Each time Luke Fickell sees Raekwon McMillan's mother, Monica Washington, he shares his gratitude.
"Every time I see his mother I say thank you, you did an unbelievable job," Ohio State's defensive coordinator and McMillan's position coach said Jan. 7. "Whatever it was, you did an unbelievable job. I can only hope there's a lot more like that and I hope my own kids, whatever they did, whatever she did, whatever God blessed him with, it was naturally in him."
Fickell referenced McMillan's work ethic and leadership qualities, both which earned him a captaincy for the upcoming football season in Columbus. Urban Meyer made the announcement that the middle linebacker, along with quarterback J.T. Barrett and future center Pat Elflein—who told ESPN he has unfinished business to attend to next season—are already captains for 2016, even though the season sits more than seven months out.
“We need to accelerate the growth of some guys.”– Urban Meyer on his 2016 team
"That's something that, the one thing is we have very good leadership. Pat Elflein is a captain. J.T. Barrett is a captain. Raekwon McMillan is a captain," Meyer said Jan. 7. "Coach (Mickey Marotti) and I are working on that, we're jumping the gun a little bit. But those are three captains that we're not waiting until August. It's done."
There's a reason Meyer did that—he knows how much youth is present on his 2016 squad. It is a group that only has six seniors, a number that could dip to five if wide receiver Corey Smith isn't granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Barrett is the lone returning captain of the six that lead the charge in 2015, with Joshua Perry, Braxton Miller, Jacoby Boren and Braxton Miller all graduating and Tyvis Powell leaving early for the NFL. The rest of the roster is largely unproven and needs leaders to emulate.
Now, it's on them to follow through, but the vibe within the program is not surprised that is the case.
"I don't know personally that even the head coach would have to announce those guys (as captains)," Fickell said. "As you walk in that locker room, I'm almost sure every guy walking around that locker room knows about each and every one of those guys. That's the beauty that we got."
The 2015 Buckeyes saw a wealth of players split either to the NFL or graduation, and that talent carried leadership with it. With Barrett, Elflein and McMillan leading the way in winter workouts and into spring practice, however, the coaching staff remains optimistic the program will get to where it needs to because each of them possess similar leadership tendencies as the man in charge.
"Everyone has different definitions of leadership," Fickell said. "I try to make mine really simple, not to lead change from what the head coach's is, but those who can make others around him better. It's really simple. The day he walked in, Raekwon was that kind of person. Selfless commitment to one another, he makes others around him better at everything he does. His attitude, his demeanor, his effort and his true selfless approach to everything that we do.
"That's why I feel most confident. I feel most confident at the team. I look at J.T. and I don't know him great, but I look at him the same exact way. I look at Pat Elflein the same way."
Fickell has his own special connection with McMillan as the position coach of the former five-star recruit, who he said was a leader the moment he walked in the double doors at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. That's why the coach constantly thanks his mother for how she brought him up.
"For a guy to walk in this environment, to be as highly recruited as he was, to step into this situation and have a big brother like Curtis Grant and truly, truly act the way he did and what he did, that started a birth," Fickell said.
The same could be said about Barrett and Elflein, however, who along with McMillan know full well the fate of the 2016 season rests on how well they lead their teammates to prepare for what is a daunting road schedule. Trips to Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State lie on the horizon.
Meyer dubbed the portion of the calendar before spring practice opens, it is the "winter of development" at Ohio State. It makes sense as to why.
"We need to accelerate the growth of some guys," Meyer said. "Look at that offensive line right now, it could be outstanding with Pat lead driving the show and the leadership. I look at the skill positions, the receivers, that could be outstanding. You have J.T. Barrett leading them."
The pieces are there, it is just on the current leaders of the program to round them into form.
