Josh Dooley
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You’re Nuts: Who will be the breakout star during Ohio State’s spring practices?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Predicting which Buckeye will make the most of the next few weeks.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Hole-lee cow. In less than 24 hours, Ohio State will begin spring football practice. Are you kidding me!? It seems like just a few weeks ago fans were watching Lincoln Kienholz run and throw for his life against Missouri.
Since then, OSU has retained most of last year’s roster and added to it the (now former) starting quarterback from Kansas State, an All-SEC running back from Ole Miss, and three players from Nick Saban-less Alabama! The program also fired and then hired multiple coaches, including new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly — Ryan Day’s former boss and a Big Ten head coach as recently as Feb. 8. The former was of course brought in to replace Bill O’Brien, who was hired for the same position on Jan. 19.
My brain simply cannot comprehend that all of this went down in a matter of weeks. And that now we’re talking about spring ball. But alas, here we are. Look at us.
With the spirit of the spring football season in mind, Gene and I decided to fire up the ol’ prediction machine(s) and take a stab at which players might make a name for themselves during or throughout the Buckeyes’ spring session, consisting of 15 practices. Had the number been 14 or 16, that likely would have affected my prediction-making process. But since the number is exactly 15, I must go with No. 15 for the Scarlet and Gray: Second-year tight end, Jelani Thurman.
This is essentially running back one of my predictions from last season, but I firmly believe that Thurman will become a star in Columbus. And his ascension could begin this spring, as he is set to battle Ohio transfer Will Kacmarek and fifth-year Buckeye Gee Scott Jr. for tight end reps. While the vets have a clear experience edge over Thurman, Kacmarek is coming over from the MAC, and Scott Jr. has totaled just 10 catches across four seasons. So I think the TE1 and TE2 roles are completely up for grabs, despite what most believe (about Kacmarek at least).
What Thurman offers that the other two don’t, is absurd athleticism and upside. Currently listed at 6-foot-6, 258 pounds – nearly identical to Kacmarek – Thurman somehow looks and moves like a super-sized WR. Or a power forward on the hardwood. The kid is a freak, in the best way possible. And if Ohio State wants to maximize the potential of their offense, well then, they need to get freaky.
Admittedly, Kacmarek and probably even Scott Jr. are going to provide better blocking than Thurman. And Kelly loves to run the ball. But look at how the latter used his biggest pass catchers in recent seasons... And I do mean biggest, not most productive overall.
In 2021, TE Greg Dulcich (6-foot-4, 245) was second on UCLA in both receptions and receiving yards, racking up 42 and 725 respectively. That’s 17.3 yards per catch. In 2022, 6-foot-5, 220-pound WR Jake Bobo led the Bruins in both major receiving categories. By a mile. And last season, despite major issues on offense, TE Moliki Matavao (6-foot-6, 240) led Kelly’s team in YPC with a 20.2 average! My point being that Kelly does not use his super-sized weapons to merely grind out tough yards across the middle of the field. He (Kelly) views them as playmakers and legitimate downfield threats.
Kacmarek averaged 11 YPC last season, and Scott Jr. has averaged 7 for his career. Not exactly Devin Smith-type numbers for either. And this is not to say that Thurman can or will become YPC king if given the opportunity. However, I do think that he is the only TE (on OSU’s current roster) capable of at least replicating Cade Stover’s production.
If the Buckeyes want to ground and pound, then I could see Kacmarek dominating snaps. But if Day and Kelly want to put up points and open up the offense, then Thurman is the best available option at TE... Provided he shows improvement in certain areas of the game. Which is exactly what I expect him to do this spring. Start the Mackey campaign now, and give me Jelani Thurman as (at least one of) Ohio State’s breakout spring star.
Since Josh took an offensive player, it’s only right that I take a look at someone on the defensive side of the ball. With so much returning talent on Ohio State’s defense, there aren’t all that many positions up for grabs, but there are still a handful of interesting battles to be had this spring.
It is expected that Cody Simons mans one of the two starting jobs at linebacker. With both Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers off to the NFL, Simon gives new position coach James Laurinaitis some much-needed experience at the position, having played over 600 snaps at the position over the past two seasons. There were points of last season where it looked as though Simon might push Chambers for his spot, but it never quite came to pass. Instead, Simon filled in for Eichenberg during the three games he missed in 2023, including a career-high 73 snaps leading to a career-high 12 tackles in the Cotton Bowl.
