Re-ranking Buckeyes offensive units after position week breakdowns
COLUMBUS — All the way back at the end of spring practice in April, Lettermen Row kicked off the post-spring offseason with rankings of the position groups at Ohio State.
And with the preseason just around the corner, Lettermen Row is re-ranking the Buckeyes offensive units ahead of training camp. Let’s dive in.
1. Wide Receiver (Previous rank: 1)
There was no way any of the Buckeyes position groups was going to overtake the wide receivers. It just wasn’t going to happen. It all starts with Marvin Harrison Jr., who is the clear favorite to win the Biletnikoff Award this season fall after leading the Buckeyes in receptions and yards last year. Emeka Egbuka, who had more than 1,000 yard receiving in 2022, and Julian Fleming are former No. 1 wide receivers in their classes. Then there’s senior leader Xavier Johnson, who will be a factor as well. Freshman Carnell Tate was incredibly impressive for a true freshman during his first spring on campus, while fellow first-year receiver Brandon Inniss is already turning heads before his first practice. That’s not even mentioning the potential emergence of junior speedster Jayden Ballard. This unit is loaded.
The Recap: Everything we learned from Lettermen Row Wide Receivers Week
2. Running back (Previous rank: 2)
Both Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson are capable of being No. 1 running backs for a national title contender, so they’ll likely split duties as an impressive one-two punch as early as the start of camp next week. Neither was healthy for most of the 2022 season but showed they are back during spring ball. Beyond the top two backs, the Buckeyes have plenty of talent on hand. Dallan Hayden proved he can be a lead back at times during his freshman season and has taken a big step forward in summer workouts. He’ll almost certainly have a big role alongside Henderson and Williams. So will Chip Trayanum, a versatile athlete who had a 65-yard touchdown run in the spring game. The wild card is Evan Pryor, who has a shot to break out after sitting out last year with a knee injury.
The Recap: Everything we learned from Lettermen Row Running Backs Week
3. Tight end (Previous rank: 3)
The Ohio State tight ends proved they have good depth this offseason. And it all starts with senior captain Cade Stover, who will be a big part of the offense this fall and will speak later this week at Big Ten Media Days. The Buckeyes will also have fourth-year tight ends Gee Scott Jr. and Joe Royer, who emerged as options following a strong offseason for each of them. Maybe the biggest surprise of the entire Ohio State spring practice session was freshman Jelani Thurman, who stood out from the first practice of spring onward and made a great first impression. This unit is on the upswing.
The Recap: Everything we learned from Lettermen Row Tight Ends Week
4. Quarterback (Previous rank: 4)
This isn’t to say the quarterbacks aren’t talented. The unit has actually added a potential future star since spring practice when four-star freshman Lincoln Kienholz arrived on campus to be the third-string quarterback behind former five-star prospects Kyle McCord and Devin Brown. Whoever wins the starting quarterback job between Brown and McCord will be an instant candidate to win the Heisman Trophy come December. The backup will instantly become one of the best backup quarterbacks in college football. The quarterback room is only ranked this low because it’s unproven. But the talent is there for this group to be near the top of the rankings.
The Recap: Everything we learned from Lettermen Row Quarterback Week
5. Offensive Line (Previous rank: 5)
Starting guards Matthew Jones and Donovan Jackson give Ohio State two foundational pieces to build an offensive line around, but replacing three starters — all NFL Draft picks — won’t be easy. The center competition will continue in early August between second-year lineman Carson Hinzman and veterans Victor Cutler and Jakob James. Hinzman was ahead of Cutler in the center pecking order during spring practice. James sat out spring practice due to an injury, but he’ll be a major contender for the starting job in the weeks ahead. The center spot should be in good hands. The two tackle, spots, meanwhile, are far from a known commodity. Zen Michalski and Tegra Tshabola will be the leaders of right tackle battle, while Josh Fryar is the presumed starting left tackle at this point of spring. But newcomer and former San Diego State starting right tackle Josh Simmons has been impressive early in his time in Columbus. The unit has a lot of potential, but the unknowns make it land at the bottom of the position rankings.
The Recap: Everything we learned from Lettermen Row Offensive Line Week
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