One of the biggest advantages Ohio State has on the rest of the Big Ten heading into the 2016 season is the fact the Buckeyes bring back their starting quarterback. J.T. Barrett returns for what will be his third season at the helm, but the first in which he’s unequivocally the starter heading into fall camp.
And while Barrett and Co. are preparing for what’s sure to be a challenging season with all of Ohio State’s roster turnover, the Buckeyes’ coaching staff, right now, is working to build the future of the program on the recruiting trail. Ohio State made quite the splash there Sunday night when it landed a commitment from the No. 1-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the country, Tate Martell.
“Ohio State has been my dream school,” Martell told Eleven Warriors about his commitment. “I’ve got a great vibe with the coaches and it’s a place that will prepare me for the next level.”
Martell is a four-star composite quarterback and the nation’s No. 33-rated overall player in the 2017 class. Should his commitment hold — and right now there’s no reason to think it won’t — Martell would be the highest-rated quarterback to come to Ohio State since Urban Meyer’s arrival in 2012. That’s saying something considering all of the signal callers the Buckeyes brought in since then — Barrett included.
What Martell’s commitment means for Ohio State is that once Barrett leaves — whether that be following this upcoming season or after the 2017 campaign — there are no signs the Buckeyes will slow down with their quarterback play.
This isn’t exclusive to Martell’s commitment, but putting him in the fold in addition to what Ohio State signed in the two previous recruiting classes means the Buckeyes are in great shape at the most important position in the sport. Ohio State inked four-star quarterback Joe Burrow in 2015 and brought in another four-star, Dwayne Haskins, in the 2016 recruiting class — one which just arrived on campus last week.
There is some serious talent in a post-Barrett quarterback room of Burrow, Haskins, Martell and fellow 2017 commit Danny Clark. The odds the Buckeyes strike out on all four of these highly-ranked quarterback prospects are pretty low.
Ohio State fans got their first glimpse of Burrow at this year's spring game when the freshman was one of the standouts as he threw for 196 yards and three touchdowns. Burrow displayed improved arm strength — something Meyer admits was a concern he had with the Athens, Ohio native — and excellent touch on his deep ball.
Burrow has a head start to be the Buckeyes’ No. 2 quarterback this fall behind Barrett, but nothing is set in stone as Haskins is sure to push him for that spot. Haskins was the seventh-rated pro-style quarterback in the 2016 class and the No. 87 player in the country and he’s also someone Meyer has long lauded as a potential star.
“As good a release and arm strength that I’ve seen at that age since I’ve been recruiting,” Meyer said of Haskins back on National Signing Day. “The fundamentals that Dwayne Haskins possesses right now is as good as I’ve ever seen in a young quarterback.”
Those two, plus Martell and Clark in the 2017 class, make it highly unlikely Ohio State will have any sort of issue at quarterback after Barrett’s time in Columbus comes to an end — whenever that may be. They will be inexperienced, sure, but the talent level certainly doesn’t seem like it will be a question.
Meyer is no stranger to quarterback competitions, either, as the entire 2015 season essentially consisted of one between Barrett and Cardale Jones. There will be more options this time around, and hardly a shortage of talent, which could make things even more interesting.
The Buckeyes seem like they’ll be just fine after the conclusion of the Barrett era.
