Latest / Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning / Ohio State Spring Football: The 7 Buckeyes With The Most To Gain

Transcript

Ohio State Spring Football: The 7 Buckeyes With The Most To Gain · Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Buckeyes tomorrow morning for Tuesday, March third, I'm
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: your host, tom or the ball State game in one
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: hundred and eighty six days the game against Michigan in
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: two hundred and seventy days. Are friends at Grateful Grittel,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Columbus's favorite food truck. They are now on Uber Eats, Grubhub,
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: and door Dash just serves for Grateful Griddle There or
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: check out Grateful Girdle oh dot com for more. Ohios
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: date spring practice now just a week away. Feels like
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: it's been forever since we've gotten to see Ohio State
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: do anything on the football field. That is about to
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: come to an end. Finally, your long national nightmare just
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: about over. On today's show, we're going to be talking
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: about the guys on the team who have the most
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: to gain this spring. And this is kind of a
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: long list. So what we're going to do is we're
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: going to exclude the newcomers. So no true freshman, none
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: of the transfers, just guys who are coming back to
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: the Ohio State football team who have a lot online
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: this spring. Joined by Tony gerdamant if bucke Huddle dot com. Tony,
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: I think when I look at this, I was trying
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: to put the list together and the first name that
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: came to mind was Tavan Saint Clair because you now
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: have you know, you know, Julian Sanin's going to be
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: the starter, but it feels like there could be a
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: role for tav In Saint Clair and he's also now
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: the guy who is one snap away from being the starter.
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, this is almost a two part thing right where
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: he can show that he belongs among the regular guys.
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: Everyone Irban used to talk about, I write down my
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: top ten playmakers, and you know, sometimes that's the second
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: quarterback or you know, if it's your quarterback. You want
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: to get somebody involved, whoever it is. You try to
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: find some snaps for them. So there's that aspect of
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: it where Tavy can show that he does belong. But
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: there's the other aspect of it where you know, he
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: has to emulate being a starter now because he's one
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: snap away, and you can't just emulate it. You've got
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: to operate like that. You've got to do that. So
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: the gaining of going from scout team quarterback to now
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: this gigantic role as the backup quarterback, but also the
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: idea that your teammates are looking to you. Now if
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: they have to rely on you, can they trust you.
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: I remember the way Joe Burrow would follow j. T.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: Barrett around and he was just attached to him. And
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: that's how Joe Burrow learned to be the kind of
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: leader that when he left Ohio State players were still
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: rooting for him because they loved him so much because
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: of how he operated. So that's kind of one of
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: the things that you could see from David Saint Clair
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: this year in the spring. Just to be that guy
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: that the an adult, a guy that shows he can
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: make plays but also does it in the right way,
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: and to be that backup quarterback. He's gonna have some
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: opportunities to go against the ones, as you know, and
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: if he can show up against them, then I think
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: that proves a lot.
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: Next up, this is kind of a three for one
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: here can be talking about the offensive line and the
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: buck guy's bringing back pretty much in a complete starting
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: unit excluding Tiger Shabola, and there's all I think. You know,
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: we've talked a lot about the guys who have you know,
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: kind of getting themselves into the mix to be starters.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: There I got three guys is that we got to
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: talk about at guard and the story's a little bit different,
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: but also kind of a little bit the same for
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: Josh Padilla, gave Van Sikel and Jake Cook. Any of
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: those guys could end up earning a starting spot this year.
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: But also this feels like spring twenty twenty six is
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: really in some ways. Also this the kickoff of the
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: race for the starting guard spots in twenty twenty seven,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: and maybe even the starting center spot there too.
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and if Josh Padilla shows that he belongs, then
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: again that's where it doesn't matter if he's one of
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: the five or one of the six that's going to
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: be hold true next year in twenty twenty seven and
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: so on. So I think this is this is his
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: optisity for Josh Patilla. This is kind of an opportunity
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: to prove maybe that he would have eventually taken over
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: that right guard job last year if you hadn't gotten injured,
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: or maybe to confirm it for the coaches saying I
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: can be trusted. This should be me give me a
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: long look. But also how far away from center does
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: he want to get, you know, because I'm sure he
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: views it as he I'm sure he views himself as
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: the future center of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Can you
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: do that while also viewing yourself as the current right guard.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: We've seen it happen before, but if gave Van Sickle,
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: he's not going to want to suddenly go from starting
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: in the college football playoffs to third at that spot,
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: behind maybe Phillip Daniels or Josh Pidia. And then you
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: mentioned Jake Cook, which I think you should the way
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: he surprised everybody last year, Like he's I don't think
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: the momentum is just gonna stop. It's like, well, I've succeeded,
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: I surprised people as a true freshman. And no, he's
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: just going to continue to fight. And I mean, I
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: guess at this point doubt him at your own peril.
