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Dan Hope and Andy Anders of Eleven Warriors bring you inside the Ohio State beat every Wednesday with a podcast covering everything you need to know about the Buckeyes.
Note: This transcript was AI-generated and has not been edited for errors.
[Dan Hope]
Welcome into Real Pod Wednesdays. I'm Dan Hope. He's Andy Anders.
Ohio State football now almost one week into the start of preseason camp. The Buckeyes opened practice last Thursday, opened up their first four practices to both paying fans as well as members of the media. And so we have had the opportunity to see quite a bit of practice already for the Buckeyes.
We're also back at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Tuesday, following Ohio State's fifth practice of camp, to talk to Chip Kelly and Ohio State's quarterbacks. And so I think we both sit here, Andy, probably feeling like we have a significantly better feel for this team and where it's at than we did just a week ago.
[Andy Anders]
Absolutely. And getting to watch the first four practices of a fall camp is a rare treat, I think, that was opened up by, you know, Ohio State opening those practices up to the fans. And so we as reporters, you know, get a little, got a little more insight, I think, than we normally would at this point.
And I think maybe the most revealing thing for me was Sunday's practice and watching Will Howard take basically all but one of the first team quarterback reps when the team went 11 on 11, seven on seven, even a little in there. And so the one rep he didn't get, Julian saying, threw a pick six to Jermaine Matthews. So there was a, I think there's a little bit now of an eminence happening at that quarterback spot that Will Howard is starting to take control of that, even if Chip Kelly tried to push back some a little bit on it when we talked to him on Tuesday, saying that, hey, don't read too much into the fact that he was like the first teamer the whole time.
He took third team reps today. Like I, I just don't buy it. I think it's clear that Will Howard, despite some criticisms that I've had in the past, he looked better throwing the ball, even in those practices, just to my untrained eye, like more zip as they and Kelly said, more accuracy on the throws and his command, his consistency, all those things.
I think he's clearly emerging as the front runner to start at quarterback for Ohio State, as a lot of us expected him to this off season.
[Dan Hope]
Yeah, I think it's pretty clear that he's more comfortable now than he was in the spring. I mean, he acknowledged that on Tuesday that, you know, he had some struggles. He felt like he was drinking through a fire hose at first when the Buckeyes had their first practices of the spring.
And he's progressively gotten more and more comfortable as he's had more time to learn the offense, as he's built more chemistry with Ohio State's receivers. And I think you see now his experience making a difference in this competition, where he looks like he has the best command of the offense. He looks like he's the one who's most efficient passing the ball, who's most consistently going through his progressions and making the right reads and finding the open receivers and showing that athleticism as well.
I mean, we saw on Saturday when Will Howard, you know, ran for, you know, what maybe could have been an 80 yard touchdown if it wasn't whistled dead. We heard Chip Kelly say on Tuesday that Will Howard has been clocked running at 22 miles per hour. And so this is a guy who offers them that dual threat they've been looking for at quarterback.
Now, you know, I think we still want to keep everything in perspective. Like Will Howard is not CJ Stroud. He's not Justin Fields.
He's not Dwayne Haskins. Like he's not any of those guys. In my opinion, he does not have the same kind of pure passing ability that CJ Stroud and Dwayne Haskins did.
And while he is a good athlete, a good runner, he's not Justin Fields in terms of his overall physical skill set. And so I don't think that Will Howard is going to be the next, you know, first round draft pick quarterback out of Ohio State, barring a, you know, massive jump here in his fifth year senior season. But I'm feeling a lot more confident now than I did a week ago, that he can be good enough that when you put him in an offense with Travion Henderson and Quenshawn Judkins, with Emeka Abuka and Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Innes, that he can be good enough for this team to achieve its goals.
Right.
[Andy Anders]
And that's the point he made on Tuesday, as you guys can listen in to.
[Will Howard]
I think that, you know, the one thing I would say is that I don't feel like I have to be a hero here. And I feel like I have the guys around me to where I just need to facilitate and just get them the ball and make good decisions. And at the end of the day, I don't have to go out there and do anything superhuman.
You know, I just have to be myself and trust the guys around me.
[Andy Anders]
For me, that hit the nail on the head. I tweeted that quote out after he said it. I wrote a story about it.
Like you said, you have all these weapons around you. Freshman phenom, probably the best freshman in the country at out wide. But then you have a guy who's had an 1100-yard season already in college, who's probably going to be your number one target in Emeka Abuka.
And you've got Brandon Innes and Carnell Tate coming into year two, and they've looked really good. So that is all really, I think, the mentality Will needs to have. Game manager is sometimes used as an insult for quarterbacks.
I don't see it as an insult at all here if you say Will Howard just needs to be a game manager this year. Because that's what he said, and it's what I think you just need when you have a defense this talented, when you have these many weapons around you. That's all you need to do is manage the game.
Don't turn the ball over. Get those guys the ball in space and let them go make plays. And then he'll have the ability to make plays himself, as you referenced.
With the running speed, and there's a lot of stress that that puts on the defense.
[Dan Hope]
Yeah, and Chip Kelly talked more about Will Howard's running ability on Tuesday as well, and we'll play that clip for you.
[Chip Kelly]
When I talk to Jimmy Knowles, we spend a lot of time with our defensive staff. They do a great job of what hurts you and really what don't you want to see. But when you have somebody that can be a dual threat, that's a really tough thing to defend sometimes.
Because, all right, we're going to play two-man and lock up these receivers and double their two best receivers and go. Well, if they've all turned their back to the quarterback and the four-man rush doesn't get home and the quarterback now takes off, there's nobody left. I think, obviously, we know how fast Will is, so it's not like if he runs, it's a six-yard game.
