Eleven Warriors

As April rolls along, the commitments keep rolling in.

Berger is the newest addition to the '14 class

The latest player to pledge to the Buckeyes is Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius linebacker Kyle Berger.

The 6-3/205 linebacker tallied 44 tackles for loss to go along with 10 sacks in his breakout junior season.

Berger became the seventh member of Ohio State's 2014 recruiting class after choosing the Bucks over Michigan and a host of other schools including Arkansas, Michigan State, Penn State, Tennessee, UCLA, and West Virginia.

The Cleveland native has been to Columbus on multiple recruiting trips, but ultimately decided Ohio State was the right place for him a couple of weekends ago during his most recent visit.

We caught up with Berger to find out what led him to committing to Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.

Keep reading to learn more about the newest Buckeye, Kyle Berger.

I have been fortunate to attend several Ohio State practices this spring, including this past Saturday. What follows are my defensive observations, both in terms of scheme and personnel. 

Nickel Time

The same questions remain that plagued the Buckeye defense last year, namely who will be the starting Mike linebacker next to Ryan Shazier, and who will be the Star or nickel defender.

First a bit of background. I have only observed the Buckeyes practice this spring in their 4-2-5 nickel defense. This primarily takes the form of an under front but it can also be an over.

In either case, the defensive front shades to the field, while the defensive backs align to the receiver strength.  

As many of you know, on Tuesday Denard Robinson had the esteemed privilege of throwing out the first pitch for the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Undoubtedly, Robinson – who continues to state his desire to play QB in the NFL – wanted to showcase his arm strength, velocity and accuracy.

Allegedly, his inner circle advised against it. They felt he had shown enough over the course of his college career, and honestly who could blame them?

For the past four years, Shoelace has been adept at...

Throwing to wide-open receivers:

The offensive line is arguably the biggest strength for Ohio State as the Buckeyes embark on a season filled with high expectations. But it’s that same line, and more specifically the right tackle position, that leaves head coach Urban Meyer “unsettled,” as he recently put it. 

Just one year ago Ohio State found itself in the same position. The rest of the line was set. All that remained was right tackle. That competition, between a converted tight end and a true freshman, didn’t exactly instill confidence into coaches and fans.

But Reid Fragel earned the starting job after a spirited battle and developed into one of the top linemen in the Big Ten. It was an unexpected event and led Meyer to yearn for another Fragel this season – someone who turns it on before their career comes to a close.

Taylor Decker and Chase Farris – both rising sophomores – have plenty of time to establish impeccable credentials, so they may not be proper candidates in 2013 for the inaugural Reid Fragel award. But a performance similar to Fragel’s senior campaign would bring a sense of calm to Meyer, an emotion he’s not currently feeling.

“That’s real bothersome to me,” he said, revealing there's been no separation between Decker and Farris.

Only two spring practices remain, with Saturday’s spring game marking the final organized team gathering until fall camp commences in August. At the moment, the Buckeyes do not have a starting right tackle.

“Decker is a guy who is breaking the huddle with the ones right now, and he certainly has the ability to be the right tackle,” Meyer said.

With spring practice in full swing, there hasn't been a glut of talk about last year's squad, or more specifically, the two workhorses along the defensive line, Johnathan Hankins and John Simon. 

Yesterday, the mouth beneath Mel Kiper Jr.'s glorious hair chimed in on the pair of Buckeyes and while there's no question Hank has seen his stock drop over the last few months, both players look to be Day Two selections. 

Simon's shoulder surgery wouldn't allow him to participate in the NFL's beauty contest held back in February, but he did post a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. 

Comparing him to Mike Vrabel, Mel says Simon is a top-half of the third-round pick thanks to his athleticism and versatility:

"I like the way he plays the game. He’s got a lot of versatility and plays with a lot of energy. He gives you some scheme versatility. A great kid. Tremendously hard worker. Great passion for the game. I think John Simon is solidly in the third round now."

The Draft begins Thursday night, April 25. 

