Eli Apple Has All The Tools To Excel As Ohio State's Top Corner

There are a handful of linchpin positions on a football team. 

Quarterback is the one no-doubter position with a few others sprinkled in that can vary based on a team's particular identity and philosophy. Defensively, many would argue the most crucial position is the middle linebacker or a pass rushing specialist while others would target a shutdown cornerback. 

For Ohio State, having a legit #1 corner is, well, a cornerstone to defensive success and for the fifth time in the last 10 years, the Buckeyes must successfully replace their top cornerback from the previous season if they have designs on returning to the college football playoff. 

With the departure of last year's top corner, Doran Grant, to the NFL, it is now up to redshirt sophomore Eli Apple to take the torch passed from Ashton Youboty to Malcolm Jenkins to Chimdi Chekwa to Bradley Roby and finally to Grant. 

Despite Apple's relative youth – he won't turn 20 until fall camp – all signs point to the position being in good hands. 

Last season as a first year starter, Apple ranked just 9th on the team in tackles (53) but stood 4th in interceptions (3) and 2nd in Passes Defensed (13) while also forcing and recovering a fumble. 

His highlights from the championship season included a gritty performance against Michigan State as he was forced to fight through injury after his backup, Gareon Conley, was scorched early and often forcing the defensive braintrust to insert Apple into what was the team's biggest game up to that point, in addition to a strong effort over the final three games of the season. 

Against Wisconsin, Apple contributed to the shutout with five stops including two for loss followed up by five tackles against Alabama and a career-high seven tackle effort in the win over Oregon featuring an interception on the last throw of Marcus Mariota's college career and a key play in the 3rd quarter in which he shoved Oregon's tight end out of the back of the end zone before he could put his foot down negating a touchdown. 

The strong production was all the more impressive as Apple battled an iron deficiency as part of his redshirt season that stalled high expectations for a kid that came to Columbus as an ESPN 5-star out of Voorhees, New Jersey. 

Now, with his confidence at an all-time high, Apple is primed to grow into the #1 corner role with an eye on repeating as a national champion. Listening to him talk, not only is Apple confident in his own abilities but he's embracing the opportunity to become a leader in the defensive back meeting room and while he won't be a captain this year, it's a good bet he will the following year. 

The icing on the cake is that Apple – who notably is just the 4th OSU corner in the last 10 years to stand 6'1" – is a kid who wanted to be a Buckeye since middle school as he visited Columbus for camps and developed a strong affinity for Jim Tressel, fellow New Jersey native Malcolm Jenkins and the Ohio State program overall. 

Ohio State won't necessarily need Apple to perform at the level of a Jenkins this fall thanks to what should be a strong supporting cast at linebacker and a pair of seasoned safeties who feast on turnovers, but Luke Fickell and Chris Ash will absolutely need Apple to perform adequately at taking away the opponent's top receiving threat as the staff brings along Conley and/or other unproven options at the opposite corner spot such as Damon Webb. 

Apple's talent level and Ohio State's track record of developing NFL type talent at the position should put Eli is great position to make his own case for a professional career over the next couple seasons while helping the Buckeyes stay in the national championship hunt.