With three of four starters in the secondary gone from the 2015 team, it is no secret Ohio State’s secondary has some holes to fill heading into next season.
It is precisely the reason why members of the Buckeyes’ coaching staff — in particular head coach Urban Meyer and cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs — spoke so glowingly about the signing of Jordan Fuller on Wednesday.
“Jordan Fuller was such a key get in the 11th hour,” Meyer said.
Fuller, a four-star athlete out of Westwood, New Jersey, is the country’s 130th-ranked player, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He is listed as the No. 6 athlete in the nation. Fuller committed to Ohio State on Monday before making things official on National Signing Day, choosing the Buckeyes over archrival Michigan as well as Notre Dame.
Coombs said Ohio State is bringing Fuller in to play cornerback to start things out and, at 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds, he reminds Coombs a lot of a recent star in the Buckeyes’ secondary.
“Big, long corner from Jersey,” Coombs said. “Sound familiar?”
Coombs, of course, was referring to former Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple, who recently declared for the 2016 NFL Draft after three years in Columbus — two of which he was a starter. Apple was a second-team All Big Ten selection (coaches) in 2015 and is projected by several to be an early-round selection come April.
It’s a lofty comparison, of course, as Apple was a key reason why the Buckeyes’ pass defense transformed from one of the Big Ten’s worst to one of the country’s best in just two seasons. But it is also a credit to the type of talent the Ohio State coaching staff believes it is bringing in with Fuller.
“I would anticipate, early evaluation, that [Fuller] will play for us next year,” Meyer said.
Gareon Conley is the Buckeyes’ lone returning starter in the secondary, and Meyer said Wednesday on his Signing Day radio show he expects Conley “to be one of the best corners in America.” The other cornerback spot is wide open, though, and Meyer said he expects Fuller to compete for that job along with Denzel Ward, Marshon Lattimore and Damon Webb.
Both safety spots are also open with Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell both moving on to the NFL. The opportunity for playing time is there.
“That’s probably the most unusual thing about Ohio State right now; we have opportunity for those young guys to come in here and make their mark,” Coombs said. “I don’t know that any one is more prepared. We’ll find out over the next four or five months.”
When you consider all of the turnover, it probably should not be a surprise Meyer singled out the secondary as one of his biggest concerns entering 2016.
Fuller has the chance to make an instant impact for Ohio State.
“[2014] was like this a little bit as we went into spring ball,” Meyer said. “That’s the challenge for our coaching staff: to be nine strong and develop your guys. The process started already two weeks ago. Very critical year for development.”
