Ohio State Football: Position-by-Position Spring Practice Preview

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Thanks to Ohio State switching to semesters, spring football for the Buckeyes starts very early this year compared to the past.

Starting March 5, the Buckeyes will take the practice field for the first time since their 26-21 win over Michigan in the final game of the regular season.

The group that returns includes nine offensive starters, and a lot of questions on defense, particularly in the front seven.

Here is a look at what to watch at every position on the Buckeyes' roster this spring.

Quarterback

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Everyone will be anxious to see how Braxton Miller continues to develop after finishing No. 5 in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2012.

Miller has to continue to develop his throwing mechanics, as well as being a more consistent thrower.

Kenny Guiton and Cardale Jones each return as well in backup roles.

We shouldn't expect to see freshman JT Barrett practicing at any point, as he continues to rehab an ACL and MCL injury he sustained during his senior season.

Running Back

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While Carlos Hyde is expected to be the guy after a strong season in 2012, the question will be how healthy senior Jordan Hall is.

Hall got a medical redshirt after several injuries severely limited his availability last season.

How well he bounces back will be a question, as well as how much young backs Bri'onte Dunn and Warren Ball have progressed.

If neither of those two makes significant strides, odds are that either Dontre Wilson or Ezekiel Elliott may have a good chance to pass them up on the depth chart.

Wide Receiver

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The wide receiver position got a significant jolt in recruiting with the signings of Jalin Marshall, James Clark and Corey Smith. That puts a lot of pressure on veterans Corey Brown and Devin Smith to grow.

The pair had their share of big plays and big games, proving that they had adequate skills.

Neither is elite, but they're good enough to be solid players.

The question is the depth behind them, namely Evan Spencer and Michael Thomas. Their jobs and playing time could be on the line if they don't have great springs.

Tight End

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The tight end position hasn't had a strong last few years at Ohio State, but the Buckeyes do have a young pair with potential in Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett.

Heuerman and Vannett are both third-year players who combined for 17 catches and 219 yards receiving. It may not seem like a lot, but it's only three yards less than graduating TE Jake Stoneburner's best season.

Heading into year two of Urban Meyer's offense, it will be interesting to see how much more frequently the tight end is used in the passing game.

Meyer's background indicates that he loves using the tight end, and the development of Heuerman and Vannett in the spring can go a long way for them seeing more passes thrown their way.

Offensive Line

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All but one starter on the Buckeyes' offensive line returns after a season where this group showed tremendous improvement from the previous season.

The one battle to watch will be between sophomore Taylor Decker and redshirt freshman Kyle Dodson for the starting job at RT alongside Marcus Hall.

Decker saw a small amount of playing time last year, while Dodson was rehabbing from an injury he sustained before enrolling last fall.

Defensive Line

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The biggest question facing the Buckeyes this season comes in the form of the defensive line, which has to be completely overhauled after graduating all four starters.

What's left is quite a bit of potential, including juniors Michael Bennett and Steve Miller, and sophomores Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington.

The spring is where the leader of this young group has to emerge and when a core of linemen separate themselves from the backups.

It likely will be the fiercest competition of any position in the spring because there are a lot of talented, yet unproven, players fighting for the four starting jobs on the front.

Linebackers

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Ryan Shazier is in the discussion for best linebacker in the Big Ten going into 2013. However, the rest of the talent around him has a lot of questions to answer.

The two linebacker spots opposite Shazier are up for grabs, and most of the players in competition for the jobs in the spring have not seen the field in base defenses.

Curtis Grant and Josh Perry are the favorites to start, despite the fact that Grant was benched a few weeks into last season. Perry saw some snaps last year toward the end of the season and did a solid job.

Sophomores David Perkins and Camren Williams made nice plays on special teams and can each earn a shot at the job.

Secondary

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OSU's secondary returns three starters including star corner Bradley Roby. While the Buckeyes do have two seniors starting at safety, there isn't going to be much help on the way in terms of depth until the fall.

The second corner spot is going to be an entertaining battle between junior Doran Grant and a pair of freshmen in Cam Burrows and Eli Apple. Both freshmen are talented athletes who enrolled early and have been lifting with the team since January, which means they have time to learn the defense early.

Grant has shown the ability to play well at this level, which makes him the favorite.

But by no means will this job be given to him.

 

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