Urban Meyer said he was anxious to see how young players were going to react when they got playing time in front of thousands of people during Saturday's Spring Game.
Needless to say, there were a few who didn't disappoint.
Young blood like Nick Conner, Erick Smith and Sam Hubbard heard their names called early and often Saturday, leading all players in tackles (Conner with seven), interceptions (Smith with two) and sacks (Hubbard with two).
Below is a player-by-player breakdown, with takeaways on who we felt had the best days in the Horseshoe on the defensive side of the ball in the Gray's 17-14 victory.
Nick Conner
When Urban Meyer first heard a reporter mention Nick Conner's name in his postgame press conference, the head coach muttered a fairly simple, yet explanatory statement regarding the early enrollee's day.
"He's good," Meyer said, before reaching down to grab a drink. "He's really good."
Conner looked the part Saturday with his seven tackles, even breaking up a pass and intercepting another. Simply put, the guy was everywhere.
Not bad for a kid who should be preparing for his high school graduation right now.
"We had high expectations for him, though," Meyer said.
Erick Smith
It shouldn't come as a surprise considering what he did last season in spot duty, but whenever the ball was in the air Saturday, Smith was likely not far behind.
Smith picked off Stephen Collier twice during the Spring Game, making the Scarlet pay for his mistakes. He also had three tackles and was in good position all afternoon.
Whether or not Smith sees playing time this fall likely depends on the health of Tyvis Powell and Vonn Bell, but if either of those guys go down, Smith looks good and ready to step in.
Sam Hubbard
Hubbard floated from position to position all last season as Meyer and the coaching staff took their time trying to figure out where he's best suited to help the team.
It appears he found a home at defensive end, though, sacking Collier twice Saturday and constantly finding himself in the Scarlet Team's backfield.
Sometimes Hubbard didn't make the play on the ball when he was in position, but that's what you would expect from someone who played safety in high school and then was first told he would be a linebacker at Ohio State.
Meyer said Hubbard's earned his way into the rotation at defensive end along with Tyquan Lewis, a welcome sign for a team trying to replace two starters on the defensive line.
The Rest
Chris Worley and Damon Webb also fielded solid days for the Gray Saturday, finishing with six tackles apiece. Gareon Conley also solidified himself as the starting cornerback opposite of Eli Apple for the fall, according to Meyer. Conley finished with one pass breakup and a tackle Saturday. Powell delivered the line of the day when asked about his interception of Jones in the first half, only to get decked out of bounds by his roommate on the return.