If he takes off, it could be a six-yard game.
[Dan Hope]
Yeah, we know just from Chip Kelly's history that the quarterback run game is probably going to be a much bigger part of this offense this year than it's been the last few years. Both Ryan Day and Chip Kelly have said repeatedly it needs to be a part of our offense this year. That's a big reason why they brought in Will in the beginning.
I think they truly believe that any of their five quarterbacks could bring that element to the table. But it does feel to me like Will Howard is doing the things he needs to do to put himself in strong position to be that starting quarterback and potentially end this starting quarterback competition sooner than later. Because like you, I do not buy the coach speak from Chip Kelly that we shouldn't read into the reps at all.
Again, you can only put so much stock in one practice. But I think fairly consistently, I'd say the first day of practice, Will still struggled. But practices two through four, he was the best quarterback out there.
He was the guy getting most of the reps. And like you said, it's been the expectation all along that Will, it was going to be his job to lose. So we're not exactly saying anything groundbreaking here by saying that Will Howard has emerged as the frontrunner in the starting quarterback competition.
That was always the expectation. I think we both agreed in the spring that Devin Brown looked better than Will Howard. But I think in the first four days of preseason camp, that was not the case.
I think Devin still has that best deep ball throwing ability on the team. I still have questions about Will in that area. I think practice two, I'd say on Friday, we saw him throw a couple really nice deep balls.
Didn't do a whole lot of that the next couple days. So I'm still not quite sure what Will can be as a deep passer. I think that's still a question mark.
But I think in the short to intermediate game, he was much more efficient than the other quarterbacks. Over the totality of those four practices. And to your point, Andy, obviously the quarterback has to be able to go up there and make plays to win games.
But when you have a group this talented, it's also important you have a quarterback who's not going to lose you games. Who's not going to make costly mistakes that can swing the game the other direction. And I think that's an area where Will's going to have the advantage in the sense that he has that experience.
And he's probably going to be the guy they trust the most to go out there and not turn the ball over.
[Andy Anders]
Right. And I think the first series against Michigan last year comes to mind for a lot of Ohio State fans when you make that point. Not making mistakes is a part of this.
And not to say that Will's going to be the perfect quarterback. Not to say that there won't be turnovers. But less of them is always better.
And I think, too, you can see his experience play out in some of the strengths that he has. And I think in particular, his pocket presence has been pretty impressive. Watching how he can manipulate and kind of just subtle slides, subtle steps to avoid the rush and get a throw off.
Those are little things you learn with reps and with experience at the quarterback position. Now in the spring, I think one thing I didn't give enough credence to was the adjustment period. Because Chip Kelly kind of said it on Tuesday in a couple different spots of both in terms of Will's arm strength and his accuracy.
Those are two things impacted by a quarterback not having enough knowledge of the scheme that he's in. Not understanding exactly what the reads are on a play. Or at least maybe you understand it, but you're not confident in it.
Those sorts of things. And I think it was a good point that Chip made. Because even when I asked a question like, Will has looked a lot better accuracy-wise these last few practices that we've seen.
I asked how much of that is timing and chemistry with receivers. And then how much of that is like a mechanical thing maybe that he worked on. And Chip basically said neither.
Didn't use that word, but it kind of was the implication. Because what he said was exactly that. Knowledge, I think, is the other thing that you have to factor in.
And now that he is no longer drinking from a fire hose. Now that he has learned of the offense. I think we're seeing more confidence.
And confidence is so key to this kind of a thing. So that is progression I think that Ohio State fans should be excited about for Will Howard. Still a long way to go.
Still improvements to make. And definitely the deep ball is still a concern that I have too. But I think he's definitely taken noticeable strides this first week.
And if nothing else, he again emerges the frontrunner for that job.
[Dan Hope]
Another player who I think has emerged as a frontrunner to start over the first week of camp is Sonny Stiles. And this was one I think we were kind of less sure on going into preseason camp. Of who was the frontrunner between Sonny Stiles and C.J. Hicks. But for all four practices that we were out there, Sonny took the majority of the reps along with the 10 other guys who were going to be starters on Ohio State's defense. And so it certainly feels like he's the frontrunner. Now that's not exactly what Jim Knowles said when he was asked about it on Friday.
He said that those guys are neck and neck. But I personally was really impressed by Sonny Stiles watching him in those first four practices. Maybe as much as any player out there.
Because he looks very natural at that linebacker role. I think what struck out to me was seeing how good he looked coming downhill and playing the run. Because you expect you move a guy who's been a safety to linebacker.
You expect coverage is going to be a strength. But he did not look out of place coming downhill, making run fits, making tackles around the line of scrimmage. And I think if he's got that paired with his athleticism, the coverage ability we know he has, I think he has all the tools to be an elite will linebacker in Ohio State's defense.
[Andy Anders]
Yeah, Sonny, again, like you said, the run fits, to me, I think it does make a little sense in my head. Because to me, Sonny's best plays came in the box last year. And that's why both of us agreed that the move to linebacker made a lot of sense.
Because he struggled in kind of those open field spaces. Quarterback scrambles, and you've got to take them down in open space. We saw some struggles in that against Missouri.
Covering some of the deep shots down the field. Covering slot receivers when he played the nickel. The things he struggled with, I think, were more toward that open field deep safety side of things.
And he made a lot of his best plays in the box. Had a really good tackle number for the amount of snaps he played. Made a couple sacks.
These kinds of things. And so, to me, that's why the move to linebacker made sense. But to your point, to see him acclimate to it so quickly and learn the position and how the run fits work at will linebacker.