There are not robots at quarterback or Transformers playing along the defensive line – yet. But there is a new machine turning heads in the Ohio State weight room. Situated among countless strength, cardio and conditioning devices, the Dynavision D2, priced at $15,000, has become a go-to contraption for skill players.

The machine looks more like a laser light show than something that could help football players. The secret lies in improved hand-eye coordination. Strength coach Mickey Marotti said it’s most useful for quarterbacks, wide receivers and defensive backs – positions that place a premium on the hands and eyes being in-sync. 

Since it’s arrival nearly a month ago, the D2 has had a leading role in team meetings. Cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs has especially taken a liking to it. He has his corners take part in Dynavision drills on a daily basis.

“They’re eating it up,” he said. “We start off every meeting with it. We’re just doing a little quick vision test. How can that hurt us? They’re taking to it.”

The Items: Stuff that "Doesn't Exist"

Welcome back to another edition of the Stumbler.

Remember the year 2011? The Artist won Best Picture, gas prices were basically the same and you didn’t look any different. Come to think of it, 2011 wasn’t that long ago. 

That’s strange because the record books are having trouble remembering what happened down in New Orleans on Jan. 4, 2011. In fact, there is no record of it at all.

However, the record book of my life remembers things a bit differently, and so does eBay. Just look at all of this stuff commemorating things that didn’t happen.

It’s amazing really. 

Tilt-shift photography is a photo effect that creates a shallow depth of field, making the subject look like a miniature-scale model. The technology actually dates from the 1960s, but it's experienced a revival of sorts as techniques to create the effect have become popular with tools like Photoshop.

The web is full of amazing tilt-shift photos, but Ohio State is sorely underrepresented in the tilt-shift world. We're hoping to change that. Please enjoy these 10 tilt-shift images of Ohio State venues, buildings and other scenery.

McMillan and Archie

It's been a big two weeks for Ohio State football recruiting as stars from the 2014 class made their way to campus for visits.

Perhaps the biggest visitor of them all was Hinesville (GA) Liberty County linebacker Raekwon McMillan, who was in Columbus Monday through Wednesday of last week.

The 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker is considered one of Georgia's top players and is the No. 1 inside linebacker prospect on the 247 Composite index. He holds offers from almost every major college in the nation, including the likes of Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, USC, and many others.

McMillan has had the Buckeyes as one of his top schools ever since he was offered last April and currently has the Scarlet and Gray as his sole leader. His trip to Columbus last week was his fourth. On this trip, McMillan had the opportunity to meet many key figures in the Ohio State athletic program, including former two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.

We caught up with McMillan to get the scoop on his most recent trip to Columbus. Read on for what his leaders look like, when he expects to make a decision and more.

Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde have cemented their places in the Ohio State backfield. Quarterback and running back are coming off a season in which they combined for more than 4,000 total yards and 45 touchdowns. That’s ended any debate about who might be occupying said positions. 

But if the spring is any indication, another Buckeye may be spending a lot of time in the backfield. Defensive end Noah Spence has turned heads since the Buckeyes’ first practice on March 5.

He’s made life miserable for offensive lineman Jack Mewhort who, according to head coach Urban Meyer, has already secured a spot as team captain. Mewhort and his fellow linemen proved to be an effective unit last season and were considered by most observors to be the Big Ten's best, but even they have no answer for Spence.

“I’m glad he’s on our team, that’s all I can say,” offensive line coach Ed Warinner said. “His speed off the edge is amazing. He’ll make (the offense) better because he gives us something every day to work on.”

Said Mewhort: “Noah Spence has gotten a lot better and has more confidence since the last time I played against him.” 

Spence presented glimmers of that potential last season, when he appeared in 11 games and finished with 12 tackles, including a 20-yard sack in his first career game against Miami (Ohio). He spoke of a learning curve when he arrived on campus, and it was evident during fall camp.

Linemen that resembled tree trunks were far different than the twigs he outmuscled and maneuvered around during a five-star high school career. It helped shape expectations of immediate success. But Spence stayed realistic and just sought daily progress.

“Any time was good for me,” he said. “But I’m never satisfied with anything. I don’t think I did as well as I could have been. I want to do a lot better.”