 1 receiver in the country, that seems feasible. For a receiver that has 12 career catches for 86 yards and a touchdowns for his first two years of college, battling through injuries and All-American receivers in front of him, that seems less feasible. Will Fleming be the one to shine when opposing defensive backs focus on Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr., or will that be a player like Emeka Egbuka?
- Which freshman will be the first to emerge? — Ohio State has another recruiting class filled with talent. Which player will be the first to see the field? Will it be the freshman defensive end Caden Curry, who's already been slotted as a potential option at LEO? Is it CJ Hicks, "Captain Buckeye," who was one of the top-rated linebackers in the country? Time will tell, especially for the early-enrollees, who will be putting their pads on for the first time.
