Grading Ohio State's 2014 Recruiting Class 1 Year Later
COLUMBUS, Ohio — After initially being disappointed by the immediate returns that he received from his 2013 class, Urban Meyer vowed that the following year would be different.
And for the most part, it was.
Ohio State's unlikely run to a national championship in 2014 likely wouldn't have been possible without key contributions from its freshman class. The Buckeyes' 2013 class proved to be the star of the show this past season—think J.T. Barrett, Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa, Eli Apple, Vonn Bell, Jalin Marshall, Darron Lee—but the "Dream 14" recruiting class, as it deemed itself, ultimately proved to make more of an immediate impact than its predecessor.
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That was what Meyer hoped for a year ago when he inked 23 players to national letters of intent with the promise that fewer Buckeyes would redshirt or ride the bench than a season before. "We're counting on these guys to go play," Meyer said on national signing day.
Without taking into account medical redshirts, 11 true freshmen saw playing time at Ohio State in 2014. That's three players more than the eight freshmen of the Buckeyes' 24-man class who got on the field in 2013.
Of course, each freshman who played—or didn't, for that matter—made varying impacts on Ohio State's national title run. Perhaps none whose was more apparent than one of the steadying forces on the Buckeyes' revamped defense.
Instant Impact
Raekwon McMillan enrolled early at Ohio State last January with the intent of taking over for another former 5-star prospect, Curtis Grant, at the middle linebacker position. McMillan didn't do exactly that, but the Hinesville, Georgia, native did manage to make his presence felt in a big way in 2014.
Landing the majority of middle linebacker reps despite not starting following Ohio State's loss to Virginia Tech in the second week of the season, McMillan tallied 54 tackles, 6.5 of which came for a loss, and 2.5 sacks. The true freshman intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown in the Buckeyes' Oct. 4 win over Maryland, indicative of his playmaking ability.
“It’s not by accident that somehow No. 5 comes up with the ball,” OSU defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said. “He’s always around the football.”
That will be the plan for at least the next two years in Columbus, where McMillan will take over for the graduated Grant in the Buckeyes starting lineup. The 6'2", 240-pounder isn't without his shortcomings—Grant played more down the stretch for Ohio State against run-heavy opponents like Alabama—but in one season, McMillan proved to be as good as advertised.
"He's gonna be a really, really good player, man," Fickell said.
Key Contributors
His contributions may have gone less noticed, but according to the Buckeyes depth chart, only one true freshman started every game for Ohio State this season.
That would be kicker Sean Nuernberger, who filled the void in the Buckeyes' place-kicking duties that was left by Drew Basil. Despite a shaky start with a 2-of-4 performance on field goals in Ohio State's season-opening win over Navy, Nuernberger put together a solid season, converting on 13 of his 20 field-goal attempts.
Also making all 89 of his extra-point attempts, the 6'1", 230-pounder showed plenty of leg, converting on a season-long field goal of 49 yards in the Buckeyes' double-overtime win at Penn State. He also played a crucial role in Ohio State's Sugar Bowl victory against Alabama, making two field goals that prevented the Crimson Tide from putting the game out of reach early.
As is the case with most kickers, Nuernberger should only get better as his career continues. Of course, Meyer would prefer not to find out, as he'd rather his team be punching the ball into the end zone.
Nuernberger wasn't the only true freshman to start a game for Ohio State this season, as running back Curtis Samuel took first-team reps in the Buckeyes' Nov. 1 date with Illinois. Samuel's playing time was sporadic throughout his freshman campaign, but he still managed to total 478 yards of total offense and six touchdowns.
Meyer claimed to have fallen in love with the Brooklyn native's speed in fall camp, and Samuel certainly seemed to match the style of player who helped make Meyer so successful at Florida. With his size—5'11", 196 pounds—Samuel possesses the ability to play either running back, wide receiver or the H-back position.
With Elliott returning for his junior season and manning running back duties, look for Meyer and new offensive coordinator Ed Warinner to search for more creative ways to get the ball into Samuel's hands. His playing time should be more consistent in 2015 as well, which could lead to a new dynamic being added to the Ohio State offensive attack.