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: Yeah, he definitely was one of the biggest surprises on
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: the twenty twenty five Ohio State Buck Guys and certainly
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: has an opportunity to at least position himself well for
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: the twenty twenty seven Ohio State Buck Guys and then
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: we'll see what twenty twenty six holds in store for him.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: But he definitely is someone who could be could have
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: a lot on the line this spring. Next up as
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: a guy that you mentioned, I kind of went through.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: Here's the list of guys I was thinking. You said, well,
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: what about Turbo Rogers, And Turbot Rogers is a really
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: interesting one because he missed a lot of last seasons.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: We really haven't seen a whole heck of a lot
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: of them, and with the top two returning running backs
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: both out for the spring, he's going to have a
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: lot of opportunities to finally show what he can do.
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and we always talk about how in the spring
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: you can only judge so much, or any camp you
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: can only judge the running back so much. But when
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: we did get to see Turbo Rodgers in fall camp
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: last year, he was impressive before his injury. And now,
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: as you said, he is a different kind of back.
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: He's five eight, he's about one ninety eight is how
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: they've listed him last year. He's not a four to
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: three guy, but he's not slow. He's quick, he's got
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: very good vision. But he's also not five to eleven,
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: two hundred and fifteen pounds like all of the other
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: running backs on the Ohio State roster seemingly, so he
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: can do some different things. They'll get him involved in
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: the passing game, and so I think this is an
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: opportunity for him to show that I don't have to
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: be Bo Jackson. I don't have to be Isaiah West.
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: I don't have to be Jacoby Jones Johnson. I can
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: be Turbo Rogers and help this offense, and not in
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: three snaps a game, but I can be a legitimate
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: part of this offense, whether it's out of the backfield,
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: in the slot, wherever you need. Because we've seen shoot
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: Miami showed how if you've got a good weapon, use
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: them however you want and make people worry about him,
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: and that can open up some other things as well.
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: So I think this is a spring where he can
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: simply show that you didn't make a mistake bringing me here,
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: and you wouldn't make a mistake by utilizing me either.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: Next up, we're going to move to the defense. And
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: I only wrote two names down, and now I'm thinking
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: we should have talked about Zion Grady too, because he
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: probably belongs in this conversation, but we're gonna skip him
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: for now. We'll probably talk about him on Don't worry,
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: We'll do plenty more shows, even just over the next
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: week before we get there, we'll probably talk about Zion
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: Grady before the season. I did want to talk though
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: about Riley Petty John. He was the second name I
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: wrote down because he was a true freshman last year,
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: lost his black stripe very early, was very impressive. Did
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: all the stuff you saw him on special teams, kind
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: of checked all the boxes that you typically like to
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: see out of a true freshman linebacker in terms that
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: just sort of our indications that, yeah, bigger things are
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: ahead and there are certainly opportunities for him.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: This year.
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: They brought in Christian Allegro, which is going to make
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: the path to a starting job a little bit more complicated,
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: but he certainly feels like he's going to be in
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: the top three and I could absolutely see him winning
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: one of those two starting jobs this fall.
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: You know, it's interesting because he could be following in
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: the path of rvel Reese and Peyton Piers, who as
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: sophomores were the number three linebackers. Except he's done more
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: than those two guys did as true freshmen, so he's
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: already kind of beyond what they were. And rvel Reese
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: didn't play defense, didn't play see a snap on defense
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: as a true freshman, Peyton Pierce only a handful, so
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: he's beyond them. So who's to say that he is
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: following in their path because he's he's certainly ahead of
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: it right now. And so yeah, I wouldn't be shocked
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: if he's the number two linebacker next to Peyton Pierce.
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: But also I think I think it's fair, it wouldn't
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: I don't think it's unfair to expect maybe more snaps,
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: even if there's there's a split between him and Christian Allegro,
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: like maybe more snaps than Peyton Pierce received last year
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: or rvel Reese received in twenty twenty four, where it's
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: more of a shared spot. But this is this spring
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: is going to be an opportunity for him to show
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: that I don't you know, I'm good. I don't need
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: to share. I'm I'm perfectly fine doing this. And if
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: you want to have Christian Lager do some other things,
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: have at it. But I can do those things as well.
