Urban Meyer made it pretty clear before, during and after spring practice at Ohio State: Chances were not great for him and his staff to piece together a depth chart.
"We may be close, but I’m not going to do that right now because I have to digest it," Meyer said April 20, four days after the annual spring game and during the head coach's most recent availability with local media.
With so much turnover on his roster following a 44-28 victory against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, it makes sense that Meyer didn't want to bite on the idea of laying out a starting 22 upon the completion of his fifth spring in Columbus. It didn't help that so many expected contributors were not 100 percent this spring due to injuries, either.
"With 11 guys out, that’s the thing that kicks you in the teeth. If everybody’s ready to go, I think you could do that. But we’re not," Meyer said.
Still, with the spring game in the books and the 2016 recruiting class enrolled, it makes sense to take a stab at what Ohio State's depth chart will look like this fall. We do that here. If you're curious, you can see Tim's projection from the middle of spring ball here.
Offense
Quarterback: J.T. Barrett (rJr); Joe Burrow (rFr); Dwayne Haskins Jr. (Fr); Stephen Collier (rSo, injured)
Breakdown: No guesses needed here — Barrett is the top dog in Tim Beck's quarterback room, the unquestioned leader of the offense. Dwayne Haskins' arrival and Stephen Collier's knee injury knocks the latter down a peg for obvious reasons — he is "most likely" out for the 2016 season. Meyer spoke highly of Haskins, stating he will compete for the No. 2 spot once he got on campus. He is now, but Burrow still holds the edge because he has been in the program longer.
Running back: Mike Weber (rFr) OR Bri'onte Dunn (rSr); Antonio Williams (Fr)
Breakdown: Dunn and Weber are still in a battle to earn the starting nod in the backfield alongside Barrett. Meyer wants Dunn to be the guy to take the first snap in the season opener against Bowling Green Sept. 3, but Weber isn't going to let him have it. Williams enrolled early to jump start his college career, but likely won't see much time in 2016 outside of mop-up duty provided the two guys in front of him stay healthy.
| POSITION | PLAYER |
|---|---|
| QB | J.T. BARRETT |
| RB | MIKE WEBER or BRI'ONTE DUNN |
| WR | NOAH BROWN |
| WR | COREY SMITH |
| H | CURTIS SAMUEL or DONTRE WILSON |
| TE | MARCUS BAUGH |
| LT | JAMARCO JONES |
| LG |
MICHAEL JORDAN or DEMETRIUS KNOX or EVAN LISLE or MATT BURRELL |
| C | PAT ELFLEIN |
| RG | BILLY PRICE |
| RT | ISAIAH PRINCE |
H-back: Curtis Samuel (Jr) OR Dontre Wilson (Sr); Parris Campbell (rSo)
Breakdown: How the H-back reps shake out will be an interesting thing to watch once fall camp opens Aug. 7. Both Samuel and Wilson missed either all or the majority of spring practice with foot injuries, so we saw Campbell and even K.J. Hill run in that spot during the latter stages of the spring. Hill couldn't do much as far as catching the ball goes because of a cast on his wrist, but Meyer's directive at H-back is pretty clear. He wants more than one capable body available, and he has that, especially if Samuel and Wilson are healthy.
X-receiver: Noah Brown (rSo); Austin Mack (Fr) OR Torrance Gibson (rFr)
Breakdown: In order to be the X-receiver in any offense, "you gotta be a dog," to quote Barrett from February. There is a reason Michael Thomas became a second-round draft pick, but his absence now leaves a considerable hole on the outside. Brown appears well on his way back to 100 percent from his broken leg last fall. Based on how his teammates and coaches talk about his potential, he should be a lock to start at X. Both Gibson and Mack made some plays this spring, however, so expect them to contribute in some capacity.
