Last season, Ohio State redshirted 10 members of its incoming true freshman class. While this 2019 signee group isn't as deep, with just 17 pledges, there is a good chance that a decent amount of them will redshirt this season. Let's take a look at some who may.
The Offensive Linemen
Every year, it seems like there are at least one or two offensive linemen who redshirt, solely because there is always decent depth at the position and the fact that it usually takes these players longer to develop. This year isn't much different.
Ryan Jacoby, while an early enrollee, will struggle to crack the two-deep this year behind other veteran options. The four-star from Mentor, Ohio has tools to be a really good one for Greg Studrawa down the line, but faces a tough road to even crack any part of the rotation this season.
Dawand Jones is another guy in a similar spot. The three-star from Indianapolis is a behemoth, standing 6-foot-8 and weighing in at 360 pounds. He is also a good athlete.
Can I dunk?? Duhh pic.twitter.com/v8Ck0mGij5
— Dawand Jones (@dawand_jones) November 15, 2018
Jones is viewed as a little bit unpolished at the offensive line position, and due to the fact he will not be arriving on to campus until next month, he is virtually a lock to redshirt this year, barring significant unforeseen circumstances. Nonetheless, he's another guy who Ryan Day, Studrawa, and Ohio State think will become a valuable contributor down the line. You almost have to take a chance on a guy his size, but we likely will not see him on the field until at least 2020.
Finally, there's the curious case of Enokk Vimahi. The four-star from Hawaii was a late add in the 2019 cycle after the Buckeyes expected to lose Doug Nester to Virginia Tech (which they of course eventually did).
Vimahi is expected to be on campus for his freshman season, then take a two-year mission trip for the Mormon church (for which his eligibility will not be impacted; he will essentially freeze where he left off).
Similarly to his two compadres, Vimahi will likely take a redshirt season and get a little bit of the college game underneath his belt before going on his mission trip.
Harry Miller will come in as the highest-touted of the four signed offensive linemen, as he was ranked as a five-star coming out of Buford, Georgia, but it would be a surprise to see him play as well, since he will likely be the third center on the depth chart, behind Josh Myers and Matthew Jones.
Jaden McKenzie, Defensive Tackle
A three-star who hails from Wake Forest, North Carolina, McKenzie is another very good athlete who has impressive tape, even though he originally quit football in middle school before giving it another try.
This was a Larry Johnson special: Johnson plucked him out of North Carolina as his choice, but with eight defensive tackles on the roster ahead of him, it will be a big surprise if McKenzie cracks the rotation this year (since he isn't really in the special teams mold either).
Nevertheless, he will bring something to the table when he eventually steps on the field in Columbus.
#BOOM: Ohio State lands three-star defensive tackle Jaden McKenzie as he spurns multiple ACC schools to join a talented group of interior linemen led by Larry Johnson. https://t.co/3j1uRcl9o3
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) December 19, 2018
Craig Young, Athlete
Young is another Indiana product, like Jones, although Young comes from Fort Wayne.
This is an interesting case: Young is yet another freak athlete (a track star in addition to his prowess on the football field) and as we know, Ohio State is a big fan of those multi-sport players.
Young's biggest issue may be just "Where do we play him?" He has been forecasted as both a tight end and as a linebacker, but his speed could translate to a wide receiver or even the new "bullet" position (hybrid safety-linebacker) as well. If he were to make an impact this year, it could come on special teams, where some of the best athletes on the team make their first impact before earning bigger, more substantial roles.