How you factor into the scheme, what your role is. That was the thing that you think, okay, Sonny could be great at this, but it might take some time to adjust. And just how quickly he's picked it up is the most startling thing to me in all of this.
Because it's not easy. But I think it shows the talent that Sonny has. And clearly the football knowledge to pick up on the scheme that quickly.
[Dan Hope]
Now, the question then becomes with that, if Sonny Stiles is the starting will linebacker, will we see C.J. Hicks play a role in this defense this year? Because Ohio State fans have been waiting, going on three years now, to see C.J. Hicks play a significant role in this defense. And I think, to some degree, that's just kind of to be seen.
Because we haven't seen a ton of rotation at linebacker in Jim Knowles' first years on the staff. But he said last week that he does plan to use more free linebacker packages this year to get both C.J. and Sonny on the field.
[Jim Knowles]
The 4-2 scheme, I think they're both neck and neck right now. We've got to continue to look at and create more ways to get all three of them on the field. Take the nickel out.
I think our depth at nickel concerns me. Hopefully, Lorenzo has been hurt. He's coming back.
Hopefully, he'll feel that. Right now, behind Jordan, everybody's kind of taking shots. Jermaine's taking some shots.
Denzel's taking some shots. Everybody's learning the position. But Sonny, if you remember the plan initially last year, was playing that nickel, Sam.
Until Latham got hurt and we had to move him back. I feel like we can get all three of them in the game a significant amount.
[Andy Anders]
There were some interesting concepts with C.J. Hicks that I think I saw during practices that we got to watch. I think the 4-3 is definitely a defense that Ohio State's going to deploy more of this year. In particular, because Sonny has that experience at safety.
Where I said, pass coverage was something of a weakness down the field covering a slot receiver last year. I think if you take that same skill set and he's guarding a tight end or a running back, it's a huge strength. You pair that body with that much speed and Sonny's so big and physical against a tight end, I think he could lock most tight ends in college football up man-to-man.
Then you have C.J. who's got this speed rusher skill set off the edge. You could play him at the end of the line of scrimmage and do some pretty unique things with that. Against some of the heavier fronts you're going to see in the Big Ten, the 4-3 obviously is something to deploy.
We've seen it in the past with Jim Knowles. I think that's how you get all of them on the field, especially when you're playing those heavier packages. 12th personnel, things of that nature.
That's when you have the ability. Not to take Jordan Hancock off the field too much, because Jordan Hancock's a really good player and a fantastic nickel. I think as he showed through the last three quarters of last season.
It's definitely a chess piece that you have when you've got two five-star prospects battling to start at that linebacker spot.
[Dan Hope]
I think probably the biggest position battle that's still lingering a week into camp is at that right guard position. We know how important it's going to be for Ohio State's offensive line to improve this year. Still, one big question to be answered there in terms of who's going to be that starting right guard in between Seth McLaughlin and Josh Fryer.
They both certainly seem to be solidified starters now. We haven't seen anybody other than Josh Fryer take a first-team rep at right tackle. We did see Seth move over at one point to play a little bit of guard during Sunday's practice.
For the most part, he's been in there at that first-team center. Carson Hinsman's gotten a few reps in there with the first-team offensive line as well. Even Luke Montgomery is mixed in at center for some reps.
It does feel like Seth McLaughlin's very close to locking up that starting center job. The question now is really at that right guard spot between Carson Hinsman and Tegra Shabolla. When we talked last week, we felt like maybe Carson's trending toward being that front-runner at that right guard spot.
But we've said all along, we felt like Tegra Shabolla had a lot of upside there. I think we've seen that in these first four days of practice. He's looked like his body's better than it's ever been before.
He's explosive. He's powerful. I think there's a definite possibility that Tegra Shabolla can win this starting job based on what we've seen so far.
I don't think this one is settled yet in any way. Maybe this one plays out a little bit longer. Ryan Day, when he was talking about Tegra Shabolla on the first day of camp, had a lot of very positive things to say about Tegra.
Talking up his potential, the ability that he has. But saying that they want to see it consistently in preseason camp. Maybe it takes a little bit longer to play out because they really want to see between Tegra and Carson who can be the most consistent guy at that spot.
I think they're both still in the mix. But I do feel like Tegra Shabolla, with what we've seen from him so far in camp, is certainly making a push for that starting job.
[Andy Anders]
To me, I think in general it's hard to judge offensive linemen and really mark down those things before you hit full contact. As Ohio State started to do at the end of the practices that we watched, but probably not full 100% yet. The lineup, obviously, that you mentioned that we saw with Luke at center and Seth at right guard and then Austin Sarabel at left guard.
Because Donovan Jackson was kind of mixing in some rest on Sunday. One of those guys with a lot of reps on his body in his college career. And I think the staff is taking certain precautions with those kinds of players.
As we've seen some of that mix in, I think there's some signs and definitely, especially in the pass rush one-on-ones, you can point to. But it's going to be a matter of getting the pads on and seeing how those guys hit and seeing how all of that goes fully. Before you can make a determination on right guard.
I've said it in the past though, this is something you want to settle as quickly as possible. Because offensive line chemistry, it's the most important position in football to establish chemistry at. To establish five guys who are just in lockstep with each other and know when to pass off a block.
Know the timing when to climb to the second level on a running play. Know exactly what their roles are in blitz pickup on a pass play. It's such an important position to develop that, again, chemistry at.
So figure it out quickly. And yeah, Tegra Shabulla has really stood out to me though. His physique, as you mentioned.
And the offensive line as a whole, I think, has looked pretty slimmed down. Josh Fryer, another one that looks different physically than he did, I think, in the spring. Especially dating back to last year.
