While we've spent some time previewing Ohio State's upcoming position battles – most recently hitting on running backs and wide receivers – there are a number of other Big Ten programs looking for new faces to emerge during the spring and summer.
Today, we take a look at a few of the more noteworthy position battles around the conference.
For the Wolverines, their 2016 outlook is going to depend heavily on finding a replacement for Jake Rudock. The Shane Morris experiment has been an absolute disaster so far as the former five-star (still not sure what some recruiting analysts were thinking on that one) has thrown for just 389 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions in three seasons. Morris took a redshirt in 2015 as he found himself behind both Rudock and then redshirt freshman Wilton Speight. Unless something drastic happens, it's reasonable to assume that Morris will find himself No. 3 on the depth chart again this coming season.
Speight and Houston transfer John O'Korn are expected to battle for the starting spot, though it does appear that O'Korn is the early favorite. While at Houston, he threw for 3,117 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions as a freshman before running into some tough times in his second year. After taking home the American Athletic Conference's Rookie of the Year in 2013, he was benched in week five of his sophomore campaign.
Thankful for getting benched at Houston. Wouldn't be a wolverine if it hadn't happened and I wouldn't have it any other way.
— John O'Korn (@JohnOKorn) November 26, 2015
Wilton Speight filled in for Jake Rudock last season against Minnesota in a game the Wolverines would go on to win 29-26 on the road. He threw for just 73 yards last season with one touchdown and one interception.
New defensive coordinator Don Brown will be looking to replace all three starting linebackers, and a trio of Ohioans could be in line for significant playing time. Hudson's Ben Gedeon, Kenton's Noah Furbush, and Trotwood's Mike McCray are among the candidates to help fill the void. While practicing at IMG Academy last week, do-it-all player Jabrill Peppers was also spotted manning the SAM linebacker spot.
“I just think we’ve got to give this guy a bunch of jobs,” Brown said of Peppers. “He’s a dynamic athlete, and we’ll keep him around the line of scrimmage and let him do a bunch of stuff, whether it’s cover, whether it’s in certain personnel groups play linebacker.” Via
In East Lansing, the departure of Connor Cook leaves the Spartans with a similar situation at quarterback. Senior Tyler O'Connor, a Lima, Ohio native, will square off against junior Damion Terry for the starting job. In his career, O'Connor has thrown for 374 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions while Terry has thrown for a mere 103 yards. Redshirt freshman Brian Lewerke should also have a chance for playing time this season.
Ohio native Tyler O'Connor will look to hold off Damion Terry and Brian Lewerke.
Last month, the Spartans signed four talented receivers, including a pair that the Buckeyes were after. Donnie Corley, Cameron Chambers, Justin Layne, and Trishton Jackson should all have an opportunity to see significant playing time as true freshmen. With Aaron Burbridge and Macgarrett Kings both gone, senior R.J. Shelton will be one of the few experienced wideouts on the roster.
For the Nittany Lions, Christian Hackenberg is off to the NFL and the next man up is going to be asked to use his legs much more than the previous three-year starter. New offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead's system thrives with a quarterback who can extend plays with his legs. Trace McSorley filled in for Hackenberg in the TaxSlayer Bowl against Georgia, and the then redshirt freshman tossed a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns while adding 31 yards on the ground.
Coming off a redshirt season of his own, Tommy Stevens will be the primary competition for McSorley. Stevens enrolled early last year after flipping his commitment from Indiana to Penn State. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds he looks more like a Penn State quarterback than does the 6-foot, 200-pound McSorley. Stevens definitely has the ability to use his legs as well; he rushed for 842 yards and 10 scores as a senior at Indianapolis' Decatur Central High.
Defensively, James Franklin loses three of four starting linemen, including the conference's reigning Defensive Player of the Year – Carl Nassib. Anthony Zettel and Austin Johnson will also have to be replaced on the interior. Junior Parker Cothren and sophomore Antoine White appear to be the early favorites at the tackle spots
The folks in Madison are used to having one of the nation's top rushing offenses, so it was certainly a disappointment to see their Badgers finish 2015 with the country's 94th-ranked ground game. In fairness to Paul Chryst, an early-season injury to Corey Clement was a pretty big blow to the Badger offense.
Corey Clement looks to bounce back in 2016.
While the projected starter battled a groin injury throughout the season, Wisconsin relied on Dare Ogunbowale and redshirt freshman Taiwan Deal to carry the load. Ogunbowale rushed for 819 yards and seven scores while Deal added 503 yards and found the endzone six times. Both backs averaged just over 4.0 yards per carry.
It's logical to assume that Clement will be the guy in 2016, but given his injury history and considering how often the Badgers run the football, it will be interesting to see how the backfield shakes out this spring and summer.
Joel Stave is also gone, though the former Badgers' signal-caller was always more of a game manager than a prolific passer. Senior Bart Houston should lead the way next season, assuming he can beat out a pair of freshman in Alex Hornibrook and Kare' Lyles.
