OHIO STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2024: OFFENSE
– The offensive was excellent. Even while it wasn’t nearly as explosive or as strong as earlier iterations, it led the Big Ten in overall offense, was excellent at moving the chains, and…In its 17-point victory over Notre Dame, it need a late goal to hold on. It managed only twenty against Penn State, twenty against Michigan, and twenty against Wisconsin. In light of the shortened 2020 season, the 397 points scored were the fewest since Luke Fickell’s 2011–6-7 bridge-gap year.Let’s introduce Chip Kelly.The man ran the Buckeye offense after leaving his position as head coach of UCLA, and now…Though it won’t run as fast as his former Oregon teams’ 1,000 miles per hour, it will run at a respectable speed. During his tenure at Westwood, UCLA began to become more physically aggressive, and this year’s group begins with…
OHIO STATE OFFENSIVE LINE: THE PRODUCTION HAS TO COME, BUT THE PARTS ARE THERE.
To succeed, the offensive line must exert more pressure. For the most part, pass protection was adequate, but the ground game, which over the previous few years had consistently averaged over five yards per carry, battled to go above four yards per pop.There’s no issue with the talent.
Josh Simmons, a former San Diego State transfer, has elite talent at left tackle, but his reliable output needs to match his equipment. Still, he’s a nice one, and the right side might be worked out quickly. Although Josh Fryar started every game as a tackle the previous season, he might be a better fit as a guard.
There may be a few new components in the interior, but it’s not really a major deal. Seth McLaughlin, an Alabama transfer, is a solid presence at center, Donovan Jackson, a 320-pound guard, is a potential starter on the left, and Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman, and Tegra Tshabola, who are all versatile players, will compete fiercely for the right guard position in fall camp.
OHIO STATE RUNNING BACKS: THE BUCKEYE BACKS ARE CLOSE TO BEING THE BEST IN AMERICA.
– As long as the offensive line allows them space, the running backs can have an impact. With Kentucky now home to bomber Chip Trayanum, Miyan Williams is vying for a spot in the NFL. It’s more than okay for the Buckeyes.TreVeyon Henderson, the team’s leading rusher, is returning after averaging nearly six yards per carry for 926 yards and 11 touchdowns. With almost 2,700 yards and 32 touchdowns on his resume, the seasoned player comes back for one more run. Quinshon Judkins, an Ole Miss transfer, is a 1B, yet he is still the starting back.During his three seasons in Oxford, Judkins, one of the largest and best transfers in the cycle, ran for 2,725 yards, 20 less than Henderson, with 31 touchdowns and three receiving scores. Although he isn’t very big, he has a terrific mix of toughness and slick qualities.The freshmen follow those two. When Henderson and Judkins leave the NFL, Sam Williams-Dixon and James Peoples will be the next big thing.
QUARTERBACKS FOR OHIO STATE: VERY DEEP AND VERY, VERY GOOD… Eventually
– Kyle McCord fared perfectly. With just six picks, the new Syracuse Orange starter completed 24 touchdown passes while hitting 66% of his passes for 3,170 yards. He was competent. He wasn’t Dwayne Haskins, JT Barrett, CJ Stroud, Justin Fields, or the winner of the national championship, but he also wasn’t the reason Ohio State lost.Ohio State could have run their attack with any quarterback in the nation, but instead it got a seasoned veteran in charge. Will Howard, a transfer from Kansas State, rushed for 921 yards and 19 touchdowns in four seasons while throwing for 5,786 yards and 48 touchdowns.With a very, very deep stable of choices waiting to break out, Howard must be outstanding right out of the gate despite having the size and experience of a 6-4, 235-pound player.Why then did Ohio State pass on a quarterback with greater celebrity appeal? Devin Brown may end up taking up the role. He was set to make his big debut against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, but he was injured straight away.Though there’s a good chance Brown pushes for the starting position, next-level new recruit Air Noland, 2022 backup Lincoln Keinholz, and former Alabama super-recruit Julian Sayin will all be fighting for the top spot.
Wide receivers for Ohio states: they may not have a lot of experience, but
– Ohio State is in play. The wide receivers are excellent; they only require some time. Emeka Egbuka must take over as the main man since Marvin Harrison Jr. isn’t available. Although he has NFL starting ability and No. 1 ability, he needs to maintain his health in order to dominate games after catching 41 catches for 515 yards and four touchdowns.The next big talent to emerge is Jeremiah Smith. Mylan Graham, another rookie, will be useful in a slot role, and the 6-3, 215-pound true freshman will be an immediate deep threat on the perimeter.With eighteen catches, Carnell Tate gained experience last year, but Brandon Inniss, a previous top recruit, ought to play a larger role.Although the former starting tight end Cade Stover was a nice safety valve, he is now a Houston Texan. Gee Scott and Jelani Thurman, who both made two receptions last season, and Ohio transfer Will Kacmarek, who has 42 receptions in the last two years, will form a tandem at wide receiver.
Leave a Reply