So the offensive line, and this is something Chip Kelly pointed out. Clearly put in a lot of the work in the summer to try and change their bodies. I think there's a concerted effort there to improve on some of the lapses we saw last year.
Especially in that Cotton Bowl. Especially in certain other games. And try to take what was the team's main weakness last year.
And turn it into a place where, again, with the talent around it. It's a national title caliber. So that's, I think, going to be one of the main storylines to watch.
As we've referenced going into the season. And settling that right guard competition quickly. Whether it's Tegra, whether it's Carson Hinsman.
Who kind of seemed like the frontrunner coming out of big team media days. But now it seems like Tegra's gotten most of the reps. Obviously Carson was out the first practice.
Seeing how that unfolds is, I think, the main thing I have my eyes locked on now. As fall camp progresses. Since quarterback seems kind of on the road to being settled.
[Dan Hope]
Yeah, it was nice getting to watch some of those initial padded practices. And seeing the offensive lineman, defensive lineman. Going head to head in one-on-ones.
I thought Josh Simmons looked really good in what we saw from those practices. I saw him several times win reps against Jack Sawyer and JT Tuomoloau. Who are two tough guys to block.
So if you're doing that, you're doing something right. I thought Seth McLaughlin looked really good in those one-on-ones. Just really does a great job of anchoring well.
And getting his hands on guys. And keeping them out of the pocket. So I think he's been impressive.
You can see why they brought him in. Again, Josh Fryer's a guy who I think has had a pretty good start to camp. Maybe not quite at the level of Simmons.
But I think you can see the progression from him. And certainly him looking better physically than he did last year. So I'm kind of in the same boat with the offensive line where I was at quarterback.
Where I come out of this first week feeling better about the offensive line. Than I did a week ago. I still don't feel great.
Nothing to worry about. All questions answered. Guaranteed national title.
It's still going to be a question mark. Until they actually get out there on the field and play games. Frankly, it's going to be a question mark until the fifth or sixth game of the season.
Because those first three or four games are not going to test this offensive line very much. So I think really until they play Iowa and Oregon in October. We're really not going to know a whole lot about this offensive line.
But based on what we've seen in preseason camp. We talked about it last week. The big thing you wanted to see from Will Howard.
From his offensive line. From his offense as a whole. Was that they could be competitive with Ohio State's defense.
I think we'd both agree. That over the course of those four practices. Ohio State's defense still won more than it didn't.
I think the defense was still the better unit of the two. But it should be. Because it's a defense that was a top three unit last year.
And on paper has only gotten better since last year. And so this should be the best defense in the country. It should be the strength of a team.
It should be hard for Ohio State's offense. To move the ball against that defense in practice. But I think we've seen both the offensive line.
And Will Howard do well enough against that defense. While using the great weapons they have around them. To feel like this offense is making strides.
That will the quarterback and offensive line play. Be to the point where this can be a truly elite. Top offense in the country kind of unit.
I don't know. But can it be good enough to paired with that defense. For this to potentially be a national championship team.
I think there's a lot of reason for optimism there.
[Andy Anders]
I'd agree. And I think outside of offensive line. The only other position battle that's really still ongoing.
Still feels up in the air is Punter. And to that end. Nick McLarty has.
I think he's been. He's shown both the absolute upside of his massive leg. Being 6'7", 255.
And having that Aussie rules football background. That so many great punters have come from. And he's also shown the downside.
Because you see him boot a ball literally 80 yards. Into the corner of the field. One snap.
And then another. Because he has such a powerful leg. His miss hits are also very big.
And he shanks one. And so. Really.
That battle seems to kind of be developing between him and Anthony. The walk on Buffalo transfer. Ohio State brought in this year.
And I think the Aries look more consistent. Like you're going to. It feels like every punt.
You're going to get a 40 something yard or out of the dairy. But McLarty at his best is. He's just got that massive leg.
And he can boot it so far down the field. But again, it's that consistency. And that if McLarty develops that consistency.
I think it's a settled thing. And this is who you go with. But the nary being the more reliable guy.
McLarty being a freshman. We'll see if it gets there. And Nick will have.
Ideally a few more years at Ohio State. To be the guy. If the nary ends up taking it from them this year.
But you know. It's just interesting to see. Because you didn't really think about it before with a punter.
Like why would having a big leg be a downside? Well because if it's just a centimeter off your foot. And you're booting it with more power than the other guy.
He can miss hit it the same amount. But it's not going to be as exaggerated a shank. As the guy with the more powerful leg.
So developing that consistency is what's key for Nick McLarty. And if he does. I think he ends up being Ohio State's punter this fall.
[Dan Hope]
Yeah ultimately reliability and consistency. Is the most important thing for a punter. Like having you know a 70-yard field flipping punt is great.
But if you don't know what you're going to get. Every time that punter is going to go out there. That's going to be a problem.
So I think you know. I think right now. At least it was me.
Like based on what we've seen. If you were picking a punter to go punt in a game today. For Ohio State.
It would be Anthony Vinary. Because he's proven he can do it for two years in college. He's been if nothing else.
Steady in practice. You know looking solid each day. And so I think right now.
Like he would be the guy. Just based on the consistency he's shown. If Nick McLarty can get there.
Over the next three weeks. Then you certainly have reason to consider going with him. Because of how strong his leg is.
Because of the fact he's your only scholarship punter. But he has to prove that he can be a guy. You can consistently rely on.
Before you're going to put him out there. Well I do wonder too. Like you know.
You don't see this a ton. But like. Could there be a scenario where.