Z-receiver: Corey Smith (rSr); Johnnie Dixon (rSo) OR Terry McLaurin (rSo) OR James Clark (rJr); K.J. Hill (rFr)
Breakdown: The absence of a deep threat hurt Ohio State's offense last season, which is a primary role of the Z-receiver. Smith will likely earn the nod at this spot once he, like Brown, is healthy from a broken leg. Still, Dixon, McLaurin, Clark, Hill and even Campbell all rotated throughout the receiver positions this spring. Wide receivers coach Zach Smith's goal is to establish versatility so he doesn't have to think twice about inserting someone in the event another player goes down. Each guy has speed to burn but needs to show more consistency down the field in order to secure the most reps at Z.
Tight end: Marcus Baugh (rJr); A.J. Alexander (rFr) OR Jake Hausmann (Fr) OR Luke Farrell (Fr) OR Kierre Hawkins (Fr)
Breakdown: The only returning player at the position with any sort of game experience, Baugh is the clear No. 1 at tight end. Alexander caught a few passes in the spring game, but the fact Ohio State brought in three tight ends in the 2016 class shows how uncomfortable it is with the available depth at the spot. Expect at least one of those guys to push for playing time in 2016.
Left tackle: Jamarco Jones (Jr); Kyle Trout (rSo) OR Kevin Feder (rFr) OR Malcolm Pridgeon (Jr)
Breakdown: Meyer finally named Jones the starter at left tackle upon completion of spring practice. Trout worked extensively with the second-team offense at left tackle during spring practice and Feder didn't play much because he was in a walking boot. A big question here is where will junior college transfer Malcolm Pridgeon fall in line?
Left guard: Michael Jordan (Fr) OR Demetrius Knox (rSo) OR Evan Lisle (rJr) OR Matt Burrell (rFr)
Breakdown: The odds Ohio State starts a true freshman on the offensive line are slim, but Jordan took the bulk of the first-team reps at left guard during spring drills. It looks like he is going to play this fall, but neither Meyer or Greg Studrawa would pull the trigger on naming a starter at left guard. Studrawa has plenty of capable bodies, so look for this spot to be a heavy topic of discussion once camp opens.
Center: Pat Elflein (rSr); Brady Taylor (rSo)
Breakdown: Elflein's shift from guard to center was necessary for such a young offense and its desire to smooth over the issues that plagued it a year ago. If he were unable to play for any reason, Taylor is likely the next option. Or Studrawa could try Price at center if he isn't comfortable with Taylor. Either way, Elflein is the guy.
Right guard: Billy Price (rJr); Knox OR Lisle OR Burrell OR Jordan
Breakdown: Price played left guard the last two seasons, but he spent spring on the other side of Elflein. He called it "experimental," but we'll keep him on the right side for depth chart purposes since it was the last thing we saw from him in terms of on-field work. Take your pick among the others competing at guard to earn the backup spot.
Right tackle: Isaiah Prince (So); Branden Bowen (rFr) OR Pridgeon
Breakdown: Meyer said he needs to "see a little bit more" from Prince before he christens him the starter at right tackle. No doubt Prince has the edge here, but the staff is probably waiting to see what it has in Pridgeon before it finalizes this spot. Still, Prince gets the nod here.
Defense
Defensive end: Sam Hubbard (rSo); Rashod Berry (rFr) OR Jonathon Cooper (Fr) OR Nick Bosa (Fr)
Breakdown: No doubt about who starts at defensive end for Ohio State in 2016 — Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis have Larry Johnson comfortable there. Cooper's motor impressed this spring and Berry moved over from tight end. But Bosa is destined to be in the rotation somewhere now that he officially enrolled.
Defensive tackle: Tracy Sprinkle (rJr); Jashon Cornell (rFr) OR Dre'Mont Jones (rFr) OR Bosa
Breakdown: Meyer spoke highly of Sprinkle's development this spring not only as a defensive tackle but as a man, and it showed in his play with the first-team defensive line. Bosa could see time inside as well, while Cornell and Jones shifted from defensive end and added weight. Johnson wants a rotation so he can keep bodies fresh up front. How Cornell, Jones, and Bosa perform will determine how much that happens in 2016.
