With Ohio State and several other Big Ten schools scheduled to play their spring games this week, the Big Ten held its annual spring football coaches' teleconference on Wednesday afternoon, giving the media opportunity to ask all 14 Big Ten coaches about how their respective teams' springs have gone.
Urban Meyer was the second-to-last coach to appear on Wednesday's teleconference, and he provided several updates on the Buckeyes and their preparation for Saturday's spring game.
What you need to know from Meyer's appearance on the teleconference:
- On the quarterback competition: "All three are close." He said that still no quarterback has separated himself from the others, and that's because the other quarterbacks want the job, not because any of them have performed poorly. Wednesday, in Meyer's estimation, was the best practice that the trio of Dwayne Haskins, Joe Burrow and Tate Martell have had all spring.
- Meyer said the Buckeyes have been very selective about who they've brought in for official visits this spring.
- Outside of the quarterback competition, another position battle to watch on Saturday will be at field safety, where Meyer said Isaiah Pryor, Jahsen Wint and Brendon White are all competing for the starting job.
- On the offensive line, Malcolm Pridgeon is making a serious push for playing time.
- The center battle remains ongoing, though Brady Taylor is leading the way in that competition as of now.
- Luke Farrell has jumped ahead of the other tight ends on the depth chart.
- Thayer Munford "has earned a starting spot," Meyer said. "He's had a great spring."
- Meyer said he would not be confident in putting all three of the quarterbacks competing for the starting job on the field yet, but is confident in due time that all three of them will be capable of starting for the Buckeyes.
- Meyer said Tommy Togiai, who became the first true freshman to lose his black stripe this spring on Wednesday, is "just doing everything right."
- Fellow midyear enrollee defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson has been "very limited" this spring after undergoing foot surgery.
- Dre'Mont Jones has been "elite" this spring. "Even better than he was last year."
Stay tuned with Eleven Warriors for additional coverage from Meyer's appearance on the teleconference and of the upcoming spring game this Saturday.
The other 13 Big Ten coaches also spoke on Wednesday, beginning with Iowa's Kirk Ferentz. A sampling of what each of them had to say:
Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
- Ferentz said the Hawkeyes "really haven't made a strong determination on anything yet," in terms of who will win specific position battles, as the Hawkeyes – who are scheduled to play their spring game next weekend – are about two-thirds of the way through spring practice.
- Ferentz believes the Hawkeyes' passing offense is much better at this time than it was at this time a year ago, with young wide receivers like Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith stepping up this spring.
- Ferentz believes the spring game is valuable to his team, but he understands why other teams made the decision to cancel due to threats of inclement weather: "There's no sense in going out there if it's a torrential downpour."
Jim Harbaugh (Michigan)
- On Ole Miss transfer quarterback Shea Patterson, who is awaiting ruling on an appeal to be able to play this season: "Shea's practicing. Practicing very well. He's going about his business, and taking care of it nicely. So I think he's controlling the things that he can control, and we're handling it the same way as a team."
- Michigan canceled its spring game, which was scheduled for Saturday, because Harbaugh thought it was in the best interest of players, fans and everyone due to a forecasted "100% chance of thunderstorms."
- Harbaugh said run blocking is "probably one of the best things we're doing right now." Former Ohio State offensive line coach Ed Warinner is in his first spring as Michigan's offensive line coach.
Mark Dantonio (Michigan State)
- The Spartans, who played their spring game on Saturday, wrapped up spring practice Tuesday.
- Dantonio thought Michigan State's first-team offensive line "played pretty well" in Saturday's spring game, but the second-team offensive line has "some work to do."
- Dantonio was pleased with how the Spartans finished spring practice on Tuesday. "We had a lot of enthusiasm ... We finished strong, and that's what you always want to try to do."
- Dantonio is looking forward to Michigan State opening its season with a Friday night game against Utah State. Expects to have a great crowd at Spartan Stadium, and the Friday start will give the Spartans extra time to prepare for their second game (against Arizona State the following Saturday).
Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern)
- On Friday night games coming to the Big Ten: "I'm a firm believer that Fridays are for high school football." Fitzgerald said he would always like to play the season opener on Thursdays, as that allows a team to start camp a couple days earlier and have extra preparation time for the next game, but wants to avoid playing Friday games.
- Fitzgerald said Northwestern is still evaluating the weather for Saturday. The Wildcats are scheduled to hold an open practice instead of a traditional spring game on Saturday, and if weather forces Northwestern to move practice indoors, it would be closed to the public.
