Ohio State Spring Game: 6 Players Who Need to Have a Solid Performance

We've already talked a little bit about what to watch for in Urban Meyer's first spring game with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Now it's time to focus on the players who need to impress and make a statement in this game.

Don't get me wrong, the spring game is nothing but an over-hyped practice, but it does give players a chance to make a name for themselves and an opportunity to slide up that depth chart. The Buckeyes return 19 starters from a year ago, but that doesn't mean that everyone's job is safe with a new coaching staff taking over.

Here are six Buckeyes who have to answer the bell on Saturday.

Reid Fragel

Reid Fragel was a tight end the last two years, catching a total of 14 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown. This year he is the starting right tackle and will likely be a new member of this offensive line.

With the Buckeyes losing three key members of the offensive line, it's important that he steps up and fills one of the areas of concern. He says he's getting more comfortable at the position, but it's going to take some time adjusting.

"A transition like this will take some time. But every day I get more and more confident...I was more confident as a blocking tight end than I was running corner routes," Fragel said via CBS Sports.

This should be interesting.

Corey Brown

Wide receiver Corey Brown has the potential to become one of the better wide receivers in the Big Ten conference. Urban Meyer is looking for a Percy Harvin type player, and Brown certainly has the game-changing speed to become that guy. His 54-yard touchdown reception against Michigan last season showed a peak of his big play ability.

The problem is that he drops a ton of passes. Can he mature his game as he enters his sophomore season? The spring game should give us a better answer.

Storm Klein

Storm Klein was a solid contributor last season for the Buckeyes, as he racked up 45 tackles, had two tackles for loss and one sack. But he may not be the starter this season, as he may lose that spot to former 5-star recruit Curtis Grant.

Grant has been practicing with the first-team defense for the majority of the spring and would be considered the starter if the season started today.

These two players are battling it out for the middle linebacker position, but if Klein wants to gain the upper hand heading into the fall, he must make an impact tomorrow.

Jordan Hall

Coming out of high school, Jordan Hall was a versatile player who was capable of playing cornerback or running back. In three seasons in an Ohio State uniform, Hall hasn't exactly impressed, totaling just 814 rushing yards in those seasons combined. Now that he enters his senior season, this is his last chance to make an impact.

Word is that he is one of the first options and should see the ball a lot more than the 99 times he did last year.

"We're going to play to Jordan Hall's strengths," running backs coach Stan Drayton said via bucyrustelegraphforum.com. "He's a guy who can be a versatile player for us. He is primarily a tailback, but we're going to put more on his plate and see how much he can handle."

We're all waiting.

Travis Howard

Travis Howard has had an up-and-down career at Ohio State. He was involved in the recent scandal that forced him to miss a couple of games last year. But when he came back, he had the most productive season of his career, finishing with 41 tackles, two interceptions and five passes broken up.

Will he be a consistent player this season? Assistant coach Kerry Coombs sure thinks so.

“There's no doubt he's going to be an NFL player. Where he gets drafted will be up to the season he has. Travis has got a tremendous upside. He's very quick, very explosive, very flexible and a physical player.” Coombs said via CBS Sports.

The secondary is a strength for this defense heading into the spring game. I'd sure like to see Howard take his game to the next level and become that player many think he can be.

Braxton Miller

Braxton Miller is the perfect type of quarterback for Urban Meyer's spread offense. He has the dual-threat ability to make plays and will be set up in the perfect situation to maximize his potential. For a freshman quarterback who was just thrown into the fire last season, Miller didn't fare so bad, throwing for 13 touchdowns and running for over 700 yards.

There will be no contact involved for the quarterbacks, but we're all interested to see how much the young quarterback has improved in a short period of time with his new coach.