Spring football is officially in the books.
Saturday's spring game marked the end. Ohio State won't play another game until the final day in August when the Buckeyes travel to Bloomington to open their 2017 season against Indiana.
This spring was rather interesting for Ohio State as it looked to replace some talented players from a team that reached the College Football Playoff. That is the expectation every year in Columbus now under Urban Meyer and 2017 is no different. This spring allowed the Buckeyes to take the first step in attempting to replace some of that departed talent.
A lot can change between now and Aug. 31, of course, but Ohio State made plenty of strides in the spring as Meyer said he was pleased with the state of his group. New stars will surely emerge.
Here are five players who really saw their stock rise throughout spring ball:
Parris Campbell — Redshirt junior wide receiver
There may not have been an offensive player talked about more this spring than Campbell. The redshirt junior moved from outside receiver to inside at H and by all accounts thrived in his new role.
There are obviously big shoes to fill with Curtis Samuels' departure, but Campbell's skill set is relatively similar. The final numbers — 1,500-plus total yards and 15 touchdowns — may not be the same when it's all said and done, but the Buckeyes may have their next big playmaker.
"He’s standing out big time,” Meyer said of Campbell this spring. “He’s one of my favorite players just because he’s so unselfish and goes so hard. He deserves a great year and he’s one of our best playmakers right now.”
Matt Burrell — Redshirt sophomore offensive guard
The only spot open on Ohio State's offensive line heading into spring ball was right guard. Heading out of spring there still isn't a surefire starter, but a front-runner perhaps emerged.
Redshirt sophomore Matt Burrell spent the last couple of weeks working with the first-team offensive line and was on the Gray team for the spring game — which featured the other four starting offensive linemen.
Demetrius Knox seemed to have a leg up at the beginning of spring practice, but Burrell surged late and may just have the upper hand in this one heading into fall camp.
Johnnie Dixon — Redshirt junior wide receiver
Dixon finally looks healthy and he flashed big-time in the spring game with six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns. If Dixon can remain healthy heading into fall, perhaps Ohio State can get a surprise contributor to its wide receiver room.
It's unclear right now how exactly Dixon would fit into the rotation should he remain healthy, but the Buckeyes may have another viable option if that's the case.
"He had the best spring; he didn't miss a practice," Meyer said of Dixon. "I was so happy to see him have great success today because we really need him. And he just has to have a great summer. So he stayed healthy. That's the most important thing."
Jordan Fuller — Sophomore safety
This comes solely based on observation, but Fuller and Erick Smith seemed neck-and-neck for the open safety spot at the beginning of spring practice and by the end, Fuller appeared to have the leg up.
He worked with the first-team defense during late open viewing portions and was on the Scarlet team for Saturday's spring game — the side made up of mostly first-team defensive players.
The battle isn't over, of course, and a three-man safety rotation is still possible, but Fuller seemed to gain some ground at the position this spring.
Dre'Mont Jones — Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle
Jones was going to be a starter in the fall regardless, but he appeared to really take that next step this spring. Meyer went so far as to lump Jones in with his four elite defensive ends.
"Dre'Mont Jones is really turning into a fine player for us," Meyer said.
If Jones becomes that elite inside pass-rusher for the Buckeyes, their defense would become that much more dangerous.