You know Anthony Vinary is your top punter. But you throw Nick McLarty out there once in a while. As kind of a situational punter.
Like you're backed up. And you really need to flip the field. Do you throw him out there.
Just to uncork one once in a while. You don't see that a ton. At punter.
But I could see. You know with his unique skill set. There potentially being.
A scenario where. Anthony Vinary would be your. Regular punter.
But you bring Nick McLarty on every once in a while. Because of. What a big leg he has.
[Andy Anders]
Platooning quarterbacks you've heard of. But platooning punters folks. What a.
That seems like a. Honestly a suggestion that makes sense. But.
I'm not. Obviously we don't really know where Ohio State's coaching staff stands. In that.
In some of that regard. And you know. You pointed it out Dan.
And it really. I think until you said something. Hadn't.
Kind of struck me that. One position battle. We hadn't considered previously.
That might be. Becoming a thing in a fall camp. Very subtly is tied in.
Because I think. Jelani Thurman and will cast Merrick have had some great days. That we've watched.
And have worked in plenty with. A lot of different groups. With the offense.
Could they make this a position battle with G Scott. Junior G Scott's been in the program so long. And.
Don. You know. Obviously emerges a real leader in the locker room.
Especially this offseason. But in the past too. Could will cast Merrick and Jelani Thurman challenge him.
Is kind of a question that you start. Start popping into your mind. When you consider.
What the last few practices. What we've seen in the last few practices. And you know.
I go back. And I think you know. I've seen will cast Merrick.
And Jelani Thurman have plenty of big catches. I've seen G get some targets. Make a catch or two.
But to me. If I knew nothing about the three of them. And you said.
Told me. Hey go out there. And who's the starting tight end from these practices.
I would probably point to will or Jelani right now. So it's been interesting to see. Maybe there's a subtle battle going on there.
Or maybe like you said with the punters. Maybe one of those guys could make an argument. To be used situationally.
[Dan Hope]
Well I think multiple guys are going to be used at that position. No matter what. I mean we know that you know.
Ohio State likes using a chair of two tight end sets. I don't think that's going to change with Kelly. And so I think you know.
There's going to be roles regardless. For at least two of those guys. Probably three of those guys.
To some degree. And you know. Tight end's a position.
You know we've kind of seen it. Both tight end and wide receiver. But you can't really get a clear pecking order.
Based on practice. Because they've just kind of rolled those guys. Between units.
I mean I think we've seen Bennett Christian in there. After first team. We've seen Patrick Gurdon there.
After first team. So they're getting lots of guys. Reps there at tight end.
There really hasn't been any clear pecking order. Based on what we've seen in practice. But you know.
To the larger point. I don't. You know.
I don't know that G. Scott ever necessarily had the starting tight end job. Locked up.
Like I think that. You know. The way that.
Ryan Day. Talked about him in the spring. Suggested that he was the leader in the clubhouse.
To be that guy. But I think. The door is still open.
For Wolcast Marek. And Jelani Furman. To push for that job.
And I do think. You know. Will's another guy.
You know. Again. We talked about it.
Will Howard. Another guy. I think.
As. A transfer coming in. Where you're seeing more out of him now.
In preseason camp. Than maybe we did in the spring. Now that he's gotten more acclimated to the offense.
And he might be the best blocker of that group. Which is a really important thing. For a tight end in Ohio State's offense.
And so. I think that. You know.
There's certainly. A path for Will. To end up becoming the starter.
At tight end. Or at least play a major role. At tight end this year.
And then. Jelani Furman's a guy. I mean.
You know. I think we both. Agree that he has.
The highest upside. Of that group of tight ends. With just what he can be.
As a playmaker. In the passing game. And we've seen him.
Flash back. I think. You know.
Again. You talk about it. You know.
Until they're really going full pads. Full contact. You know.
How well can you really evaluate. Like a tight end. As a blocker.
I think that's kind of hard. But. I think we've seen.
The flashes from him. As a receiving weapon. To where.
He's certainly a guy. You've got to think about. At least carving a role.
Out for this year.
[Andy Anders]
I'd agree. And you know. To me.
Jelani has. Like you said. The highest ceiling.
Of the room. And how. How quickly.
Can he reach that ceiling. At such a developmental position. You know.
If he becomes. The receiving threat. That we feel he can be.
Then he might have to. Get more reps. Than was expected.
This year. And kind of. Emerge.
From those two. From those two veterans. Of course.
He's got time. Because they have. Wilcox Merrick.
And G. Scott Jr. If he doesn't get it all. Figured out this year.
But you'd like to see him evolve. Into a weapon. In the offense.
Or any one of these tight ends. Really. Get involved.
With. The receivers. Who as we kind of move on.
From the position battles here. I think have been. Among the biggest standouts.
Jeremiah Smith. I mean. What more can we say.
About the guy. I'm on record. I think.
On this podcast. Multiple times already. Saying.
I think he gets a thousand yards. This year. And.
I am. I have never been more sure. Of that opinion.
Than I am right now. I think he's going to be. The number two receiver.
Behind Emeka. Buka. And he certainly.
Looked like it. Well. We haven't really seen.
Much of Emeka. These first. Handful of practices.
In general. But you know. Emeka is going to be.
The number one receiver. For this team. Jeremiah Smith though.
I mean. Every practice. He does something.
Eye-catching. To the point. It's just not even like.
That big of a deal. Anymore. It's like.
You see him. Make some. Moss.
Go up. And moss. Some guy.
On a 40-yard. Deep ball. And it's like.
Yeah. It's Jeremiah. You know.
It's kind of like. How Marvin was. The last two years.
