The number of players who left Ohio State's football program early for the NFL is three fewer than the total of new freshmen already on campus.
Six Buckeyes from the 2016 team who had eligibility remaining are doing everything they can to earn a job at the next level. Of the 21 members in Urban Meyer's latest recruiting class, nearly half (nine) are taking college classes and drudging through winter workouts with their new teammates.
The nine: Baron Browning, J.K. Dobbins, Tate Martell, Josh Myers, Jeffrey Okudah, Isaiah Pryor, Shaun Wade, Brendon White and Marcus Williamson.
On National Signing Day, Meyer called his initial reactions of the class "ridiculous." It makes sense — the entire crop of talent should be considered that way. The group finished ranked second to Alabama in the national rankings and is arguably the best class Ohio State has ever signed.
The Buckeyes are amid a transition following an ugly 31-0 loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff on New Year's Eve. Three new coaches — offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Kevin Wilson, quarterbacks coach Ryan Day plus linebackers coach Billy Davis — are working with the early enrollees and other members of the team before spring practice commences in three weeks.
Such a highly regarded group of players is expected to make an immediate impact, regardless of position. How realistic is that? Let's take a look.
LB Baron Browning, 5-Star From Kennedale, Texas (6-2, 229 pounds)
One of a handful of five-star recruits in the class, Browning is also a piece of the extensive Texas flavor Ohio State pulled from the Lone Star State this recruiting cycle. One of two linebackers in the class along with Pete Werner, Browning is a supremely talented player.
Ohio State lost a trio of linebackers after the 2016 season, with Raekwon McMillan leaving early and Craig Fada and Joe Burger exhausting their eligibility. Browning won't be called upon immediately to start with Jerome Baker, Chris Worley and Dante Booker all back and in their third, fourth and fifth years in the program. There is additional talent in that positional group as well but if Browning redshirts in 2017, it will be a considerable shock.
He is the top-ranked linebacker in the country, enrolled early, has the quickness, tenacity, intelligence and awareness any future big-time player at the spot possesses.
Browning also played a pretty solid prank on Urban Meyer before he committed, so the trust between player and head coach is evident. There are four sophomores in the program and Tuf Borland is a redshirt freshman. Browning shouldn't redshirt and at the very least contribute on special teams this fall.
J.K. Dobbins, 4-Star Running Back From La Grange, Texas (5-9 1/2, 208 pounds)
Another Texas export, Dobbins missed essentially his entire senior football season after hurting his ankle the very first time he got the football. But Dobbins said on signing day that he is healthy and participating in winter workouts with no restrictions.
Even so, if Dobbins plays in 2017 it will be because he handles the other parts of his game that don't necessarily involve him running the ball. Mike Weber is in line to start again in the backfield and with Curtis Samuel onto the NFL, Demario McCall will demand more touches provided he adds the right amount of weight and proves to Meyer he can protect the football. Antonio Williams also isn't going anywhere. All three are sophomores, though Weber is entering his third year in the program.
Dobbins is dynamic, a hard runner, slasher with great vision and has a quick first step. Will that translate to playing time? It likely depends on how many blowouts Ohio State plays in and if Dobbins takes other parts of his game seriously like pass blocking and catching passes. He is extremely talented, so Tony Alford should do his best to get him on the field in some capacity.
Tate Martell, 4-Star Quarterback From Las Vegas, Nevada (5-10, 203 pounds)
Martell is the Gatorade Offensive Player of the Year, having never lost a game as a starter in high school. He is a leader, a winner and a fierce competitor. Yet you can feel pretty comfortable betting the rent on him redshirting this season.
J.T. Barrett is set to start again as a fifth-year senior, which leaves Joe Burrow, Dwayne Haskins and Martell to compete for the backup job. Burrow was No. 2 on the depth chart all season and along with Haskins already has more time in the program than Martell (obviously).
Martell's quick release, savviness in the pocket and ruthless mentality to win at everything he does bodes well for him. But it will be difficult to find reps in practice, especially when training camp comes around in August.
So it is a good thing Martell is in Columbus already and set to take part in spring drills. But you can only play one quarterback at a time and Martell is fourth on the totem pole. That is his current reality.
Josh Myers, 4-Star Offensive Lineman From Miamisburg, Ohio (6-6, 306 pounds)
Myers and five-star Wyatt Davis from California join signing day addition Thayer Munford as the offensive linemen in Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class. Everyone is down on Myers's pass blocking because he struggled at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl last month. But Myers hardly ever had to do it in high school.
