Ohio State Football: Young Studs Buckeyes Should Be Excited About

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Coming off of a seven game-winning streak, Ohio State looks like a powerhouse Big Ten team. But their older veterans are not the only players that should be talked about.

The Buckeyes have a team full of talent and young players who are ready to prove themselves, not only this year, but in the years to come.

These next four players have all played this season at some point, but a majority of them have the capabilities to do much more.

Jeff Heuerman

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Jeff Heuerman #86 is a sophomore tight end for the Buckeyes. He started in the games against University of California, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Nebraska and Indiana.

So far this season he has had 81 yards and one touchdown. That may not seem like much, but the Buckeyes are undefeated while still rebuilding their team with young players.

Heuerman should be able to perform exceptionally well against Purdue this weekend, especially since Purdue’s defense had 27 missed tackles in last weekend’s game against Wisconsin. This weekend will be the perfect opportunity for Heuerman to really showcase his skills.

Verlon Reed

Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

Verlon Reed is a sophomore wide receiver for the Buckeyes. In the first game of the season against Miami of Ohio, he had 13 receiving yards. Since then he has not made any more progress.

He had knee surgery in 2011 after an injury during the Michigan State game. Now he is the backup wide receiver for Evan Spencer.

In the coming weeks, Reed should get some playing time. He has the capabilities to be a great receiver. Now he just has to earn his spot as a starter.

Braxton Miller

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Most Buckeye fans are already excited about Miller. He’s a candidate for the Heisman and has already had 1,271 yards this season.

But fans should be more excited about what he will do in the future. He is only a sophomore, and has two more years to lead the Buckeyes.

He has a tough schedule ahead of him with Purdue, Penn State, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, but Miller should be able to lead his players to a victory in each and every one of these games.

During Saturday’s game against Indiana, Miller took it into his own hands to lead the team to a win. He scored two touchdowns and rushed for 149 yards. That win made the Buckeyes 7-0, which puts them in the lead for the Big Ten Conference. Any sophomore who can put up those kinds of numbers is going to get the attention they deserve. 

Rod Smith

Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

Rod Smith is a sophomore running back for the Buckeyes. Smith has had 128 yards and two touchdowns so far this season.

In the game against Nebraska, Smith had 38 yards and one touchdown. Against University of Alabama at Birmingham, he had 24 yards and one touchdown as well.

Smith’s yards per game statistics are not very high, but when he plays, he’s able to get the job done, and in cases like Nebraska and UAB, he is able to score.

He has quite the competition since the other running backs on the team are Carlos Hyde and Jordan Hall, but Smith has great potential for the future of Ohio State Football.