He was here. Where you just say. Yeah.
That's Marvin. And then. You know.
It's kind of. Like. That thing again.
And even. I think what. Is underrated.
About him too. Is he's great. Catching the ball.
In space. On a. On a screen.
And making people miss. And go on a run. We saw him.
We've seen him do that. A couple times. In practice.
You know. But Brandon Ennis. Has looked awesome.
To me too. Cornell Tate. Has made a couple.
Really nice catches. Like. The entire receiving core.
Outside of Emeka. Who again. Has really not.
Gotten. That. All the reps.
You know. He's kind of. Again.
One of those veteran guys. That they're kind of managing. But you still expect him.
To be the number one weapon. In the receiving game. For this offense.
Those three. Those younger guys. Who are in year one.
Or two. Have really. Stepped up.
And done what we expected. And emerged as. It's going to be that.
Four man rotation. At the top. Of Ohio State's receiver unit.
This year.
[Dan Hope]
It's crazy to say. You lose Marvin Harrison. Junior.
And yet it feels like. This receiving core. Is just going to be.
As good as ever. Because I think. All three of those guys.
Have the potential. To be breakout stars. And then you pair them.
With Emeka Ibuka. Who should be one of the best receivers. In the country.
And you just feel like. You have. No worries.
About this receiving core. Even though you really. Only have one guy.
In there. That's played a lot. Because.
Jeremiah. Carnell. Brandon.
They've all looked great. You know. There's still a little bit.
Of a depth question. Behind those guys. But I think.
Jaden Bowerd. Has had a good start. To camp as well.
I like what we've seen. From him. You know.
Bryson Rogers. Has looked pretty good. Out there.
And I haven't seen a ton. From Mylon Graham yet. But this is a guy.
Who's just gone through. His first five practices. As a Buckeye.
So you don't necessarily. Expect a lot. From Mylon.
Even though he's a five star. Recruit as a freshman. But.
You know. I think that. Top four.
Is really. Really. Really good.
I think it's going to be. Hard for anybody else. To really break into.
That rotation. Consistently. But it does feel like.
They have a couple decent. Depth options there. And Jaden Bowerd.
And Bryson Rogers. To round out. That two deep.
Behind a quartet. That I do think. Certainly has the potential.
To be the best. In the country. This season.
Kind of a similar equation. At running back. Where.
You know. We expect. The top two.
Travion Henderson. And Quinchon Judkins. To be the best.
Running back tandem. In the country. The depth behind them.
Is more suspect. But. I really like.
What we've seen. From both. Sam Williams.
Dixon. And James Peoples. So far.
In preseason camp. I thought they had. Good springs.
And I thought. I think they've looked. Even better.
So far. In camp. And so.
I feel pretty good. About. You know.
Those guys. Ability to play this year. Now.
You know. You're still in that spot. Where it's like.
You really don't want to see. Ivor Trey. Or Quinchon go down.
Because if that happens. You're going to have. To lean.
Heavily. On. At least one of those.
Freshmen. And that's. Never the most comforting.
Thing. But. Based on what we've seen.
From them. I think both. Those guys.
Have the potential. To be dynamic. Running backs.
For Ohio State. You know. I think Peoples has looked.
You know. Really good. You know.
Just in that. In that running game. You know.
Finding holes. In between the tackles. You know.
You know. Showing some. You know.
Cutting ability. That's really good. For his size.
You know. I really like. You know.
His. Upside. Whether it's.
Whether they need him this year. Or whether we're just talking. Long term.
For the future. I really like. What we've seen from him.
As a running back. You know. Sam William Dixon's a guy.
That you know. Really catches my eye. A lot.
Out there. He. I think he looks.
Really good. In that. Receiver.
Out of the backfield. Kind of a role. Which was what was expected.
When they were recruiting him. But. I think that's a guy.
I think a lot of people. Probably. Kind of have him tabbed.
As a. You know. Red shirt.
Kind of guy. Because he's a free star. Recruit coming in.
But I'm not so sure. That's going to be the case. One.
Because they just don't have that much depth. At running back. But two.
I think he's a guy. That you know. Can be a weapon for them.
Maybe not so much this year. As long as Travion and Quenshawn stay healthy. But I think his ability.
He might already be the best. Receiver. Out of the backfield.
In that room. And so I'm. Eager to see.
What he can become. Over the course of his career. In that role.
Because I really like. What we've seen from him. In that capacity.
So far in camp.
[Andy Anders]
Yeah. And I'll be honest. I think.
Running the ball. He's been a pleasant surprise. For me.
He has good vision. And he's really shifty. And I think that.
It's always a great combo. To have it running back. He's going to have to put on.
Some weight to be. You know. A ball carrier.
In the future. But you know. That's down the road.
You hopefully don't have to call on him. This season. But I do think.
From what we've seen. In practice. It feels like Ohio State.
Found a gem here. A guy who maybe. Should have been.
Looked at. More highly. By.
The recruiting services. And you know. Sam William Dixon.
To me has been. One of the biggest surprises. This preseason camp.
Not a surprise. The secondary. Looks awesome.
I think that. We both expected. Denzel.
Burke. Davidson. Ignosin.
Jordan. Hancock. Latham.
Ransom. And then. Caleb Downs.
Coming in. To build upon. What was the number one.
Past defense. In college football. Already last year.
And you. Again. You add the number one.
Transfer in college football. At 100. Tackles.
And two interceptions. In the SEC. As a freshman.
With Caleb Downs. To that. It's.
We expected it to be awesome. They've looked awesome. In camp.
But I think what stood out. Is the depth pieces. You know.
We've talked about that. At other positions. But.
