Ohio State Football: Winners and Losers from Buckeyes' 2016 Spring

A record of 100,189 spectators came out to see Ohio State wrap up spring practice with its annual spring game, and the Gray team came out victorious with a 28-17 win over the J.T. Barrett-led Scarlet team. 

It was an important camp for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes, who are undergoing a near-complete overhaul after losing eight starters on each side of the ball from last year's team. And with injuries to key returning players such as Noah Brown and Tyquan Lewis, there was an enormous youth movement in Columbus this spring.

Which players and position groups are entering the summer with positive momentum, and which still have some ground to make up before fall camp starts? 

Winner: J.T. Barrett

Associated Press

Despite everything J.T. Barrett has accomplished in his career at Ohio State so far—he set the Big Ten record for total touchdowns in a season in 2014, is 2-0 against Michigan and orchestrated a rout of Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl his last time out—he's never gone through a spring camp as the unquestioned quarterback of the team.

That changed this year, though, and that should pay huge dividends for Ohio State in the fall.

It's not just the extra time and work he received over the last month. Spring camp is a time for a quarterback to build chemistry with his wide receivers and learn the nuances of the offensive philosophy. Ohio State didn't have that luxury in 2015, and it hindered its momentum and cohesiveness last fall.

Barrett is using the spring as an opportunity to get better, according to Austin Ward of ESPN.com:

"

I just want to keep on building mentally, being more of a student of the game and helping myself in that aspect. I think I’m heading in the right direction. I don’t believe I’m where I want to be or where I need to be, but I think it’s one of those deals; you just take it a day at a time and that’s all I’m trying to do.

"

The coaching staff is just trying to get Barrett to make quicker decisions in an effort to pace Ohio State's new uptempo offense.

“The biggest thing right now is just getting him to play fast, getting him to play consistent, kind of how he did toward the end of the year and in 2014," co-offensive coordinator Tim Beck said, via Ward. "I like what I see so far out of him.”

Barrett struggled in the spring game behind a makeshift offensive line and a tattered wide receiver corps, completing just 13 of 22 passes with no touchdowns and two interceptions. But that doesn't take away from everything he gained during this pivotal spring camp. 

Loser: Offensive Line Depth

Associated Press

It's a tough task for any team to replace both tackles—one of whom was an All-American—and the anchor of the offensive line at center, and that reality is setting in for Ohio State this spring.

Two weeks ahead of the spring game, Urban Meyer was most worried about the shape of his unit up front.

"I think that [biggest concern] has shifted to the offensive line now," Meyer said, via Ward. "We’re still trying to find that starting five. And whoever plays that position, we can’t drop off."

The Buckeyes' two returning starters will anchor the interior. Pat Elflein, who played guard last year, will slide over to center, and Billy Price will saddle up at left guard. The challenge has been identifying the three new guys.

Jamarco Jones is primed to take over at left tackle. Isaiah Prince is leading the way at right tackle, and right guard is a battle between guys such as Matthew Burrell and true freshman Michael Jordan. 

But while Meyer and the coaching staff struggle to identify a starting unit, they'll need some guys to emerge during the summer and secure the second unit. 

Winner: The Early Enrollees

Credit: 247Sports

It's hard for true freshmen to come into a program such as Ohio State and make an immediate impact. It takes a special talent to shine that early in a collegiate career, but according to Urban Meyer, his young guys have come in and turned some heads.

Wide receiver Austin Mack got it going early by catching the attention of his quarterback in winter conditioning and then later in spring practice. But it's not just the former 4-star pass-catcher, per 247Sports, who's impressing out of the gate.

Offensive guard Michael Jordan has fought his way into a battle for a starting position. Running back Antonio Williams isn't sitting quietly behind Bri'onte Dunn and Mike Weber—he's offering a nice change of pace in the Buckeyes backfield. And on the other side of the ball, defensive end Jonathon Cooper is providing depth at a thin position with the departure of Joey Bosa and the injury to Tyquan Lewis.

Those guys aren't just excelling on the field; they're also doing what they need to do in the classroom.