Nose tackle: Michael Hill (rJr); Robert Landers (rFr) OR DaVon Hamilton (rFr)
Breakdown: The other defensive tackle spot appears pretty set in stone too, with Hill taking the majority of the reps with the first team. Donovan Munger would be in the mix here too, but Meyer announced the end of his playing career due to blood clots.
| POSITION | PLAYER |
|---|---|
| DE | SAM HUBBARD |
| DT | TRACY SPRINKLE |
| DT | MICHAEL HILL |
| DE | TYQUAN LEWIS |
| WLB | DANTE BOOKER |
| MLB | RAEKWON MCMILLAN |
| SLB | CHRIS WORLEY |
| CB | GAREON CONLEY |
| S |
DAMON WEBB or CAM BURROWS or ERICK SMITH |
| S | MALIK HOOKER |
| CB | MARSHON LATTIMORE or DENZEL WARD |
Defensive end: Tyquan Lewis (rJr); Jalyn Holmes (Jr); Darius Slade (rSo)
Breakdown: Lewis expects to be 100 percent from offseason shoulder surgery once fall camp rolls around, and his performance in 2015 (team-leading 8.0 sacks) has him on track to wreak havoc in the Big Ten this season. Holmes and Slade must continue to step up to help bolster the rotation.
Will linebacker: Dante Booker (Jr); Justin Hilliard (rFr) OR Tuf Borland (Fr)
Breakdown: Booker is in line to replace three-year starter Joshua Perry and must improve in order to keep the starting spot. Hilliard missed some of spring practice with a bicep injury, so Borland got in plenty of work as an early enrollee.
Middle linebacker: Raekwon McMillan (Jr); Nick Conner (rFr) OR Joe Burger (rSr) OR Craig Fada (rSr)
Breakdown: This one is easy. McMillan was a 2015 Butkus finalist and is a team captain. The question is who will back him up? Conner rehabbed a knee injury this spring and Burger also missed time so Fada ran with the second-team defense. Luke Fickell more than likely wants to see Conner fall in line as McMillan's backup.
Sam linebacker: Chris Worley (rJr); Jerome Baker (So)
Breakdown: Meyer and Fickell both said Worley is the guy to replace Darron Lee, but don't sleep on Baker. Plays like his one-handed interception in the spring game will keep him in the minds of Ohio State fans, but how well he stops the run is bound to determine whether or not he can trump Worley. For now, though, it is Worley's job.
Cornerback: Gareon Conley (rJr); Damon Arnette (rFr) OR Josh Norwood (rFr)
Breakdown: The lone returning starter in the defensive backfield, Conley owns the top corner spot at Ohio State. How the other corner spot and the depth at nickel shakes out remains to be seen, but expect Arnette and Norwood to be in the mix.
Safety: Damon Webb (Jr) OR Cam Burrows (rJr) OR Erick Smith (Jr)
Breakdown: Greg Schiano wouldn't name either Webb nor Hooker his starters at safety following the spring, but he did like how the two performed in the spring game. Burrows and Smith rehabbed injuries but have experience and considerable talent to battle Webb for the starting spot this fall. This, along with the left guard spot, figure to be two of the more intriguing position battles in camp.
Safety: Malik Hooker (rSo); Eric Glover-Williams (So)
Breakdown: Hooker picked off two passes and returned one for a touchdown in the spring game. He also led all players with 10 tackles, so it would be a shock if he didn't start this fall. Again, Schiano would not name him the starter, but you can all but book it.
Cornerback: Marshon Lattimore (rSo) OR Denzel Ward (So); Norwood
Breakdown: Kerry Coombs (and Meyer) love Lattimore's athleticism and play-making ability, but his biggest issue has been the health of his hamstrings which is why we have him listed as a co-starter with Ward. Lattimore looked like the guy that would be opposite of Conley at corner in the spring game, but it all depends on if he can stay on the field.
