Ohio State Football: Recapping the Biggest 2015 Offseason News so Far
It's been a busy offseason for the reigning national champions.
Since conquering Oregon to win the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship last January, Urban Meyer and Ohio State have signed a top-flight recruiting class, completed an eventful spring camp and traveled to Washington D.C. for a trip to the White House.
But with the dog days of the offseason on the horizon and the beginning of fall camp still months away, here's a recap of the biggest storylines out of Columbus so far this year.
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The Return of 12-Gauge
The offseason started with a bang when Cardale Jones announced he was returning to Ohio State for his redshirt junior season.
The 6'5", 250-pound gunslinger had an opportunity to leave for the 2015 NFL draft after leading the Buckeyes to postseason victories against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon. Jones displayed an NFL skill set during the run, which led some to believe he could've been a first-round pick in the draft.
But that lucrative opportunity didn't sway Jones from Ohio State. The fourth-year junior is set to graduate this year, and his education is one of his top priorities.
"After three games, [the NFL] was out of the question," Jones said, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. "A first-round draft pick means nothing to me without my education."
Urban Meyer Signs the Nation's No. 7 Recruiting Class
Ohio State's 2015 recruiting efforts were wrapped up less than a month after winning the national championship.
On February 4, Meyer assembled one of the best recruiting classes in the country—a group that was headlined by 5-star linebacker Justin Hilliard and 4-star athlete Jerome Baker. The 27-member class ranked No. 7 nationally, which gave Ohio State the top-rated recruiting class in the Big Ten for the fifth consecutive year.
The Ohio State-Michigan Rivalry Picks Up Heat...in February
Meyer and Jim Harbaugh were still nine months from meeting on the field for the first time, but that didn't stop the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry from revving up in February.
After the Buckeyes stole coveted Detroit running back Mike Weber from the Wolverines on national signing day, drama ensued when Ohio State running backs coach Stan Drayton left the Buckeyes for a job with the Chicago Bears. That move didn't sit well with many, and Harbaugh used it as an opportunity to take a thinly veiled shot on Twitter.
The Buckeyes responded with a tweet of their own, and that was just the first episode in an eventful offseason for the two storied programs. Most recently, Michigan was on the wrong side of some bad publicity when a poorly conceived recruiting edit was made public. The graphic, which compared Michigan wide receiver coach Jedd Fisch's accomplishments to that of Zach Smith's (who holds the same position at Ohio State), was countered effectively with a simple tweet.
Ezekiel Elliott Undergoes Wrist Surgery
It was minor wrist surgery, but it was major news when it was announced Ezekiel Elliott would be held out of spring practice after going under the knife.
The procedure was actually an extension of an injury Elliott suffered in fall camp leading up to the 2014 season. The flashy running back had surgery last fall to repair his fractured left wrist and then went on to play in all 15 games last year. But the wrist never healed correctly, which prompted the second surgery in February.
He sat out of spring camp, but according to Ari Wasserman of Northeast Ohio Media Group, Elliott recently revealed he's 100 percent cleared for full contact.
Young Bucks Emerge in Spring Practice
Looking to rest his veterans and the members of the "2,000-rep club," Meyer opened up a lot of opportunities for underclassmen this spring.
A big part of that was designed to give Ohio State's offensive line a break, in addition to building up the unit's depth. And while Meyer lamented the lack of capable bodies up front, Ohio State's second unit got some valuable experience heading into summer conditioning.
But elsewhere, first- and second-year Buckeyes made a huge impact. Curtis Samuel thrived in his new role at wide receiver. Noah Brown stepped up into a bigger role on the perimeter as well. Defensively, guys such as Erick Smith, Damon Webb and even true freshman Nick Conner turned heads in practice.
The Quarterback Race Takes Shape
While Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett were unable to participate fully as they recovered from their respective injuries, Ohio State's quarterback race began to take shape this spring.
Jones was able to build a lead by default as the only signal-caller at 100 percent. And while he grew comfortable with Ohio State's new-look receiver corps, Miller and Barrett were relegated to the sideline to take mental reps.
But that doesn't mean Ohio State's other two quarterbacks were unable to compete. Barrett in particular benefited from a fast recovery and participated in non-contact, seven-on-seven drills. And although Miller had the farthest to go, according to Brian Bennett of ESPN.com, Meyer routinely reported that Miller is in the best shape of his life.
Meyer plans to name a starter at the midway point of fall camp.
The Buckeyes Meet the President
One of the perks of winning the national championship is the rewarding trip to the White House.
The Buckeyes made that voyage from Columbus to D.C. in late April, taking in the sights of the nation's capital, and of course, meeting the president.
Braxton Miller to Transfer [Insert Insane Rumor Here]
Did you hear the latest rumor about that Ohio State quarterback?
As spring camp gave way to early summer, numerous wild rumors swirled around the status of Miller, the Buckeyes' two-time conference MVP. There were some who anticipated Miller to land at Alabama. There were others who forecast interest from Miller in schools such as Oregon, Florida State, LSU and even Duke.
It was all just noise.
Meyer ended the runaway rumor train.
Whether he can win the starting job or not, Miller will be suiting up as a Buckeye this fall.
Just 5 Buckeyes Go in the NFL Draft
When a team dominates college football and wins a national championship, its common to see players from that team go on to dominate the NFL draft.
That wasn't the case for Ohio State last month, as just five former players—Devin Smith, Jeff Heuerman, Doran Grant, Michael Bennett and Evan Spencer—were selected in the 2015 draft, none of whom were taken in the first round.
The reason for that meager result? It's simple—most of Ohio State's top NFL draft prospects are back in Columbus for another go-around next season.
Players such as Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Cardale Jones, Taylor Decker and Darron Lee are projected as first-round selections for the 2016 draft.
All recruiting rankings and information via 247Sports.
David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.
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