Ohio State Football: Buckeyes' Biggest Position Battles Heading into Fall Camp

Unless you've been completely ignoring the sports world since the start of 2015, you've probably heard about the Ohio State Buckeyes' upcoming quarterback battle.

And if you tuned out on Thursday night, you may have missed a huge development in that position race. In a report by Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated, Braxton Miller announced that he's changing positions this fall to wide receiver in an effort to "have fun with that and still score a lot of touchdowns and help the team out and be dominant at that."

The Buckeyes are gearing up for another run at the College Football Playoff, and even though the quarterback race gets all the headlines, head coach Urban Meyer will have to sort through a few pivotal position battles during fall camp.

Here's an overview of the key spots that are still open on Ohio State's roster and the candidates vying to fill those roles.

Quarterback

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After months of speculation and hype, the most polarizing position battle in all of college football is set to start when the Buckeyes open fall camp in early August.

Cardale Jones, fresh off a three-game tear through the 2014 postseason, has a leg up after taking the lion's share of first-team reps during spring camp. J.T. Barrett, meanwhile, spent the offseason recovering from the broken ankle that cut his incredible redshirt freshman season short.

But with Barrett close to 100 percent, each signal-caller will get a long look from the coaching staff this fall. And as Meyer clarified during spring practice, he will evaluate each quarterback and determine Ohio State's starter midway through camp so the final two weeks can be spent on scheme and game-planning.  

But with Miller deflecting to wide receiver, that process becomes immeasurably easier. Both Jones and Barrett will get more time with the first-team offense, giving the coaching staff a better chance of determining who will lead and take charge of the offense more efficiently.

H-Back

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With Miller's move to the perimeter, the H-back position has become more of a logjam than any position on the roster.

Dontre Wilson and Jalin Marshall shared time at the position last fall, with Marshall surging down the stretch after Wilson broke his foot against Michigan State and missed most of the remainder of the season. Both are back for the Buckeyes this fall, which gives the offense plenty of firepower at the position.

But it doesn't just stop there.

In an effort to get his most dangerous playmakers on the field, Meyer moved Curtis Samuel—Ezekiel Elliott's primary backup at running back last season—to the slot with Wilson and Marshall. It was a move that gave Ohio State's already deep stable of receivers another weapon and one that Meyer insisted on.

"The days of Curtis Samuel playing 10 plays are over," Meyer said, according to Ari Wasserman of the Plain Dealer. "It's our job to get him on the field for 40 or 50 plays."

Beyond those three is another great option in Parris Campbell. The redshirt freshman has elite speed and excellent hands, and he showed that off during the spring game when he caught five passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. He certainly caught Meyer's attention, especially on his four-yard touchdown catch that featured a nice move into the end zone.

But Miller's move changes everything. As Meyer pointed out last night, the coaching staff has never seen Miller at wide receiver, so it's premature to dub him an instant contributor. 

"We won't know enough until practice starts how we can use him and what he can do," Meyer said, according to Doug Lesmerises of the Plain Dealer. "I just don't know. He's a great athlete, but he's never caught a pass for us. So we'll know more and we have plenty of time when practice starts."

Cornerback

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The departure of Doran Grant left Ohio State with a significant hole to fill in a secondary that improved drastically in 2014.

After getting consistently gashed by opposing passing attacks in 2013, the Buckeyes simplified their pass coverage last season via an overhaul by new co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash. Grant and Eli Apple formed a formidable pair at cornerback, but the Buckeyes went back to the drawing board to find Apple a new running mate.

Coming out of spring practice, Gareon Conley held the edge to win the job.

The redshirt sophomore gained that edge over Damon Webb and Marshon Lattimore, a pair of redshirt freshmen who have a high ceiling. Because of that, Conley will have to finalize his status as a starter by beating out Webb and Lattimore in fall camp. 

Can he handle the pressure?

That's something he struggled with last year. In a marquee game against Michigan State last year, Conley was thrust into early action because Apple was battling a lingering injury. Connor Cook and the Spartans went after him, completing passes of 44 and 15 yards to the man he was covering, the latter of which went for a touchdown.

The Buckeyes are hoping those struggles are behind him.

"We talk about that in very honest terms in our room. So when he trots out there Saturday the 18th, he’s gotta know it’s a big boy world," cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs said, according to Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors. "You’re out there on an island and you’ve gotta make those plays."

Because if Conley can't make those plays, the coaching staff won't hesitate to give Webb or Lattimore a shot. 

David Regimbal is the Ohio State football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.