- Fitzgerald said he will not block a player from transferring but believes the current rule that forces a player to sit out a year should remain in place. Fitzgerald did say, though, that if a player who transfers has already redshirted, he believes that player should be given that year back at the end of their career if they meet certain academic benchmarks, so that they are able to play a full four years.
James Franklin (Penn State)
- Franklin said he is still not a fan of college football games being played on Friday nights even though Penn State will play a Friday night game this year (not by its own choice) against Illinois.
- Franklin said the Nittany Lions aren't sure who their new starting tight end and middle linebacker will be, and they are still working to develop depth at defensive tackle.
- Franklin has worked with Saquon Barkley to help him put together a plan to complete his degree even though he left Penn State early for the NFL.
Chris Ash (Rutgers)
- Ash is pleased with the health of his team as it nears the conclusion of spring practice with Saturday's spring game. "It's probably been the most physical spring game since I've been here, but it's also been the healthiest."
- Ash was the first coach on the teleconference who did not receive enough questions to fill his full allotted time on the teleconference.
P.J. Fleck (Minnesota)
- Fleck said the Gophers held a draft to set their rosters for Thursday's spring game and had fun with it.
- "Canceling the spring game was not an option," Fleck said of moving Minnesota's spring game from Saturday to Thursday.
- Fleck said he does like players having the flexibility to transfer, but believes expanding the transfer rules significantly beyond what they already are would "open up a can of worms" that would lead to unwanted consequences.
- "In a perfect world, you'd love to see everything played on Saturdays," but Fleck said he understands why some games are being played on Thursdays or Fridays for money reasons.
Paul Chryst (Wisconsin)
- On coaching Big Ten Freshman of the Year running back Jonathan Taylor: "He's a blast to coach ... He wants to be the best he can be, and wants to be coached ... He's really fun to be around, and you appreciate being able to coach him."
- If he had to single out one position that's most challenging to coach in spring practice, Chryst said he'd go with offensive line.
Lovie Smith (Illinois)
- Illinois concluded spring practice with an open practice last Sunday. Smith said it was an important spring for the Illini, who brought in a new offensive coordinator (Rod Smith), and he believes the Illini were able to accomplish a lot.
- Smith said he does not believe playing games on Friday nights will hurt high school football.
- Smith did not receive enough questions to fill his allotted time on the teleconference.
Jeff Brohm (Purdue)
- Brohm said he is pleased overall with how spring practice, which wrapped up with the Boilermakers' spring game this past Saturday, went. "Things went well. I feel like we made some progress. There's definitely a long way to go, but our guys worked hard."
- Brohm said the Boilermakers are still looking for more players to emerge as playmakers on both sides of the ball. "In the end, you've got to have a handful of guys who can flat make plays."
- Brohm did not receive enough questions to fill his allotted time on the teleconference.
Scott Frost (Nebraska)
- On his first spring coaching the Cornhuskers: "We're taking the first couple steps on a long road to making Nebraska what it should be."
- Frost said there isn't any one position that he places more emphasis on than any other in spring practice. "Everybody has things they need to learn, on and off the field."
- Frost said he wasn't surprised that Nebraska sold out its spring game in just two days because of the excitement he's seen around Nebraska football since he was watching games as a kid. "I watch other spring games on TV, and see crowds that aren't very big, and that's one of the things that makes Nebraska special."
- Frost said he would prefer to have recruits take official visits in the fall than in the spring because he wants them to experience what a fall game day at Nebraska is like.
- Frost is "all for players having more freedom and more rights," but he is not even in favor of players being able to transfer without restrictions. "I think it's going to open up a can of worms that people don't even expect." He does not think a GPA benchmark for players being able to transfer without sitting out would be a good idea, either, because it would be motivate some coaches to try to keep their players' GPAs down to limit transfers.
Tom Allen (Indiana)
- On Brandon Dawkins, who Indiana just brought in as a graduate transfer quarterback: "We just wanted to make sure that we brought in a guy that's fit with us, in the culture, and we feel like that's the case." Also said Dawkins' experience playing and starting games for a Power 5 school, coming from Arizona, made him a guy who would fit the Hoosiers' needs.
- Allen says the Hoosiers have started to target more dual-threat quarterbacks in recruiting because he knows, as a defensive-minded coach, how difficult they can be to defend.
DJ Durkin (Maryland)
- Tre Watson, who transferred to Maryland this spring from Illinois, has already earned a starting spot for the Terrapins at linebacker, Durkin said.