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: I can play on the on the the edge of
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: the line of scrimmage as well. I can do everything
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: that Arvella Reese did, or I can do everything that
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: Sunny Styles did, and wherever you need me, I can
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: do it. And maybe maybe it's Peyton Pierce that sees
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: fewer snaps then, you know, because he can. Riley Penny
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: John can play either linebacker spot. And if you need
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: to give somebody rest, give that guy rest. I can
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: do whatever you need. And I think the the off
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: season in the the classroom with James lord Nidis and
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: Matt Patricia, and then this spring will be a chance
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: to show that I'm I'm ready, Like I'm not your
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: typical sophomore, I'm ready to play. I'm just I'm a
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: starting caliber linebacker at Ohio State right now.
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Peyton Pierce as that third line back last year
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: sort of is in that spot where it has traditionally
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: been okay, and now you're the start of the next
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: year when when the other guys leave. I don't know
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: that there is any combination of those three guys where,
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: you know, if the number of snaps in order, I could.
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: I could envision any combination of those three guys in
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: any of those orders, and it wouldn't really surprise me.
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: I think Riley Petty John has a chance to really see, uh,
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: seize the moment then sees a you know, force the
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: coaches to put him on the field in you know,
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: early and meaningful situations this fall. Last guy, he's a
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: little bit of a different circumstance Devin Sanchez because he
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: was in early in meaningful situations last year. But now
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: with Davis Snig Noosen gone, there's a corner spot open.
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: If they hadn't brought in Dominic Kelly, you would have said, Yep,
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: one hundred percent, absolutely, he's the guy. He's going to
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: be there, no problem, no question. Now Devin Sanchez has
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: a little bit of competition there. I think you look
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: at what he did last year and the trajectory of
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: his career is very clear to me. He is going
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: to do bigger and better things as an Ohio State Buckeye.
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: But I think that starts with decisively winning that other
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: starting corner job opposite Jermaine Matthews this spring.
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's not like he would have taken it
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: easy this spring, but it is good for him that
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: there's a competition for that spot and just just to
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: make things more difficult, because you know, that's kind of
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: the point of going to Ohio State. And I do
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: expect him to win the job, and I have you know,
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: I'm the only person has high expectations of him, as
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: we know, but no like that that freshman year that
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: leads to very good things as a sophomore and as
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: a junior and then perhaps the NFL as a senior.
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: But this spring he can take ownership, complete ownership, leave
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: no doubt like no, this is my spot, this is
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: this is my land, this half of the field. That's
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: me right, that's online. And then one of the things
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: we've talked about in the past shows about some concerns
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: at corner is kenn he replace David Nigbnosen's physicality in
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: the run game, and you won't get an opportunity necessarily
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: to show that as much as maybe he would like.
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: You know, you certainly thud tempo and all of these things.
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: You can you can be as violent adjacent as you'd
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: like and spring and you know, you can show all
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: of the confidence there. But then the true test will
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: be when when the games get going. But this spring
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: he can take ownership of the position. He can be
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: a great leader for Dominic Kelly and Jermane Matthews will
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: as well. This is how we do it. Follow along,
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: be the third corner, be that dime and just paying
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: it forward, passing it down the line to the next guy.
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: But yeah, this is an opportunity for him to become
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: a leader because we've talked shoots since seeing him talking
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: to him at camps, like just how mature he was, right,
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: and then the first time he got to talk to
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: him as an Ohio State bucket, it's like just maturity
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: is off the charts. So I would expect him in
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: this spring to make every moment count and make the
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: most of his opportunities.
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: Well, we will make the most of our opportunities to
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: cover spring ball starting in one week that starts next Tuesday,
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: March tenth. We will be there for that. I've hopefully
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: gets a chance to watch some practice talk to a
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: bunch of the players coaches. We left all the new
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: guys off, but man no, manna, there are a lot
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: of new guys here as well on the coaching staff
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: from the transfer portal, the true freshman class. We've got
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: a lot of new faces to learn, a lot of
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: new faces to talk to, and a lot of new
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: faces to cover all at bucke huddle dot com and
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: at YouTube dot com slash Bucky Huddle. That'll do it
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: for today. Thank you, guys. All for joining us, have
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: a great day. We'll talk to you tomorrow.