Storylines to track as Buckeyes ready for second week of camp
COLUMBUS — Ohio State has plenty of storylines to track as training camp hits its second week. Lettermen Row is breaking down three big ones as camp breaks for a day before it resumes on Tuesday. Let’s dive in.
Buckeyes must begin parsing through potential defensive rotations
The Buckeyes have more defensive depth right now than at any other time since the 2019 defense finished its incredible season. On the defensive line, head coach Ryan Day is already mentioning six or seven playmakers who will carry the water for that unit, more than they had last season. The linebackers both return to the starting lineup and the secondary features talented veteran mixed in with rising young stars.
Now the problem Ohio State must sort through is how far into the depth it should go as September emerges around the corner. Do the Buckeyes continue to deploy a deep rotation on the defensive line — or do they pair it down and find six to seven defensive linemen to lean on? Do starting linebackers Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg stay on the field as they did last year — or does defensive coordinator Jim Knowles rotate in Cody Simon and C.J. Hicks as reinforcements? And the back end might be even more intriguing. Do the Buckeyes rotate three cornerbacks who are worthy of starting or do they stick with their top two? And how Ohio State manages its safeties, especially Ja’Had Carter, Sonny Styles and Cameron Martinez, to play along with mainstay Lathan Ransom will help determine the ceiling of the defense.
How deep Ohio State goes with its defensive playmakers will need to be sorted out in the next three weeks as game week approaches quickly.
Right tackle battle clearly in spotlight as other positions shake out
With respect to the other Buckeyes taking snaps at left tackle, that spot is Josh Fryar‘s. The opposite side of the offensive line is far from settled, however, as the Buckeyes are moving through their options at right tackle. Third-year Buckeyes lineman Zen Michalski took first-team reps during the first practice of training camp, which was open to the media, but he may not be long for that spot. Second-year tackle Tegra Tshabola and former starting San Diego State right tackle Josh Simmons look ready to challenge for first-team reps. Simmons is the favorite to win that job eventually, but don’t count out Tshabola, who looks like the prototype offensive tackle for the Buckeyes in just his second season on campus. Oh, and freshman Luke Montgomery is becoming an option after an impressive first few months with the Buckeyes. He’ll be a part of the conversation.
With other positions beginning to already shake themselves out, the right tackle spot is still up for grabs, putting it clearly in the spotlight as the biggest remaining position battle other than quarterback.
Is quarterback competition coming to a close?
Junior Kyle McCord and second-year quarterback Devin Brown are in the closing phases of the quarterback battle, no matter who ends up being QB1 for the Buckeyes. But McCord entered camp as the leading candidate to start at quarterback this upcoming season, and he did have the better day on Thursday to open training camp. Brown can still overcome the lead McCord has on him in the coming few practices, especially as game-situations come up and the Buckeyes hit the practice field for a couple of preseason scrimmages in the weeks ahead. As of now, however, McCord remains the favorite, dating all the way back to his freshman season when he was C.J. Stroud’s primary backup.
Ryan Day has typically named his starting Buckeyes quarterbacks during the third week of training camp. McCord has been leading for the entirety of the offseason, and he could be closing in on earning the starting spot. But the decision is for Day and the staff to make, and taking their time with that decision could prove valuable for making sure they’re 100-percent all-in with the named starter.
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