Jermaine Matthews. Junior. Is really.
Really good man. I. He'd start.
For 95 percent. Of college football teams. I think.
And. Might be higher. Might be higher.
Might be 99 percent. The. Might be all but one.
Frankly. And. But we've talked about.
How good Jeremiah Smith is. I think he's the only guy. I've seen get a PBU.
Against Jeremiah Smith. He. He was covering him.
Out of the nickel. Which is. A good development.
You know. Ohio State. You heard Jim Knowles.
Speak about. Some concerns at nickel. And I was surprised.
When he said that. Because you know. Lorenzo Stiles.
Has been limited. He's coming back. And you have Jermaine there.
Who I thought. Looked really good. When he played nickel.
Those first few practices. He had the pick six. Against Julian Sanigan.
Out of the nickel. And so. He has looked.
Phenomenal. These first handful. Of practices.
And then Calvin Simpson Hunt. Had an amazing Friday. Multiple path breakups.
And had an interception. On Sunday too. So.
The depth. That corner. Is insane.
I think. Not only is it. The best top end.
Cornerback room. In the country. It's probably the deepest.
Cornerback room. In the country too. When you consider.
Jermaine Matthews Jr. And what we've seen. From Calvin Simpson Hunt. At that position.
So. It just. You can't beam enough.
About this secondary. And they've shown. Why.
They're so vaunted. In these. First handful.
Of fall practices.
[Dan Hope]
Yeah. I mean. They're absolutely loaded.
At cornerback. We've talked about that a lot. All offseason.
You know. I think. You know.
Safety too. We've seen some of the depth. Show up there.
Particularly Jalen McClain. I mean. As a guy who had.
You know. Good spring. Really good spring game.
We've seen him make a lot of plays. Over those first four practices. So.
You know. Is he a guy. That forces his way.
On to that safety. Too deep. We've seen.
You know. Malik Hartford. Take his share.
Of first team reps. At safety. As they've.
You know. Kind of limited. Caleb Downs.
To. You know. Keep.
Keep him healthy. In some of those. Team drill sessions.
And so. I think safety depth. Is still.
A question mark. For this team. But.
You know. If a guy like Jalen McClain. You know.
Really popping a lot. In practice. I think that makes you feel.
Better. About. You know.
What you have there. At that position. Behind.
You know. The excellent duo. Of Caleb.
Downs. And Leif. And Ransom.
Another position. Where I don't think we. Have any questions.
About the depth. Is on the defensive line. And I think.
That's another thing. That's really stood out. So far.
In practice. You know. We know.
Jack Sawyer. JT Tuamolo. Tyleek Williams.
Ty Hamilton. That's an elite quartet. And all four of them.
Have looked good out there. But. You know.
Seeing a guy like Mitchell Melton. Who. We both agree.
Had a really good spring. I think he's. Off to another really good start.
In preseason camp. You just see. His skill as a pass rusher.
You know. His. You know.
Quickness. And ability to use his hands. To.
You know. Beat blockers. Off the line of scrimmage.
You know. He's a guy. Who continues to make the case.
That even with. Jack Sawyer. JT Tuamolo.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. And Kaden Curry. That. He should have a role.
In that defensive end rotation. This year. And.
You know. That's not to say. That.
You know. The other guys don't. Cause.
You know. I think Kenyatta Jackson Jr. Is another guy. That I think.
You know. For you in particular Andy. You know.
Really caught your eye. And I think. You know.
On the inside as well. I think. You know.
Kaden McDonald. Jim Knowles. Described him on Friday.
As a guy. You gotta keep your eye on. And.
He. Has certainly. Flashed to me.
In the first week of camp. Jason Moore. Another guy.
Who. You know. We heard Larry Johnson.
Call him the ideal. Free technique. In the spring.
And I think. You know. He's showing some of that ability.
In camp. And so. I think.
You know. That. Secondary in the defensive line.
It's kind of like. They're kind of competing for. What's the deepest unit on this team.
Because I think. Ohio State is loaded with talent. Both of those position groups.
[Andy Anders]
Yeah. Kenyatta. You talked about.
You know. Him catching my eye. He had a really nice.
Spin move. And pass rush. One on one.
To win one rep. And then. Just a straight speed rush.
Against I believe it was. Zydmuchalski. To win another.
Just right around the edge. Really. Hardly got a hand on him there.
And so. Kenyatta. Just like that.
Cornerback position. You have such luxuries. In terms of your depth.
And who. Guys coming off the bench. Who can.
You know. Relieve. And.
I think we are going to see. Ohio State play more depth. This year.
Both because of the talent. That's there. And because.
Again. They want to save those bodies. For a 16 game.
Playoff run. And it's starting to feel like. They have depth.
At all three levels. Of the defense. Because the backup.
Linebackers. Another position. That I think stood out.
To both of us. During these practices. Arvell Reese.
Looks great. Playing. Especially in coverage.
I think. He made some. Nice plays there.
But. Also fitting in the run. And he's developing it.
Linebacker. Gabe Howard. Had his nose around the football.
A lot. These first few practices. Whether.
You know. Especially on the ground. And getting in the backfield.
Even on some plays. Just. Kind of around the football.
And making things happen. And we've heard a lot about. Jim Knowles saying.
That he's one of the less. Heralded guys. Who made a lot of strides.
Last year. Behind the scenes. And.
He's probably not going to have. A significant role. In the defense.
This year. Unless they really want to roll. That Mike spot.
Because he's. He is the second Mike. I think.
Behind Cody Simon. Pretty. Assuredly.
Now. He's not going to have. Maybe a huge role.
