Ohio State Football: Five Players to Watch Heading Into Spring

That's right. A picture of Jonathan Newsome. (Photo via daylife.com)

Drew Thurman (12:26 pm)

As the Buckeyes look ahead to a title run in 2010, there don't appear to be many question marks lingering. Outside of the departures of Gibson and Coleman, this year's squad should improve at most positions on the field.

What's really scary though is that the Buckeyes have a young crop of talent ready to make a name for themselves, even at positions of depth (thanks to great '08 and '09 classes).

This creates an interesting dynamic and a good problem for the staff. It also means as fans, we should get a chance to watch some position battles take place, especially this spring. So let's take a look at a few guys I feel could surprise fans and find themselves with some serious playing time.

Each of these players is a bit under the radar, but they may not be come September.

1) Jonathan Newsome—OLB/DE

Not many fans expected much of Newsome when he signed with the Buckeyes, me included.

It appeared Tressel went after a hard-working kid from Glenville to keep the pipeline going.

Maybe the 101 tackles and 17 sacks he put up as a senior should have clued us in that he had a higher ceiling than we perceived. In fact, he found himself playing in five games as a freshman (three-deep at OLB) and would have played in more without the leg injury he suffered.

I look for Newsome to build on that success and continue to utilize his versatility in the "Leo" role. It's that versatility that will make him stand apart from the pack of talented linebackers and defensive ends, and the reason you should watch his name this spring. He has a great work ethic and appears to be one of those guys that excels in Tressel's system.

2) Jack Mewhort—OL

Mewhort enrolled early in the spring a year ago and was a guy that many expected to contribute as a true freshman. He ended up redshirting in 2009, but was on the bubble according Tressel.

It appears as if Mewhort will get his chance this spring, though.

Cordle has departed, and we all know the major struggles that Shugarts and Adams have had. If nothing else, Mewhort will be in the two-deep, but I fully expect him and Marcus Hall to make a major push at the tackle spots (even though he will be the listed as the backup at center).

His versatility combined with a year of experience under his belt will pay big dividends this spring, so don't be shocked to see some major minutes for Mewhort this fall.

3) Jamie Wood—S

One of the few areas where the Buckeyes took a hit was at safety, as Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell left.

Unless something crazy happens, Jermale Hines will take over at free safety (as he did for some of '09), but the strong safety position is wide open. Orhian Johnson will be the early pick by many to fill the void since Gant, Oliver, and Domicone have proven very little.

But don't count out redshirt freshman Jamie Wood.

Not only was he a U.S. Army All-American but, unlike Johnson, safety is his natural position. He also has better size than Johnson, which will prove crucial down the stretch in the Big Ten.

While Johnson has become a message board sensation for his ball hawking skills in practice, it will be hard for the Buckeyes to put a better athlete at SS than Wood. This position will be battle all spring long, but watch out for Wood.

4) Adam Bellamy—DT

The other place the Buckeyes lost some depth was defensive tackle, with Worthington, Denlinger, and Rose departing.

Enter Adam Bellamy.

Now obviously, Dexter Larimore is going to take up one of the tackle spots. The early candidate for the other will be John Simon, who was a stud as a freshman.

If we learned anything from 2009 though, it's that the staff plans to rotate the defensive lineman as much as possible.

That means Bellamy, who I expect to be in the two-deep, will get plenty of chances to make a name for himself. He has the size and mean streak to be a great one too. So watch what this kid does in the spring, because he could be a major contributor down the stretch.

5) James Jackson—WR/KR/PR

Wide receiver is maybe the deepest it has ever been in Tressel's era.

Not only do Posey, Sanzenbacher, and Carter all return, but a hungry group of redshirt freshman and freshman are waiting their turn.

What makes Jackson stand out from the pack though is his speed.

In the recently timed 40-yard dashes in spring practice, Jackson found himself second amongst those who ran. If there is one weakness among the three guys aforementioned, it's that they are absent of a true burner, and that is where Jackson could work his way into the rotation (as can Fields, Louis, and Brown).

More than that though, Jackson could be the premiere candidate to take over special teams duties. With Ray Small now gone, the Buckeyes are hungry for a speedster to return punts and kicks, and Jackson has the intangibles to fit the job description.

As always, Tressel will test the waters on special teams but, when the spring concludes, Jackson could be the guy.