Myers is "absolutely killing it in the weight room" at Ohio State, according to Meyer. His pure strength has been well-documented and it will help him get involved in the battle for the open spot on the offensive line. Pat Elflein is gone and Billy Price is moving to center to fill the void. That leaves an open guard position with tackles Jamarco Jones and Isaiah Prince as well as true sophomore Michael Jordan all back.
Ohio State starting a true freshman on the offensive line in consecutive seasons is unheard of but the opportunity is there. The lack of development by other linemen in the program forced Greg Studrawa's hand to start Jordan in 2016. Myers could make that happen again this fall. The competition will receive a ton of attention this spring.
Jeffrey Okudah, 5-Star Cornerback From Grand Prairie, Texas (6-1, 190 pounds)
Okudah is the top-rated recruit in the class according to 247Sports. Ohio State is replacing three of four players in its secondary for the second straight offseason. Two of them are cornerbacks.
Okudah, Marcus Williamson and Shaun Wade all enrolled early to bridge the gap. Junior college transfer and former Alabama commit Kendall Sheffield is set to arrive next month. Meyer rarely goes that route to fill out his recruiting class but the Buckeyes love Sheffield and he is talented enough to start immediately. The same should be said for Okudah.
Kerry Coombs will have his hands full deciding what cornerbacks will play this fall but Denzel Ward has an edge as a junior and the guy with the most experience. Okudah will play in 2017, at the very least on special teams. His length, speed, tenacity and athleticism are what Ohio State desires at corner. The Buckeyes will find a way to get him on the field.
Isaiah Pryor, 4-Star Safety From Bradenton, Florida (6-1 1/2 and 195 pounds)
Pryor finished high school at IMG Academy, where he said the team meetings, workouts and how much time is spent on football helped ease him into college. The lone safety in the class, whether Pryor plays or not in 2017 is cloudy.
Malik Hooker is gone, set to be a first-round draft pick after just one year as a starter. Damon Webb returns at the other safety spot but had his fair share of problems on the back end of Ohio State's defense in 2016. Erick Smith, Jordan Fuller and Jahsen Wint are all vying for playing time as well.
Like most freshmen, Pryor's best chance to get on the field is special teams. But unlike some of the other members of his class, he probably won't see any time at his actual position on Ohio State's defense due to numbers. Enrolling early helps accelerate his progress, though.
Shaun Wade, 5-Star Cornerback From Jacksonville, Florida (6-1, 177 pounds)
Another long, smooth athlete like Okudah, Wade will join him in trying to earn time at corner in 2017. As mentioned before, the spots are there. Who takes them will be intriguing to watch because of how much talent is already in the program and how good Okudah and Wade are at what they do.
Wade has terrific ball skills (seriously, go watch his highlight tape) which is never a bad thing for a corner. His athleticism allowed him to play out of position sometimes in high school, so he could bait quarterbacks into making a poor throw before he snatched a pass with terrific closing speed. That doesn't transition to the next level too often.
But Wade is on campus and like Okudah feels he should be a key component at corner. The are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 by 247Sports in the national rankings at the position. That means the chances they redshirt are extremely slim. Game on.
Brendon White, 4-Star Athlete From Powell, Ohio (6-1 1/2, 200 pounds)
Arguably the most athletic player in the class because of all the positions he played in high school, White is unsure where he will land at Ohio State. He played quarterback, wide receiver, linebacker, defensive back and pretty much anything else you can think of at Olentangy Liberty.
He will either land at linebacker or wide receiver for the Buckeyes and took part in some of the Fiesta Bowl practices in December with Ohio State. Yet, because his position isn't defined, it could lead to a redshirt season in 2017.
But make no mistake about it — the Buckeyes love what they see in White. The hope is he will develop into a monster like Darron Lee did a few years ago. That won't be easy — but getting in early will help.
Marcus Williamson, 4-Star Cornerback From Bradenton, Florida (5-9, 180 pounds)
Though talented, Williamson will likely fall on the wrong side of a numbers game at cornerback. Not everyone can play and though he is a solid athlete with a fine background at IMG Academy like Pryor, he isn't quite on the same level athletically or in pure size as Wade or Okudah.
Williamson will provide extra depth for Coombs's outfit and has competition engrained in his brain after moving from nearby Westerville to Florida and playing for one of the best prep schools in the country. His plan all along was to enroll early and begin his development.
But even that might not keep get him on the field in 2017 because of the fact there are set to be 10 cornerbacks on the roster by the summer.
