CHICAGO – After his opening press conference at Big Ten Media Days on Monday afternoon, Urban Meyer spent an additional hour with reporters fielding questions on a wide array of topics, ranging from queries about the Buckeyes’ current players and depth chart to questions about former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott and about the lawsuit filed by former Buckeyes linebacker Chris Spielman against OSU.
One of the biggest news items came near the end of his media session, when the Ohio State coach confirmed that fourth-year defensive lineman Darius Slade is no longer with the program.
Meyer also said that defensive coordinator and safeties coach Greg Schiano turned down offers for two “significant” head coaching jobs this offseason.
Here’s a look at some of the other noteworthy items that came from Meyer’s lengthy interview session with the media at large:
A SEVEN-WAY COMPETITION?
Fall camp position battles are typically competitions between just two, three or sometimes four players, but Meyer said during his press conference Tuesday that there are seven players who will get a shot to compete for the starting job at right guard: Matthew Burrell, Malcolm Pridgeon, Branden Bowen, Demetrius Knox, Josh Myers, Wyatt Davis and Thayer Munford.
That might speak to the talent Ohio State has been able to recruit at the position, but it also means that no one at the position has performed well enough him to separate himself from the pack, which includes three true freshmen in Myers, Davis and Munford.
Meyer said the coaching staff will have to begin narrowing down that competition within the first week or two of camp.
"There’s positives and negatives to having seven guys," Meyer said. "How do you get those guys reps? And no one has really stepped up and taken it. So it’s going to be a street fight, especially the first 10 days, because you can’t have seven guys competing for that spot."
YOUNG RUNNING BACKS TO WATCH
Meyer is confident that four-star running back J.K. Dobbins will see playing time this year as a true freshman after performing well this spring.
"He’s also proved the fact that he’s going to play," Meyer said.
Dobbins will compete with sophomore Antonio Williams to be the Buckeyes’ No. 2 back. Meyer said Williams "looks really good right now" after battling injuries throughout the spring.
Eleven Warriors forum favorite Demario McCall is another candidate to play a bigger role at running back. Meyer expects McCall to be a factor in the Buckeyes’ return game this season, but his role in the offense – which could include playing both running back and H-back – is still to be determined.
"He’s certainly shown signs of great elusiveness," Meyer said. "Our question is how durable can he be, and how strong can he be. He’s had a very good offseason, so I’m hoping to move him around a little bit."
THE NEXT CURTIS SAMUEL?
Meyer believes Parris Campbell, who is moving to the H-back spot this year after playing wide receiver last year, is capable of making a similar impact on this year’s Buckeyes as Curtis Samuel did last year.
"He hasn’t done it yet, but he has everything, including the guts, toughness, character, work ethic," Meyer said.
WHO WILL START AT WIDE RECEIVER?
Ohio State lost its top three players in receptions from last season, so the Buckeyes need some wide receivers to step up into bigger roles. Meyer said Terry McLaurin is in line to be a starter this year, along with Campbell as the starting H-back. The other starting wide receiver spot remains up for grabs, but one player who has emerged as a serious candidate for that spot is Johnnie Dixon.
"I can’t believe I’m saying this this early, Johnnie Dixon is off-the-charts right now," Meyer said. "He’s moved into the gold category as far as work ethic and practice and he’s a very talented guy."
Meyer praised Dixon further, as well as some of Ohio State’s other wide receivers, during a separate interview on BTN Live.
WHO’S THE BACKUP QB?
Meyer said he has not made a decision yet on who would play at quarterback if something was to happen to starter J.T. Barrett. Redshirt sophomore Joe Burrow and redshirt freshman Dwayne Haskins are continuing to compete for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, but Meyer said he hopes for a resolution early in fall camp.
"We’re not there yet," Meyer said of the backup quarterback competition. "I think after the first two weeks of fall, we better be there, and someone better establish himself as that guy, but both of them … at times in spring, they looked like they’re ready to go, both of them."
WHERE’S J.T.?
Before deciding that Price, Tyquan Lewis and Chris Worley would be the Buckeyes’ player representatives in Chicago, Meyer said he asked Barrett who he thought should attend the event. Barrett, who attended Big Ten Media Days last year, agreed with his coach that three of his fellow fifth-year seniors deserved the opportunity this year.
"Typical J.T., gave me his opinion, which was selfless, and it would be good exposure for three fifth-year seniors," Meyer said. "So J.T. was great, but he was involved in the conversation."
THOMPSON NO LONGER ON SCHOLARSHIP
Dylan Thompson, a three-star recruit in Ohio State’s class of 2014, is no longer on scholarship after being academically ineligible last season. He’s still on the Buckeyes’ roster, but Meyer said his eligibility for the upcoming season is still to be determined. Thompson, a defensive lineman, has yet to play a down for the Buckeyes.
LINEBACKERS RECOVERING FROM INJURIES
Freshman linebacker Baron Browning and sophomore linebacker Malik Harrison are both recovering from offseason shoulder surgeries. Meyer said he expects both to be “80 percent” to start fall camp but to be practicing at full speed within 10 days.
UNCONCERNED WITH SPIELMAN LAWSUIT
Because he is a busy man, Meyer says he has spent "0.0 time" thinking about Chris Spielman’s lawsuit against Ohio State. That’s an issue between Spielman and the university, Meyer said, and he said he didn’t know enough about the lawsuit to comment on it Monday. He did say, though, that Spielman remains one of his dear friends.
"I have not talked to Chris … and if we do, I’m not going to talk to him about that," Meyer said, indicating that the lawsuit has no effect on his friendship with the former Ohio State linebacker.
“VERY MUCH” CONCERNED ABOUT ZEKE
Asked for his insight on why former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott might be running into a pattern of trouble in Dallas, Meyer said he preferred not to comment. That doesn’t mean, however, that Meyer isn’t alarmed by the headlines about his former player.
"Very much so," Meyer said when asked whether he was concerned about Elliott. "And I’m always on call. I don’t try to get my nose into it unless I’m asked, but of course I’m concerned.
"It’s well-documented I love Zeke," Meyer added. "(I’m) very close to him."
For more notes and quotes from Big Ten Media Days, check out our bullet points from Meyer’s opening press conference.
