The Ohio State Buckeyes have a couple of holes to fill when practice begins in just over a month.
The Ohio State Buckeyes, whether you like it or not, have a couple of legitimate holes to fill on their roster as they begin training camp in just over a month.
Everyone has been crowning the Buckeyes as the best roster and the best team in College Football for next year, and while I believe that they can be, there is a lot of work to be done to get there.
The Buckeyes have the best player in college football with Jeremiah Smith at the wide receiver position, and in my opinion, that is truly the only guarantee on the offensive side of the ball.
At the quarterback position, Julian Sayin looked like one of the best players in the country until the postseason began, and then he took a couple of major steps back. Enough to leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth.
Behind Sayin, there are two young running backs that fans should feel really good about carrying a heavy load for Ohio State.
In front of Sayin, the offensive line should be good as they are filled with a lot of returning starters, but have one major open spot on the right side of their line, either at guard or tackle, depending on how it shakes out.
Then, on the outside, behind Smith, there is a major question mark for who is going to be the number two receiver and take that role behind the best player in the country.
So, when camp begins, where will the biggest battles be taking place, and who should you have your eyes on?
It starts up front as the line looks to solidify itself. If you feel good about Carson Hinzman playing center, Luke Montgomery playing left guard, and Phillip Daniels playing right tackle, the two openings are left tackle and right guard.
Team leader Austin Siereveld will play one of those spots, hopefully left tackle, depending on the guys who prove themselves beneath him. Some of the guys to keep your eyes on are freshman Sam Greer, Josh Padilla, Gabe VanSickle, and Ian Moore.
Which of those guys is going to elevate their game to a point that they can be trusted to be on the field when Ohio State takes on Ball State in September?
On the outside, it will be all eyes on that wide receiver group. Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuin, Brock Boyd, Chris Henry Jr., and Kyle Parker all have the opportunity to take that wide receiver two spot. Who will elevate and earn the trust of the coach and quarterback?
The guy who gets that done has the ability to elevate the floor of this program in a significant way.
The eyes of Buckeye Nation will be on the offensive line and the wide receiver room all camp long. They may even have the quarterback position in their peripheral vision as well.
Buckeye Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Ohio State Buckeyes. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
