2009 tOSU Secondary discussion

[bukIpower]

We return 3 out of the 4 starters... We're MORE than fine in the backend of the defense. Sure, it would'v been great to have Washington come back but to be honest losing him never really scared me. Losing Coleman did, but Washington? No, I think he's replaceable.

Howard I hear is going to be someone to look out for so he's an option. Amos, Everge, Brown, Howard, and Torrence will all get looks.

[Taosman]

Originally Posted by MililaniBuckeye

A kid that was redshirted and has zero game time will start over a CB who was a starter before getting hurt?

Of course you know Amos has had a major injury and other injuries that may have closed his window on starting. I like Amos but, he's probably not the same player physically.

[GoodLifeSean]

Torrence I would believe has a good shot as does Brown coming in. Also Amos, if he stays healthy would have to be a challenger, but I gotta agree with Taos on this one that Howard has got to be the favorite in my mind... But I think Brown and Torrence are going to be contenders.

[bukIpower]

Torrence I would believe has a good shot as does Brown coming in. Also Amos, if he stays healthy would have to be a challenger, but I gotta agree with Taos on this one that Howard has got to be the favorite in my mind... But I think Brown and Torrence are going to be contenders.

Both Howard and Brown IMO remind me of MJ from his freshman year in 2005. We're going to be just fine

[Bill Lucas]

Torrence has bounced around positions to much to date to have that impact and additionally he's still playing baseball. Football is going to pass him by IMO if he doesn't make a choice between the two quickly.

I'm one that is thinking that Howard will be the one to step up to the plate. As someone mentioned the buzz about him is there. I'm thinking he's a real player.

[jpeezy11]

with Washington turning pro were does this leave the osu secondary, adding to it the loss of Jenkins. so who is there to start besides Chekwa. will some of the incoming freshman start or will it be one of the redshirt freshman or sphomores... Or will Amos finally get his chance hes been waiting for?

[jwinslow]

Please look to see whether there is an existing thread before starting a new one (ie '09 OH DB D.J. Hunter).

This topic was located on the page you opened to click 'new thread'). It was the 9th thread not counting the stickied ones.

2009 tOSU Secondary discussion ( 1 2)

these will now be merged together.

[leroyjenkins]

YouTube - Billy Madison - Everyone is now dumber

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by jpeezy11

with Washington turning pro were does this leave the osu secondary, adding to it the loss of Jenkins. so who is there to start besides Chekwa. will some of the incoming freshman start or will it be one of the redshirt freshman or sphomores... Or will Amos finally get his chance hes been waiting for?

I'd imagine this thread gets moved to 2009 secondary thread.

But anyways, I think he's a big loss. Someone with little experience has to grow up quickly.

I'd say a majority of Buckeye insiders are expecting Travis Howard to step up and become the starter opposite of Chimdi. I'm hopeful Andre Amos becomes the guy. I'd love to see Howard get some game experience as a back-up, and I'm always reminded of Andre's lockdown performance in the Big-33 game years ago, when he shut Manningham down.

I feel like Andre could have been special, but injuries have kept him off of the field. I'd love to see him have a healthy year, and be able to prove enough for the NFL.

Obviously, the great thing about Howard starting, if he does become the man, is that he'll be on the field with 2 senior safeties, and a senior CB. We won't be as talented in the secondary because of the athletiscm lost in Malcolm, but hopefully the experience factor makes up for it.

[jpeezy11]

amos should get plenty of playin time i mean he hasn't played much but are u telling that his performance in the spring game doesn't count for anything.. if healthy going into the season amos will start

[leroyjenkins]

Originally Posted by jpeezy11

amos should get plenty of playin time i mean he hasn't played much but are u telling that his performance in the spring game doesn't count for anything.. if healthy going into the season amos will start

Ask Bam Childress what playing well in the spring game got him??

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State football: Questions in the secondary
by Doug Lesmerises
Monday February 09, 2009

Now that National Signing Day is done and the 2009 roster appears to be set, for now, let's break down the Buckeyes this week position by position.

Today we start with the secondary, the place with the most question marks, specifically at cornerback.

Here are the players in the mix, what we think will happen and what questions need to be answered.

We'll be back around lunchtime with some thoughts from the OSU coaches about the secondary, and then come back again later in the day with a final look at how we think this will shake down and how good the secondary might be this fall, and what might happen if it takes a step back.


For now, please throw in your thoughts or concerns about the defensive backs, and we'll try to answer any specific questions you may have.

We'll get to the linebackers, the defensive line, the offensive line, the receivers, the running backs, the quarterbacks and special teams later in the week.

Ohio State football: Questions in the secondary - Ohio State Buckeyes Football & Basketball Blog (OSU) - cleveland.com

Ohio State football: Coach talks secondary
by Doug Lesmerises
Monday February 09, 2009

After the signing day news conference on Wednesday, most of the Ohio State assistant coaches were available to talk about their position groups. However, safeties coach Paul Haynes and corners coach Taver Johnson couldn't be located, so I apologized to defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Jim Heacock while secondary questions were thrown his way.

And as you'll see, he was looking for those assistants, too.

Who should we be talking about in the mix at cornerback?

I hope you have to talk about Andre Amos, and the reason I say that is he's going to be senior and when we played down at Texas (in 2006) he played in that game and made some plays. He's got good size, he's been in the program for a long time, and you hope seniors like that get an opportunity. He obviously was not healthy last year and he is now and he's working out. You hope he makes a run at it.

Donnie Evege was a guy who was out all year and is a guy who is healthy.

