Ohio State Football: Four Buckeyes to Root for This Spring

Well, maybe all of us have overanalyzed spring practice just a bit. In Ken Gordon's article today, Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel makes it clear that spring isn't about finalizing starters—but rather, players showing progress.

"They won't get a chance to cement roles now, because it's only 15 practices—but I want to see them progress," Tressel said.

So rather than waste a bunch of time talking about where guys found themselves on the depth chart on day one, I want to focus on who needs to progress this spring: The players we want to root for, the players whom the team needs to move forward during these three weeks.

Let's take a look...

1. Taurian Washington

Selfishly, I would love to see Washington redeem his career with a strong season. He's looked like a superstar in the Spring Game the last two years, only to be plagued with drops during the season.

In fact, he didn't have one catch last year.

Needless to say, most aren't expecting much from Washington in 2010. The Buckeyes could use a strong spring from him, though—especially in the absence of Duron Carter, who is having grade issues. If Carter has a misstep anywhere, the Buckeyes would be void of experience at the No. 3 wide receiver besides Washington.

Apparently, Washington made huge strides during bowl preparations last year—and the Buckeyes need him to build off of that momentum.

2. Mike Adams

He was compared to Orlando Pace coming out of high school—and thus far, he has followed the career progress of Connor Smith. The real problem is that Adams has the talent and footwork to be the next Pace—but poor decisions and a lack of motivation have put a lot of pressure on his shoulders this spring.

The staff has him starting the spring at No. 1 on the depth chart at left tackle—and it will be beneficial for all parties involved if Adams finally gets serious about taking his game to the next level.

Shugarts and Hall need to be kept at right tackle, and the depth behind Adams—without moving one of the guys over—isn't that impressive. So count me in as someone rooting for Adams this spring. Not only would I love to see him turn his career around, but the Buckeyes also need him to tap into his potential at LT! 

3. Etienne Sabino

I understand the staff gives rave reviews to Andrew Sweat—who fits the mold of some of the great Buckeye linebackers of the last few decades—but I can't help but root for Sabino this spring. Supposedly, his work ethic has been suspect in the past—but no one can deny the heat he brings on the gridiron.

Much like Adams, Sabino's ceiling is much higher than most players on the roster. For him, it's just a matter of unlocking all that potential. Obviously, the key is the Xs and Os—not the physical giftedness to play linebacker.

While having two intelligent linebackers on the field like Homan and Sweat would be great, I can't help but think how sick the combination of Homan, Rolle, and Sabino would be. Having two kamikazes like Rolle and Sabino on the field together would not bode well for opposing offenses.

4. Jake Stoneburner

As we pointed out yesterday, Stoneburner isn't lacking any confidence this spring. In his defense, he does bring a skill set to tight end that the Buckeyes haven't had in the Tressel era. His ability to split out like a wideout in shotgun formations makes him a very deadly weapon.

So what's the problem? Well, Stoney needs to show that he is truly a strong blocking option for the Buckeyes and a reliable target for QB Terrelle Pryor this spring. On day one, he went a long way to prove both—and we should be rooting for him to build on that momentum.

Having a TE of his caliber really could take this offense to the next level—and spring could go a long way to show Tressel and Co. the value in looking his way.

What do you think: Who should we be rooting for?