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RB07OSU;2093052; said:Looking across that list...there is really no problem with depth. The real problem is that nobody outside of Roby has really stepped it up, other than Barnett, who played fairly well. Travis Howard MUST step it up this year, the talent is there.
Bright side is we were really young and hopefully with the experience, this unit will be much improved. Plus the DL should be fairly dominant and if they can actually pressure the QB this year, that will take some pressure off.
Buckfan08;2096731; said:Not sure how you can say we have depth. I see 3 true corners.
Cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs may have been the star of the first practice, with the former coach at Cincinnati bringing his in-your-face enthusiasm to his position group. At one point he told a player, "Do you know how good and how bad that was as the same time?"
The Buckeyes don't have much depth at corner, but Travis Howard and Bradley Roby are locked in as the starters and sophomore Doran Grant is the No. 3 corner.
The starting safeties are again Christian Bryant and C.J. Barnett, with Bryant sliding to the star position and Orhian Johnson coming in at safety in the nickel.
Defensive backs Travis Howard, Bradley Roby like to banter with Kerry Coombs
By Patrick Maks
[email protected]
Published: Thursday, April 19, 2012
Ohio State cornerbacks Travis Howard and Bradley Roby aren?t shy about admitting their position coach, Kerry Coombs, is a bit of a trash talker.
They said they?re the same way.
?Me and Travis are already kind of like that,? said Roby, a rising redshirt sophomore. ?He brings that same mentality, that hard-nose, trash-talking kind of play.?
Roby said he likes it that way.
?That?s how I am. I love that,? Roby said. ?I?m right behind him doing the same thing.?
Likewise, it seems Coombs? fiery demeanor has also commanded Howard?s respect.
But even more so, the rising redshirt senior said the guidance from the former Cincinnati assistant coach is what he and the rest of the corners need.
?It?s definitely been a great change,? Howard said. ?I mean, he?s a high intensity guy who?s willing to make sure we perfect our technique and make sure we work hard at whatever we do.?
For Coombs, that feeling of admiration and respect is mutual.
In addition to having what he called talented and gifted athletes, what has struck the 51-year-old the most is how diligently his players work.
?They?re in my office poking their head in all the time,? he said. ?They want to know what they can do to get better, they want to know where they fell short.?
cont...
Buckeye Cornerbacks About to Go "Off" on Receivers
By Tony Gerdeman
COLUMBUS, Ohio ? One of the more consistent aspects of the Ohio State defense over the years has been the stellar play at the cornerback position. In fact, if a cornerback starts at Ohio State, it is a virtual guarantee that they will end up in an NFL camp.
Deemed "Cornerback U" by more than a few folks, it's been a while since solid press coverage has been a stranger to a Buckeye defense. NFL rosters have been littered with Buckeye cornerbacks over the last couple of decades, and almost all of them made their names by first jamming a receiver at the line of scrimmage.
The days of cornerbacks staring receivers in the eyes at the line of scrimmage are about to change, however, because the Buckeyes are now employing more "off man" coverage looks.
Now, instead of a cornerback and receiver being separated by a couple of yards, the Buckeye cornerbacks will line up about seven yards off of the line of scrimmage. The intent is to allow the defenders to keep their eyes on an entire play, and therefore make more plays on the ball.
"It's hard to intercept the ball in press coverage, and hard to get involved really in the rest of the play," said OSU cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs.
"Being off and being able to see and have vision gives you a chance to maybe make some more plays, and I think they're excited about that. I think what we would like to see is that we're going to have more opportunities, which is exciting."
Cont'd ...
4. Ohio State
The secondary should be the strength of an improving defense. All four starters are back and the second team could step in and start without too much of a drop off. It?s a loaded group that?s young enough to still be improving. There are plenty of options, lots of young talent, and plenty of speed and quickness across the board. The Buckeye secondary has the potential to be among the best in the country if the defensive front gets to the quarterback a little bit more.
SEREbuckeye;2199979; said:CollegeFootballNews.com
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The fifth defensive back job still isn't locked down, but it sounds like the staff is inclined to leave Christian Bryant at safety and not move him closer to the line of scrimmage in that ?star? position, as he has done at times in the past. So Corey Brown or freshman Devan Bogard should be the star.