Devon Torrence was a guy who got a lot of backup work, who got a lot of reps last year. He's a guy with good talent and good ability. This spring we're going to have to put those guys out there and see who comes through and who makes plays and who can pick up the defense.

Ohio State football: Coach talks secondary - Ohio State Buckeyes Football & Basketball Blog (OSU) - cleveland.com

Ohio State football: Secondary projections
by Doug Lesmerises
Monday February 09, 2009

In 2005, Malcolm Jenkins came in as a true freshman and took over as Ohio State's nickelback and started three games at corner when Tyler Everett was injured.

Ohio State needs something like that to happen.

In 2006, after Ashton Youboty left for the NFL, senior Antonio Smith stepped in as a starting corner and in his first and only year as a starter, the former walkon was named All-Big Ten.

Ohio State needs something like that to happen.

Not one or the other. Both.


For a team that plays a lot of nickel, though maybe less next year than last year with fewer spread teams on the schedule, Ohio State is thinking of the departures of All-American Malcolm Jenkins and third corner Donald Washington as losing two starters.

It makes sense to figure on one older Buckeye who has been in the background and one new face to emerge as the players who fill those holes.

Amos, who has battled injuries for two seasons, is a logical pick as the starting corner opposite Chimdi Chekwa in the base defense if he's healthy. He was good enough to factor into the two-deep as a redshirt freshman, and he hasn't been healthy since. This scenario makes sense.

As for the nickel cover spot, redshirt freshman Travis Howard might have been a contender to play last season if he had been healthy. Assume that whatever Buckeye wins this spot won't be asked to do much more than line up in front of an outside receiver on obvious passing downs and stay with him. It's the kind of thing a young guy can do, like Chimdi Chekwa did as a redshirt freshman.

Ohio State football: Secondary projections - Ohio State Buckeyes Football & Basketball Blog (OSU) - cleveland.com

[martinss01]

Originally Posted by bukIpower

We return 3 out of the 4 starters... We're MORE than fine in the backend of the defense. Sure, it would'v been great to have Washington come back but to be honest losing him never really scared me. Losing Coleman did, but Washington? No, I think he's replaceable.

Howard I hear is going to be someone to look out for so he's an option. Amos, Everge, Brown, Howard, and Torrence will all get looks.

really? i guess i view it the exact opposite. while ive been very impressed with coleman's development and like him as a player, in a hypothetical where i had to choose between the two i would have to pick washington over coleman.

while washington wasn't as physical as jenkins he was one of the few players who belonged on the field against usc. further, he really hasn't had a bad game. while i think checkwa is just as good, the only thing that put checkwa on the field and took washington off was washington's actions off the field.

could just be me but besides beanie, washington is by far our biggest loss of the juniors who declared. this was a big loss. its going to be very interesting to see how the cb position shakes out.

[bukIpower]

Originally Posted by martinss01

really? i guess i view it the exact opposite. while ive been very impressed with coleman's development and like him as a player, in a hypothetical where i had to choose between the two i would have to pick washington over coleman.

while washington wasn't as physical as jenkins he was one of the few players who belonged on the field against usc. further, he really hasn't had a bad game. while i think checkwa is just as good, the only thing that put checkwa on the field and took washington off was washington's actions off the field.

could just be me but besides beanie, washington is by far our biggest loss of the juniors who declared. this was a big loss. its going to be very interesting to see how the cb position shakes out.

Washington had a whole season to recapture the starting position and couldn't do it. Why? Because Chikwa is said to be one of our best man to man Db's. I think you're selling both Chikwa and Coleman short. I would rather return safties than corners thats for sure, because lets face it the safties are usually the one's who adjust the secondary and have more room to cover.

You add Coleman as well as Russel with Gant, HINES, and MOELLER. You got yourself some safties that can play. Maybe they'll give Coleman a look at corner and stick Hines at saftey?

We seem to rotate corners seemlessly, but for whatever reason sometimes it tends to take time to adjust to a new saftey. I think having saftey's that can come up and make the tackle and help our corners over top are much more important than our nickle corner from this past year.


People are forgetting that Chikwa started ALL year. Washington had his shot to unseat him, and couldn't do it so I for one think we're sitting nicely in the secondary. 3 returning starters in the back end is going to be a strong point of our team.

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by bukIpower

Washington had a whole season to recapture the starting position and couldn't do it. Why? Because Chikwa is said to be one of our best man to man Db's. I think you're selling both Chikwa and Coleman short. I would rather return safties than corners thats for sure, because lets face it the safties are usually the one's who adjust the secondary and have more room to cover.

You add Coleman as well as Russel with Gant, HINES, and MOELLER. You got yourself some safties that can play. Maybe they'll give Coleman a look at corner and stick Hines at saftey?

We seem to rotate corners seemlessly, but for whatever reason sometimes it tends to take time to adjust to a new saftey. I think having saftey's that can come up and make the tackle and help our corners over top are much more important than our nickle corner from this past year.


People are forgetting that Chikwa started ALL year. Washington had his shot to unseat him, and couldn't do it so I for one think we're sitting nicely in the secondary. 3 returning starters in the back end is going to be a strong point of our team.

Coleman is a safety.

And it is Chekwa.

Donald Washington would have been the starter had he not continued to get in trouble. Last year was his doghouse season. He decided he'd rather risk a poor draft position than come back for another season.

Andre Amos may shock a lot of people...his natural ability at corner was top notch out of high school. Hopefully he still has it, and can stay healthy.

I'm guessing Chekwa and Amos at CB. Coleman and Russel at safety, with Hines as our star, and Moeller playing a little bit of star and OLB.