His running mate at linebacker is where the questions begin, and although it is assumed that Sonny Styles will move down from his safety spot to a potentially more natural fit at linebacker, we have not yet gotten official word from either Jim Knowles or Laurinaitis that it is a done deal. I do expect this will almost certainly be the case, especially now with Caleb Downs joining Ohio State’s safety room, and I believe Styles will become a dominant college linebacker with the skillset to be a player very much in the mold of Isaiah Simmons at Clemson.
If it isn’t Styles, the next most likely candidate is of course C.J. Hicks, whom fans have been anxiously awaiting to break out since he first stepped foot on campus as a former five-star prospect. While I think Hicks will have a role on this defense, I don't think it will be as a traditional stand up linebacker. Instead, I think Knowles and the Buckeyes will finally deploy the JACK position we heard so much about when the defensive coordinator came over from Oklahoma State. However, while I want to focus on the JACK, the player I want to talk about isn’t actually Hicks...
That’s because my spring breakout predictions is linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese. A member of the 2023 recruiting class, Reese came to Ohio State as the No. 18 LB and the No. 5 player out of Ohio per the 247Sports rankings. The former Ohio Division IV Defensive Player of the Year, Reese’s size and speed at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds made him a mainstay in opposing backfields. Whether getting to the quarterback or blowing up a play behind the sticks, Reese was a matchup nightmare up near the line of scrimmage.
For this reason, I think he would shine at the JACK position, and there was some talk even last season of him getting some reps as a pass-rusher off the edge. While this likely wouldn’t be an every-down position, I think a combination of Hicks and Reese at JACK would give Ohio State its best possible front four along the defensive line, with J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams and Jack Sawyer as your three true down linemen and a guy like Reese at the JACK who could either be rushing the quarterback or dropping back into coverage on any given play.
With so much talent across the board, Knowles will have the opportunity to do some really creative things this season that will help keep more players engaged than just the typical starting 11. I’m looking for Reese to have a big spring camp, and with a standout performance the Glenville product could make it near impossible to keep him off the field come fall.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Predicting which Buckeye will make the most of the next few weeks.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
This week’s topic: Who will be a breakout star during Ohio State’s spring practices?
Josh’s Take
Hole-lee cow. In less than 24 hours, Ohio State will begin spring football practice. Are you kidding me!? It seems like just a few weeks ago fans were watching Lincoln Kienholz run and throw for his life against Missouri.
Since then, OSU has retained most of last year’s roster and added to it the (now former) starting quarterback from Kansas State, an All-SEC running back from Ole Miss, and three players from Nick Saban-less Alabama! The program also fired and then hired multiple coaches, including new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly — Ryan Day’s former boss and a Big Ten head coach as recently as Feb. 8. The former was of course brought in to replace Bill O’Brien, who was hired for the same position on Jan. 19.
My brain simply cannot comprehend that all of this went down in a matter of weeks. And that now we’re talking about spring ball. But alas, here we are. Look at us.
With the spirit of the spring football season in mind, Gene and I decided to fire up the ol’ prediction machine(s) and take a stab at which players might make a name for themselves during or throughout the Buckeyes’ spring session, consisting of 15 practices. Had the number been 14 or 16, that likely would have affected my prediction-making process. But since the number is exactly 15, I must go with No. 15 for the Scarlet and Gray: Second-year tight end, Jelani Thurman.
This is essentially running back one of my predictions from last season, but I firmly believe that Thurman will become a star in Columbus. And his ascension could begin this spring, as he is set to battle Ohio transfer Will Kacmarek and fifth-year Buckeye Gee Scott Jr. for tight end reps. While the vets have a clear experience edge over Thurman, Kacmarek is coming over from the MAC, and Scott Jr. has totaled just 10 catches across four seasons. So I think the TE1 and TE2 roles are completely up for grabs, despite what most believe (about Kacmarek at least).
What Thurman offers that the other two don’t, is absurd athleticism and upside. Currently listed at 6-foot-6, 258 pounds – nearly identical to Kacmarek – Thurman somehow looks and moves like a super-sized WR. Or a power forward on the hardwood. The kid is a freak, in the best way possible. And if Ohio State wants to maximize the potential of their offense, well then, they need to get freaky.
