Linebacker depth a concern for the Buckeyes coming out of spring practice.
While it’s hard to gather much information during a glorified scrimmage that featured limited tackling and had several projected starters sidelined by injuries, there were still a handful of things that stood out about Ohio State’s defense during its spring game on Saturday afternoon.
- Let’s start with a linebacker unit has been decimated by injuries this spring, with senior Dallas Gant dealing with a foot injury and redshirt freshman Mitchell Melton sidelined with a “long-term injury.” The group is so thin that junior long snapper Roen McCullough saw time at linebacker alongside seniors Teradja Mitchell and K’Vaughan Pope, sophomores Cody Simon and Tommy Eichenberg and early enrollee Reid Carrico, so you have to think that a certain linebacker in the transfer portal saw an easy path to playing time if he was watching today’s game.
- Melton and Gant were among the five scholarship players on defense who weren’t dressed on Saturday, which also included cornerback Sevyn Banks defensive tackles Haskell Garrett and Tyleik Williams. Everyone but Melton should be back to full strength by the time fall camp rolls around, though.
- Sophomore cornerback Ryan Watts’ length is a big reason why he will find himself in the conversation for the starting spot opposite of Banks this fall. He played well lined up against Garrett Wilson early on, picking off an errant Jack Miller pass on the opening drive of the game.
- Returning senior Demario McCall has spent the last five seasons trying to find a role at running back and wide receiver to no avail, so an offseason switch to cornerback could pay dividends. He played about as well as you expect someone learning a new position would, especially when he found himself matched up with Chris Olave early. He has the athleticism to make his mark in the secondary, but you wonder if he’ll be able to get his technique down over the next few months.
- Similarly, the aforementioned Mitchell has been patiently biding his time behind the departed Tuf Borland and he showed glimpses of what will make him a key part of the Buckeyes’s defense this fall. He looks like he has a lot of pent-up aggression when he’s chasing down ball-carriers.
- Sophomore Craig Young has been lining up at both linebacker and safety this spring and showed exactly why it’ll be hard to keep him off the field by breaking up a deep pass intended for tight end Mitch Rossi downfield in the second quarter. He’s exactly what Ohio State has envisioned for the Bullet position, but now it’s time to see if they can figure out how to best implement his style of play.
- Lastly, freshman defensive end Jack Sawyer more than lived up to his five-star billing with four sacks on the day. He showed a quick jump and the strength to push his way to the quarterback, so don’t be surprised when he finds himself playing critical downs this fall.
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