This year. But even for next year. You just like seeing.
That signs of growth. From both him. And Arvell.
At that linebacker spot.
[Dan Hope]
I think Gabe Powers. Is the second Mike. But then you see some of the things.
Arvell Reece does. And it's like man. It's hard to keep this guy.
Off the two deep. Like you know. Can you find a role.
For this guy. You know. He's a guy.
That I think. You know. In particular.
You know. Like you said. In the passing game.
Whether it's. Dropping back in the coverage. Or you know.
Blitzen as a pass rusher. I think he has. A lot of upside.
Maybe more realistically. Maybe he's a year away. From playing a major role.
In the defense. But you know. I really like.
The upside. I see from him. And like you said.
I think Gabe Powers. Has looked good. In practice as well.
So yeah. I mean I think. You know.
The defense. Has been what we've. Thought it would be.
So far in camp. Which is to say. That it's really good.
The offense is of course. Where we have more question marks. About this team.
Going into the 2024 season. But I think. All in all.
With what we've seen so far. From Will Howard. With what we've seen so far.
From the offensive line. You know. There's a lot of reason.
To feel. Optimistic. About where this team.
Is at. And you know. Quite honestly.
If Ohio State. Didn't feel ready. About where it was at.
Right now. I don't think they're. Letting media in.
To watch. Four full practices. Like I think.
Even just the fact. That they're opening up. You know.
More practices. Than they almost. Ever do.
In preseason camp. Even that. Signals to me.
That. There's a lot. Of confidence.
In what this team is. They don't. They don't feel like.
They have to. Hide themselves. Where maybe they did.
In past years. Because. There's not that.
Glaring weakness. Right now. That they don't want.
Anyone to know about. I think. They feel.
Really good. About. What they have.
As a whole. On this team. And I think you're starting.
To see it come together. Now. Granted.
August is the month. Of good feelings. In college football.
Right? Like everybody thinks. They're going to be great.
Until you actually. Play a game. And then.
You know. Ohio State will. Only beat Akron.
By 45. Instead of 52. And.
We'll be freaking out. About. You know.
The one. Touchdown. The defense.
Allowed. Or the one. Turnover.
On the offense. Or the one. Sack.
That was allowed. You name it. You know.
August. It's like. Everything's great.
Nothing can derail. This train. And then.
You start playing. In games. And you hit some adversity.
And then. It's every little thing. Becomes a train wreck.
So. We always try to kind of. You know.
Bring it back. To the middle here. Keep things in perspective.
But. I do feel a lot. Of.
Genuine. Optimism. Around this team.
Right now. That I. I think.
You know. They know. You know.
This roster. Is a little different. Than you know.
Ohio State always has a loaded roster. But this. Roster's different.
Like. This roster. Really has the pieces.
For this team. To have the chance. To have a really.
Special season. They. Gotta go do it.
And it's still. Over. Three months.
Really. Before. They really get.
Put to the test. Of. Whether they can go.
Accomplish those. Marquee goals. Of beating Michigan.
Winning the Big Ten. Championship game. And winning the National.
Championship game. But. It's a positive sign.
That. We're coming out of. One week of camp.
And we're not. Talking about. Oh.
This. This. Major issue.
How are they going to solve it? We're. Talking about.
A lot of. Really good things. That we've seen.
That give us. Reason to be optimistic. About the season ahead.
[Andy Anders]
Yeah. Exactly. And.
I think. Will Howard. For me.
Has been the single biggest. Kind of thing. That has shifted my.
Mindset. I had. I had a lot of questions.
About him in the spring. And the summer. And.
To his credit. To the coaching staff's credit. I have looked.
Like. A fool. Who.
Wanted results. Too quickly. In those.
In those sessions. And. Now.
Again. Never want to read too much. Into the first week.
Of fall camp here. But. I think.
Will has started to show. Again. The makings of a guy.
Who can really lead. This specific roster. With so much talent.
Around him. To a national title. And.
That has been for me. I think the biggest thing. Of like.
Okay. Yeah. This team.
Might be really ready. Because. I never had any questions.
About this defense. Entering the fall. Never had any questions.
About the weapons. It was the O-line. It was the quarterback.
The O-line. Still to be determined. If you like the physical changes.
They made. Quarterback. My confidence level.
Has risen. Every day. After that first practice.
We saw. In Will Howard. And what he could do.
This year. Deep ball. Some deep ball concerns.
Aside. With him. But you know.
Maybe he'll prove me wrong. In that area. And it feels like.
You could just throw the ball. Anywhere. In Jeremiah Smith's.
Area code. And he's going to come down. With it sometimes.
So. That's. That's always a benefit.
When you have those kinds. Of receiving weapons. Maybe you don't need to be.
The most precise. With your deep ball. But.
Yeah. To your point. Ryan Day.
Even said it. In big 10 media days. Like everyone thinks.
They had a great summer. Everyone likes. Where they are.
But. It's just that feeling. Of being.
This is a. Special roster. A special team.
That could go out. And do some special things. But.
We're going to see how it develops. The next three weeks. In fall camp.
And then we're going to see it. Try and play out on the field. And they have this.
Really slow ramp up. To the games. That actually mean something.
So. It's going to slowly unfold. But you know.
It's definitely. That feeling is there. Like hey.
This is. Yeah. This team feels like.
A national title caliber team.
[Dan Hope]
Lots more. Preseason. Camp.
And Ohio State football. Season. Preview.
Coverage. To come. On 11warriors.com.
So make sure. You're keeping up. With all of our.
Ohio State football. Content. Over there.
And we'll be back. Next week. For another episode.
Of RailPod Wednesdays.