OSU Buckeyes

With national signing day in the books, the next big date on the Ohio State calendar as it continues working toward an encore for an undefeated season in 2013 is spring practice. Before those workouts begin, BuckeyeNation will take a look at each position to see where the roster is at -- and where it's going.

OFFENSIVE TACKLES

• Who's back: The line as a whole returns almost entirely in one piece, but there is one huge cog missing heading into the second season of the spread offense at Ohio State. Jack Mewhort blossomed into one of the nastiest, stoutest blockers in the Big Ten last year, and the Buckeyes are expecting even more from him both on the field and off as a senior. They'll need that production and stability from him on the left side with Reid Fragel out of eligibility and heading to the NFL after his banner campaign at right tackle, transforming himself from a reserve tight end into one of the most reliable members of the offensive front. After dueling with Fragel nearly all the way through training camp in August, Taylor Decker is primed to take over the starting duties opposite Mewhort as the Buckeyes try to take the offense to an even higher level.
• New face: Despite finishing with the No.3 recruiting class in the country, the Buckeyes didn't land as many signatures from linemen as they wanted, which clearly seemed to bother Urban Meyer as he looks toward the future and sees four seniors who will be gone after next season. That experience is obviously a huge blessing for Ohio State at the moment, but neither Evan Lisle nor Tim Gardner have enrolled yet and won't be able to get a jump on their development in the trenches until the fall.
• Projected depth chart: Mewhort will anchor the line at left tackle again, with Daryl Baldwin likely hanging on to the backup job he held last season. Decker is poised to take over the starting gig at right tackle, with competition for the second-team spot open for guys like Kyle Dodson, Chase Farris or Antonio Underwood as they try to crack the rotation.
• Numbers game: There might not have been enough depth to ever let the coaching staff exhale, but the Buckeyes never had to find out what would happen if one of the starters went down with a significant injury. The first-team line was the most stable group on the team during the perfect season, combining to make every start and provide invaluable continuity for a dominant rushing attack and the highest-scoring offense in the Big Ten.
• One to watch: The flipping of Dodson from Wisconsin was cause for a huge celebration for the Buckeyes on signing day a year ago, but a shoulder injury kept him on the shelf during his first year with the team and ended up forcing him to redshirt. Given time to fully recover and dig into the conditioning program, the 6-foot-5, 315-pound athlete should be able to start showing what all the fuss was about. Decker has the edge going into camp after battling Fragel for playing time a year ago, but now it's Dodson's turn to dial up the pressure and fight for work.
• He said it: "Jack Mewhort is already there, he's already a leader. We're asking him to take over a position that maybe a [John] Simon took, the overall heart. I love him, he's a tough guy." -- Meyer in January

Heading into the new year and offseason workouts, BuckeyeNation will look at some holes left by the departing Ohio State veterans and potential candidates to fill them.

RIGHT TACKLE

• Who: Ohio State was unsettled even midway through training camp as it looked to fill the last available spot on the offensive line, but it clearly found a winner after Reid Fragel nudged ahead in the position battle and never looked back. The converted tight end bulked up his body and soaked up the technique at right tackle, and his nasty blocking in the run game and reliable work in protection provided an invaluable boost for the spread offense in Urban Meyer's first season. It stands to reason that Fragel could have been even more special as a lineman if he'd been able to spend more than one year there, but that development will now come after a likely selection in the NFL draft this spring.
• By the numbers: The Buckeyes featured a power rushing attack before Meyer arrived, but he took it to an even higher level with his spread offense thanks to the physical blocking he got from all five spots up front -- including the somewhat surprising work done by Fragel sealing the edge or pancaking linebackers at the second level. Ohio State averaged 191 yards per game on the ground the season before Meyer arrived, and despite his spread reputation, he backed up his repeated claims that a rushing attack really makes it hum by bumping that number up to 242 behind Fragel and his big buddies.
• Job description: The Buckeyes will be returning four experienced starters on the line, so the new member is going to have plenty of assistance as he breaks into the rotation. With Corey Linsley and Jack Mewhort back, for example, Ohio State certainly isn't going to need somebody to come in and try to be a leader. What it will need is an athletic player capable of keeping Braxton Miller clean in the pocket and displaying enough mobility and strength to keep up with a rushing attack that will essentially return completely intact. The only thing missing is a right tackle, and the spotlight will be on the guy filling Fragel's big shoes.
• Top candidates: The job was nearly Taylor Decker's in training camp, though the true freshman ultimately came up short in his tight battle with the veteran, physically-developed Fragel. The edge Decker did have back in August was that he's a natural lineman who was more technically sound as a blocker, and with another offseason to build his body, the future is bright for the rising sophomore heading into spring practice and a training camp where he's likely to be the clear favorite to join the first unit.
• One to watch: The Buckeyes kept Kyle Dodson stashed away on the bench for a season after his high-profile recruitment and decision to sign with Meyer a year ago, but he'll have a chance to show he's ready to put his considerable athleticism and talent on display after being slowed by a shoulder surgery that set back his growth initially. Decker has a head start, of course, but a healthy and energized Dodson should at least be able to provide some depth up front.

In the recruiting world, they call it flipping when one school has a recruit under its wing but by signing day that athlete commits to a different university.

As the days dwindle until national signing day, attention has turned to which players Urban Meyer and Co. might roll their way in an all-important 2013 recruiting class for Ohio State.

Some look at Tony Stevens (Orlando, Fla./Evans) or Trey Johnson (Lawrenceville, Ga./Central Gwinnett). However, if odds were set, the most likely candidate is one most fans already know about.

Gareon Conley (Massillon, Ohio/Washington) has made it no secret that he wants to take visits -- whether official or unofficial -- before giving Michigan his signature.

A longtime Wolverine pledge, the cornerback has said he chose Michigan because no other big-name schools were really after him.

The Wolverines were the only visit Conley took, but now that he has interest from schools including Oregon and Ohio State he wants to see what they’re all about, even if that means he is no longer committed to Michigan.

The Ducks have shown strong interest, while Ohio State has extended an offer.

(Read full post)