Ohio State Football: 10 Buckeyes Whose Stocks Have Shifted After Spring Game
The Ohio State spring game Saturday showed quite a bit of what the 2011 Buckeyes football team will look like, except for Terrelle Pryor, who missed the game due to recovering from foot surgery.
Although we only saw about 90 minutes' worth of football in the scrimmage, the game did give us a look at what developments have been taking place in spring practice.
Even though we want to take quite a bit out of this game, let's remember that this scrimmage is just a sampling of what the coaches saw in the other 15 practices and scrimmages, meaning that each player could have had a fluky (good or bad) performance in the Horseshoe Saturday night.
Still, based on the spring game, here are 10 Buckeyes players and whether their stock rose or dropped after the scrimmage.
Stock Down: Joe Bauserman
1 of 10
Not only did Bauserman have the lowest completion percentage and the fewest passing yards of the four QBs in Saturday's scrimmage, his performance might have hurt his chances to be the favorite to start.
Bauserman came into spring practice with the most experience of any other passer on the Ohio State roster besides Pryor.
Unfortunately, he has done very little to secure the spot and is losing the trust of most fans in Buckeyes nation.
Heading into the spring, Bauserman had little margin for error and little faith, and both seem to be diminishing quickly.
Stock Up: Braxton Miller
2 of 10
The well-hyped freshman from nearby Huber Heights did not disappoint in his Ohio Stadium debut.
Miller led the OSU offense on a pair of scoring drives, including a 92-yard drive, the longest of the game by the offense.
Although Miller at times looked frazzled and thus inaccurate, those are things that can be fixed with time and repetitions.
What can't be taught, however, is his pure speed along with the velocity on his throws.
Those two elements of his game could make him a very special player down the road, and might make him more of a candidate to get the Opening Day start for the Buckeyes.
Stock Down: Carlos Hyde
3 of 10
Ohio State is very deep at the RB position, which means that someone will ultimately be left out of the shuffle.
That someone appears to be big Carlos Hyde, who appears at the time to be the No. 5 guy on the depth chart at RB.
Hyde had six carries in the game, but for only seven yards, putting him behind four RBs and Miller in rushing yards on the afternoon.
If he doesn't break out in the fall, Hyde may be moved to FB or ultimately be left on the outside looking in as far as playing time is concerned.
Stock Up: Rod Smith
4 of 10
Since bowl practices, the one player we have heard a lot of hype about is Rod Smith, a redshirt back out of Fort Wayne, Ind. that came in toward the end of fall due to problems with the NCAA clearinghouse.
Smith looked quite impressive throughout the spring, and played well in the Saturday scrimmage as well, rushing seven times for 36 yards.
And what Smith showed was the combination of power and speed that might remind some OSU fans of Beanie Wells and Eddie George among other big Buckeyes backs.
Even with Jordan Hall, Jaamal Berry and Dan Herron still on the roster, Smith might be doing well enough to earn some carries at some point in the 2011 season.
Stock Down: James Louis
5 of 10
One of the biggest prizes of the 2010 recruiting cycle for Ohio State was stealing WR James Louis out of the state of Florida.
However, Louis' rewards have been minimal, as he has struggled with inconsistent hands and problems adjusting to the collegiate game so far.
Louis failed to register a catch in Saturday's spring game and looked lost at times.
He still has plenty of time to work his way into the rotation even if it doesn't happen this year.
Stock Up: Verlon Reed
6 of 10
While Louis was very hyped coming out of high school, Verlon Reed's commit was more or less seen as a space-filler in a small recruiting class.
A converted QB, Reed redshirted in 2010 in the hopes of playing WR in the future.
And if Saturday was any indication, Reed might be ready to get a chance at WR with DeVier Posey suspended to start the 2011 season.
Reed had a pair of receptions for 25 yards and a TD off the arm of Kenny Guiton.
A lot has been said of T.Y. Willliams' performance, but Reed's rise to recognition is a greater rise of stock than Williams', although the latter is more likely to start alongside Corey "Philly" Brown.
Stock Down: Dionte Allen
7 of 10
The transfer from Florida State looked pretty strong in winter workouts and spring practices early on for the Buckeyes.
Allen, however, was one of 11 secondary players that missed the spring game due to injury.
His stock, however, diminished not because of anything bad he has done, but rather how well the two players battling with him for the No. 2 corner job have done.
Which brings us to...
Stock Up: Dominic Clarke
8 of 10
Dominic Clarke patiently waited in the wings for two seasons after coming in 2009 from Maryland, and was thrown into action during the Sugar Bowl due to injures.
Clarke played very strongly in relief duty, and has carried it over to the past few months.
Clarke was one of the better defensive players in the game, starting in the secondary with Travis Howard, who is one of the few locks on the OSU defense.
He had a tremendous sack off a corner blitz and almost reeled in a magnificent interception.
Clarke's strong performances in practices have carried over, and he will need to keep them up to keep Allen and Bradley Roby chasing him for the right to start in 2011.
Stock Up: Dorian Bell
9 of 10
The departures of Brian Rolle and Ross Homan to graduation have opened up a pair of holes in the LB corps.
Right now, Etienne Sabino is all but a lock for one of the spots.
But another former 5-star prospect, Dorian Bell, needed to make a statement to keep Under Armour All-American freshman Curtis Grant and third-year LB Storm Klein behind him on the depth chart.
And he did, with a pair of tackles and a ferocious sack as well.
Bell's incredible athleticism and hitting ability match well with Sabino and Andrew Sweat, which should make for an extremely exciting and athletic LB corps.
Stock Up: J.T. Moore
10 of 10
The loss of Cameron Heyward will be the biggest challenge for this Ohio State defense to overcome.
And with the depth the Buckeyes have on the defensive line in Nathan Williams, John Simon and Johnathan Hankins, you might need to throw a wild card in the deck in redshirt freshman J.T. Moore.
The first commit of the 2010 class, Moore was monstrous on Saturday, recording three solo tackles, a sack and 1.5 TFL.
Moore is likely to be the heir to Williams at the LEO, or light DE position, and should be able to crack the rotation if he continues to ride this momentum into fall practice.
The defense will need all the help up front it can get, and Moore can certainly help out with his athleticism and tackling ability.
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