Ohio State Football: 5 Young Buckeyes Who Could Become Legends

The Ohio State roster has many questions to sort out over the next few months, with seven defensive starters still to be decided and four offensive starters sidelined due to suspensions.

These gaps have opened the door for young players to fill the voids, especially those from two top-five classes in 2009 and 2011.

But as has been the norm with OSU football, when one group of star players leaves, another one typically fills in and there is little dropoff in production.

And when seeing where players fit, it's interesting to speculate the future stars of OSU football.

Here is a look at five players very likely to become legends on campus in the future.

1. DT Johnathan Hankins

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CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 02: Johnathan Hankins #52 of the Ohio State Buckeyes hops in celebration after a defensive play against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Champaign, Illinois. Ohio State defeated Illinois 24-13.

It has been a long time since Ohio State has had a plugger in the middle of the defense, and Big Hank, as some fans call him, might just be that guy.

Hankins, who played very often at DT as a true freshman, will very likely start in the middle from Week One forward as a massive run stuffer.

He checks in at about 335 lbs, but he moves and has the quickness of a player that is about 30-40 lbs. lighter, which is a very deadly combination.

While he most likely will never reach the ceiling that Dan Wilkinson did in the early 1990s, Hankins can still be a very disruptive player in the middle.

And the true sign of a dominant DT is a player who stuffs the run and opens things up for the DEs and LBs, which is where Hankins very likely will be headed very soon. 

2. S C.J. Barnett

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 11: Leonard Hankerson #85 of the Miami Hurricanes is crushed by C.J. Barnett #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes after a reception at Ohio Stadium on September 11, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Before C.J. Barnett suffered a season-ending knee injury last year in a September 11 game against Miami, he looked very dominant at the SS position.

Barnett had a deflection that turned into the first of four OSU interceptions on the afternoon and registered a Richter-scale hit on WR Leonard Hankerson.

Although the hit did not cause Hankerson to drop the ball, it had to be a throwback to the late Jack Tatum who was known, or infamous, depending on your point of view, for hits that Ed Reed and T.J. Ward would be proud of today.

He might be starting at SS again opposite Orhian Johnson and could be a star if he has more games like the Miami game.

If he does, he could be the best safety OSU has had since Donte Whitner roamed centerfield.

3. RB Roderick Smith

Although right now Rod Smith is No. 4 on the RB depth chart for Ohio State, he already could start for a large percentage of teams in college football due to his size and strength.

At about 225 lbs., the redshirt freshman drew rave reviews in bowl practices and again in spring workouts, including a picture where he ran right through starting senior LB Andrew Sweat.

With starter Dan Herron under suspension, Smith should get some looks running the ball as the third back as early as the opening game against Akron.

With one more year of eligibility than Jaamal Berry and two more than Jordan Hall, Smith will be the feature back soon enough. 

The comparisons to Eddie George and Beanie Wells might need to take some time to come to fruition, but he certainly has the potential to be one of the best Buckeye backs in the modern era.

4. LB Curtis Grant

It might seem weird to project a freshman who has not had a college practice as the next big thing, but LB Curtis Grant can certainly be an exception to the rule.

The most highly-touted recruit to commit to Ohio State since Terrelle Pryor, Grant already looks the part of a college LB at 6'3" and about 215 lbs.

Grant can certainly add about 20-30 lbs to that frame in the next few seasons, but he has more than enough talent to get on the field in some capacity this season.

With the transfer of LB Dorian Bell, this could be just the right time for Grant to make his case for a starting job opposite Sweat and Etienne Sabino.

He has the physical tools along with a good deal of instincts; now he just needs time to adjust to the game and he could be one of the best Buckeye LBs in the 21st century.

5. QB Braxton Miller

The future of Ohio State football could very well rest in the hands of Braxton Miller, who showed in the spring scrimmage that he does have the ability to be a special player.

Miller is a bit of a hybrid of Ohio State's two best QBs of the last decade: Troy Smith and Terrelle Pryor; he has Smith's throwing velocity and Pryor's speed running the ball.

He is right now in the midst of a battle to start the first five games of the 2011 season with Pryor suspended due to the tattoo controversy, along with senior Joe Bauserman.

Pryor has taken Miller under his wing and tried to impart some wisdom on the young freshman who enrolled early and has already shown flashes of what he can be. 

There is no doubt he will get his chance to be the guy in 2012, but he can certainly do enough if he starts this season to raise some eyebrows and grow the legend of Braxton Miller.

He has all the tools to be a superstar, but he just needs to get stronger and be able to slow the game down as most QBs can do.

If he can do that, the sky is the limit for this young QB.

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