"Michael Jordan, Austin Mack, Jonathon Cooper and Antonio Williams and to answer how do I like coaching those guys? I love them," Meyer said, according to Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors. "They’re over 3.0 students, I don’t know if they’ve missed a class yet and they do everything right."

Loser: The Wide Receiver Corps

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Ohio State has to replace its three top wide receivers with the early departures of Michael Thomas and Jalin Marshall and the graduation of Braxton Miller. That process, though, is off to a delayed start with four of Ohio State's top returning receivers either out or limited with injuries.

Noah Brown and Corey Smith expect to factor into the passing attack in a big way this fall, but both are coming back from broken legs that they suffered in 2015. H-backs Dontre Wilson and Curtis Samuel are also easing their way back into action as they rehab foot injuries.

That left a host of younger guys to take center stage in spring camp and on Saturday. Austin Mack was the star of the unit and looks like the next big thing at Ohio State. Torrance Gibson continues to make strides on the perimeter and showcased his potential with two touchdown catches in the spring game.

Other wideouts such as Parris Campbell, James Clark and Terry McLaurin (who caught a nice touchdown in the spring game) had good offseasons, but the Buckeyes need to get their top pass-catchers back and fully healthy to start building chemistry for the fall. 

Winner: Sam Hubbard

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

One of Ohio State's biggest tasks this spring is replacing its standout All-American defensive end Joey Bosa, who anchored the defensive line as a starter for two-and-a-half years.

That responsibility is falling on the shoulders of Sam Hubbard, who's adding weight and strength to be as versatile as Bosa was last year. At least, that's what defensive line coach Larry Johnson is seeing, according to Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors:

"

The first thing when we talk about Sam is his strength level has gotten better. He’s got more weight on him now so going into the spring we’ve got a stronger Sam. That’s the goal: to get him stronger to play inside, play on tackles. That’s what he’s working on. Technician, he’s a really good technician so now we’re just working on how to finish it.

"

To Hubbard's credit, he "[doesn't] want to be Joey Bosa" but a player who paves is own way and makes his own name at Ohio State, according to David Jablonski of the Dayton Daily News. The coaches loved the focus he brought this spring, and they're hoping he can infuse the defense with renewed energy this fall. 

Loser: Clarity at Running Back

Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

Ezekiel Elliott paced Ohio State's offense with two seasons of more than 1,800 rushing yards and 41 total touchdowns, and he left a huge void in the backfield when he left early for the NFL.

His departure has created a position battle between redshirt junior Bri'onte Dunn and redshirt freshman Mike Weber. Both are physical running backs who thrive after first contact, but neither has created any separation this spring. 

"Mike’s probably a little more of a slasher," running backs coach Tony Alford said, according to Tony Gerdeman of The Ozone. "He slides off of things a little better than Bri’onte. Bri’onte is more of a downhill, just a plugger. They both can do the jobs that we need them to do in this offense."

Those hoping for the spring game to provide clarity were disappointed, though, when Dunn couldn't lace up after injuring his ankle in spring practice. Weber impressed Saturday, showing nice vision and toughness while accounting for both of the Scarlet team's touchdowns. 

Winner: Joe Burrow

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

The backup quarterback position is one of the most important roles on the Ohio State football team, and Joe Burrow tied up his win over Stephen Collier with an impressive spring game.

The redshirt freshman had surged ahead of Collier during spring camp, and Urban Meyer said Burrow was nearing game readiness by the close of spring camp.

“He’s doing pretty good,” Meyer said, according to Dave Biddle of 247Sports. “I don’t think he’s quite the athlete that J.T. (Barrett) is right now, but he’s becoming a much better runner. His release is night and day from what it was.

“So, (if Burrow had to play this fall), I’d probably lean on the tailback and high-percentage passes. But he’s getting close to being game ready.”

Burrow looked more than ready Saturday when he stole the show in leading the Gray team to a victory. The young signal-caller completed 14 of 23 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns against just one interception, and he also showcased a nice ability to pull it down and create something with his legs when a play broke down. 

The Buckeyes have relied on their backup quarterbacks during the Urban Meyer era, most notably in 2014 when J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones orchestrated a national title run.  

On Saturday, Burrow looked ready to take on that pivotal role.