Admittedly, Kacmarek and probably even Scott Jr. are going to provide better blocking than Thurman. And Kelly loves to run the ball. But look at how the latter used his biggest pass catchers in recent seasons... And I do mean biggest, not most productive overall.
In 2021, TE Greg Dulcich (6-foot-4, 245) was second on UCLA in both receptions and receiving yards, racking up 42 and 725 respectively. That’s 17.3 yards per catch. In 2022, 6-foot-5, 220-pound WR Jake Bobo led the Bruins in both major receiving categories. By a mile. And last season, despite major issues on offense, TE Moliki Matavao (6-foot-6, 240) led Kelly’s team in YPC with a 20.2 average! My point being that Kelly does not use his super-sized weapons to merely grind out tough yards across the middle of the field. He (Kelly) views them as playmakers and legitimate downfield threats.
Kacmarek averaged 11 YPC last season, and Scott Jr. has averaged 7 for his career. Not exactly Devin Smith-type numbers for either. And this is not to say that Thurman can or will become YPC king if given the opportunity. However, I do think that he is the only TE (on OSU’s current roster) capable of at least replicating Cade Stover’s production.
If the Buckeyes want to ground and pound, then I could see Kacmarek dominating snaps. But if Day and Kelly want to put up points and open up the offense, then Thurman is the best available option at TE... Provided he shows improvement in certain areas of the game. Which is exactly what I expect him to do this spring. Start the Mackey campaign now, and give me Jelani Thurman as (at least one of) Ohio State’s breakout spring star.
Gene’s Take
Since Josh took an offensive player, it’s only right that I take a look at someone on the defensive side of the ball. With so much returning talent on Ohio State’s defense, there aren’t all that many positions up for grabs, but there are still a handful of interesting battles to be had this spring.
It is expected that Cody Simons mans one of the two starting jobs at linebacker. With both Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers off to the NFL, Simon gives new position coach James Laurinaitis some much-needed experience at the position, having played over 600 snaps at the position over the past two seasons. There were points of last season where it looked as though Simon might push Chambers for his spot, but it never quite came to pass. Instead, Simon filled in for Eichenberg during the three games he missed in 2023, including a career-high 73 snaps leading to a career-high 12 tackles in the Cotton Bowl.
His running mate at linebacker is where the questions begin, and although it is assumed that Sonny Styles will move down from his safety spot to a potentially more natural fit at linebacker, we have not yet gotten official word from either Jim Knowles or Laurinaitis that it is a done deal. I do expect this will almost certainly be the case, especially now with Caleb Downs joining Ohio State’s safety room, and I believe Styles will become a dominant college linebacker with the skillset to be a player very much in the mold of Isaiah Simmons at Clemson.
If it isn’t Styles, the next most likely candidate is of course C.J. Hicks, whom fans have been anxiously awaiting to break out since he first stepped foot on campus as a former five-star prospect. While I think Hicks will have a role on this defense, I don't think it will be as a traditional stand up linebacker. Instead, I think Knowles and the Buckeyes will finally deploy the JACK position we heard so much about when the defensive coordinator came over from Oklahoma State. However, while I want to focus on the JACK, the player I want to talk about isn’t actually Hicks...
That’s because my spring breakout predictions is linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese. A member of the 2023 recruiting class, Reese came to Ohio State as the No. 18 LB and the No. 5 player out of Ohio per the 247Sports rankings. The former Ohio Division IV Defensive Player of the Year, Reese’s size and speed at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds made him a mainstay in opposing backfields. Whether getting to the quarterback or blowing up a play behind the sticks, Reese was a matchup nightmare up near the line of scrimmage.
For this reason, I think he would shine at the JACK position, and there was some talk even last season of him getting some reps as a pass-rusher off the edge. While this likely wouldn’t be an every-down position, I think a combination of Hicks and Reese at JACK would give Ohio State its best possible front four along the defensive line, with J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams and Jack Sawyer as your three true down linemen and a guy like Reese at the JACK who could either be rushing the quarterback or dropping back into coverage on any given play.
With so much talent across the board, Knowles will have the opportunity to do some really creative things this season that will help keep more players engaged than just the typical starting 11. I’m looking for Reese to have a big spring camp, and with a standout performance the Glenville product could make it near impossible to keep him off the field come fall.
Continue reading...