Ohio State Recruiting: 5 Positions the Buckeyes Can Get Away Without Filling

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Ohio State suffered its worst season since the late 1800s last year, compiling a 6-7 (3-5 Big Ten) record and losing to arch-rival Michigan for the first time since 2003.

Changes were imminent, as the multiple player suspensions and brutal regular season schedule proved too much for interim coach Luke Fickell. Urban Meyer has taken over and has done so in outstanding fashion, raising the Buckeyes' 2012 recruiting class from the unranked abyss to No. 8 overall in a matter of two months, according to ESPN.

Although plenty of holes have needed to be filled in many different areas, there have been some positions Meyer hasn't had to worry about while recruiting.

Punter

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The punter has always been a coveted position for Ohio State football, and Ben Buchanan has lived up to his title. The red-shirt junior booted 70 punts for an average of 41.3 yards in 2011, including a career-best 60-yarder at Miami (FL).

Meyer doesn't have to worry about signing another punter until next offseason when Buchanan graduates.

Kicker

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Special teams has been a weak point for Ohio State over the last few seasons, but sophomore place kicker Drew Basil had a solid year.

Basil connected for 16-of-19 attempts (84.2 percent) with a long of 47 yards in 2011. He still has two years left to put on a Buckeyes jersey, and freshman Russell Doup is there to back him up if anything were to go wrong.

Cornerback

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Ohio State finished 15th in the nation against the passing game and will be stocked with depth for the 2012 campaign.

Despite recently losing Dominic Clarke and DerJuan Gambrell for off-field issues, the Buckeyes currently have 16 defensive backs on their roster, consisting of eight soon-to-be sophomores, four juniors and four seniors.

OSU signed a trio of DBs in June.

Running Back

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Although Ohio State loses three-year starter Dan "Boom" Herron to graduation (and most likely the NFL draft), it has a boatload of talent at the position.

Jordan Hall is expected to take the reins in Meyer's new spread option offense, while Carlos Hyde and incoming freshman Brionte Dunn will likely role play in the power formations.

Sophomores Spencer DeLande, Darryl Wood and junior Adam Homan are all solid backups. Jaamal Berry and Rod Smith are still on the roster, but seem to be on their way out.

The Buckeyes will also welcome incoming freshman Warren Ball, who was signed by Jim Tressel in 2010.

Tight End

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Tight end Jake Stoneburner is returning for his senior season, which is huge for the Ohio State offense. The 6'5", 245-pounder recorded 14 receptions for 193 yards and led the team with seven touchdowns last year.

His counterpart, Reid Fragel, is expected to move to offensive tackle. However, freshmen Nick Vannett, Kyle Schuck and Jeff Heuerman are all outstanding athletes and will be big contributors in 2012.

The Buckeyes also signed Ohio native Blake Thomas in May to round out the roster.