Gareon Conley Not Feeling Like 'The New Guy' In Ohio State's Secondary

By Tim Shoemaker on September 10, 2015 at 8:35 am
Gareon Conley lines up vs. VT.
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When Kerry Coombs was asked prior to Ohio State's season-opener against Virginia Tech if he had any worries about Gareon Conley stepping in as a starter for the 2015 season, the Buckeyes' cornerbacks coach couldn’t have been more blunt in his response.

“None,” Coombs said, quite emphatically. “Zero. You want me to say it again?”

Coombs didn’t need to repeat himself. His message was pretty loud and clear: He felt Conley was ready to be a starter for the Buckeyes.

It turns out Coombs’ confidence was justified, too, because in Ohio State’s 42-24 win against the Hokies, Conley was one of the team’s standout players on defense.

“Gareon Conley, first start was a champion,” head coach Urban Meyer said Wednesday, referring to how Conley graded out against Virginia Tech.

The redshirt sophomore cornerback tied for the team high with eight tackles and even recorded a half-sack. He was physical in the run game and made some nice plays in pass coverage, as well. Conley was flagged once for pass interference, though the call seemed to be fairly borderline.

“It was real exciting, my first start as a Buckeye,” Conley said. “I played decent, but I could play a little bit better. I gave up a third down in man-to-man, but we got a team win and that’s what it’s all about.”

The concerns about Conley stepping in and being a starter probably had some validity to them. After all, he was replacing an All-Big Ten performer in Doran Grant and in Conley’s lone start last season — at Michigan State when Eli Apple was nursing an injury — he didn’t look so great as the Spartans targeted him early and often on their opening drive which resulted in a touchdown.

But in spring ball, Conley won the job despite being pushed by a pair of young players in Damon Webb and Marshon Lattimore. Webb is currently Ohio State’s starting nickel and Lattimore had battled injuries, but is thought to be healthy again making Conley’s fight to keep his spot a tough one.

“It’s all about confidence. At corner, you have to be confident to play here because you’re playing a lot of man-to-man,” Conley said. “Last year, I was just thinking too much. This year, I’m not really thinking I’m just playing.”

With Apple and safeties Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell all back from last year’s starting secondary, Conley is the new guy in Ohio State’s back four. He said it doesn’t feel like he’s the new guy at all, though. Conley said it feels like he’s been doing this for years.

And on Monday night on a big stage under the lights at Lane Stadium, it certainly didn’t look like he was the new guy, either.

“It feels good just to be out there with them, but it doesn’t really feel new because I’ve practiced with them so much and I’m so close with them,” Conley said. “We have good communication on and off the field and I’ve practiced with them for three years so it’s not really feeling like the new guy.”

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