Freshman Flashes
As Meyer attempted to get his freshmen more experience than the year prior, some new Buckeyes saw playing time that primarily came on special teams and/or mop-up duty. As opposed to redshirting, the early playing time could ultimately pay off for such players, who will fight for starting roles or significant playing time in 2015.
That's exactly the situation defensive end Jalyn Holmes will find himself in after tallying 11 tackles, one of which came for a loss, in nine appearances last season. With Steve Miller having graduated and Noah Spence transferring after being ruled ineligible, the 6'4", 262-pound Holmes appears to have a leg up in the race to start opposite Bosa on the defensive line.
Coveted cornerback Damon Webb will also challenge for a starting role next season, with All-Big Ten corner Doran Grant's eligibility having expired. The Detroit native totaled three solo tackles in his freshman season in addition to breaking up one pass and recording one fumble.
Look for Webb to challenge redshirt sophomore-to-be Gareon Conley for the starting cornerback spot opposite Apple in 2015. Either way, the 5'10", 190-pound Webb figures to factor into the plans of the Ohio State defense sooner rather than later.
The Buckeyes will only lose one starting offensive lineman from last season, and Jamarco Jones will be in the thick of the race to fill the void left by Darryl Baldwin at right tackle. The 6'4", 306-pounder appeared in four games in 2014, serving as a mainstay on Ohio State's second-team offensive line.
Wide receiver Johnnie Dixon figured to factor in the Buckeyes' plans this past season, but knee surgery due to tendinitis ended his freshman campaign after just three games. He'll likely be granted a medical redshirt, but it remains unclear how much he'll be able to contribute in 2015 as he recovers from his injury.
One freshman wide receiver who did manage to make an immediate impact for the Buckeyes was Noah Brown, who at 6'1" and 240 pounds proved to be one of Ohio State's most reliable blockers on the perimeter. After catching one ball for nine yards as a freshman, look for Brown to see increased playing time next season in the absence of steady senior Evan Spencer.
Safety Erick Smith finds himself in the most interesting position of any of Ohio State's sophomores-to-be, as he shined on special teams but plays a position where the Buckeyes are set with two returning starters. Appearing in 12 of OSU's 15 games, Smith recorded 13 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery.
Although Tyvis Powell and Bell will each reclaim their starting safety spots next season, look for the Buckeyes to find an expanded role for Smith, perhaps as a nickelback. The same could be said for linebacker Dante Booker, who played primarily on special teams in 2014 but won't have a starting spot open to fill this fall.
Marcelys Jones also saw playing time in his freshman season, but the 6'4", 325-pounder's role will likely remain that of a reserve offensive lineman in 2015.
Redshirts Ready?
Dixon's likely medical redshirt aside, the Buckeyes redshirted 12 scholarship freshmen last season, including cornerback Marshon Lattimore, offensive guard Demetrius Knox, wide receiver Parris Campbell, linebacker Kyle Berger, wide receiver Terry McLaurin, offensive lineman Kyle Trout, safety Malik Hooker, defensive lineman Dylan Thompson, quarterback Stephen Collier, offensive lineman Brady Taylor and defensive lineman Darius Slade.
As Ohio State fans learned this past season, that doesn't mean those players are lost causes—far from it. The Buckeyes benefited in a big way in 2014 with contributions from a number of redshirt freshmen, including Barrett, Apple, Marshall and Lee.
One player to keep an eye on who sat out this past season as a freshman for the Buckeyes is Sam Hubbard. A former 4-star prospect, Hubbard was admittedly ready to play, according to Meyer, but Ohio State just never pulled the trigger on removing his redshirt.
"Let's play him," Meyer proclaimed of Hubbard on his radio call-in show on Sept. 25.
Hubbard arrived at Ohio State as a linebacker but has since moved between tight end and defensive line. At 6'5" and 244 pounds, he could conceivably play any of the three positions in the future, but as he continues to grow, the safe money is him seeing continued reps as a defensive lineman.
As we saw in 2014, it wouldn't take long for Hubbard to shed his reputation as a redshirt player. The Buckeyes could very well see freshmen who didn't play in 2014 play key roles in Ohio State's run toward a repeat in 2015.
Like the 2013 crop taught us, it's simply too early to assign a class an accurate grade after just one season. But if the early returns are any indication, Ohio State is in good shape with its 2014 class.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com and recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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