The Replacements

It's well known Ohio State is losing a ton of players to the NFL this year – possibly, in historic numbers. It's also well known the Buckeyes are putting together an extremely promising recruiting class.

But possibly more important than the cumulative number of “stars” or total rating points as a class, is the distribution of the talent. Is the talent coming in where it will be needed the most?

It might be interesting to take a look at exactly how the incoming players potentially match-up with the departing players – position for position – even though the full impact of the '16 class probably won't be felt for another year or two.

Of course, they're not all perfect fits, spot for spot – and there are more established players on the roster between the two groups who'll get the first cracks at the openings. But eventually, the team could be comprised of a lot of the names on the right side of the following list. Take a look at the players lost verses the players gained – (roughly) position by position:  "Stars" (according to 24/7) in parentheses

Offense -

RB - Ezekiel Elliott - Antonio Williams (4)

H-Back - Braxton Miller - Demario McCall (4)

QB - Cardale Jones - Dwayne Haskins (4)

TE - Nick Vannett - Jake Hausman (4)

WR - Michael Thomas - Binjimen Victor (4)

WR - Jalin Marshall - Austin Mack (4)

OT - Taylor Decker - Michael Jordan (4)

C/G - Jacoby Boren - Tyler Gerald (4)

OT - Chase Farris - Gavin Cupp (3)

Defense -

CB - Eli Apple - Wayne Davis (4)

WLB - Joshua Perry - Tuf Borland (4)

SLB - Darron Lee - Keandre Jones (4)

SDE - Joey Bosa - Nick Bosa (5)

DT - Adolphus Washington - Malik Barrow (4)

S - Tyvis Powell - Kareem Felder (3) (OK – it's a safety for a corner – running out of options, here)

And possibly - - -

S - Vonn Bell - Jordan Fuller (4)

DT - Tommy Schutt - Rashard Lawrence (5) or Jamar King

Obviously, Urban Meyer knows what he's doing. 

Looking ahead - there's clearly a lot for Buckeye fans to be happy about with the '16 class. But those last two spots are critically important.

Neither Felder nor Fuller are considered to be true safeties. Depth at safety will probably remain an issue for 2016 and beyond. No wonder two of the Ohio State's top remaining recruiting targets (Fuller and 5-star athlete, Mecole Hardman) could play safety if necessary. And of course, the concerns about depth at defensive tackle have been well documented.

Offensively, the 2016 class may be just the tip of the proverbial iceberg in terms of scheme, though. Look at the position groups that are being emphasized – the tight ends in particular. The Buckeyes ran more two-tight end sets in 2015 than they have typically in previous seasons. This was in spite of the fact they only had two healthy scholarship tight ends on the roster most of the season. There will be six on the roster in '16, incidentally.

Also, consider the respective heights of the wide receivers. The WRs from the '15 and '16 classes combined, average nearly 6'3”. Plus, Dwayne Haskins is listed as a “pro-style” quarterback. Could this be an indication of a significant shift in offensive philosophy? Urban Meyer has been saying he's committed to a more balanced offense in 2015 -