An underrated position battle this offseason is the punt returner spot. With the departures of Dontre Wilson and Curtis Samuel, Ohio State will need a new return man in 2017.
The Buckeyes are not in short supply of fast, shifty football players, it's just a matter of determining which one is best for the job. Ohio State cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs is on the case.
“First of all, you chart every ball they kick in every practice so the first thing is ball security," Coombs said. "The guy who catches 100 percent of the balls is your first thought because the ball on the ground is a bad day."
If Ohio State can just get a guy back there who is guaranteed to catch the ball and hold on to it for the duration of the return every time it's kicked, that's a win, because that has been far from reality for the Buckeyes really since Urban Meyer's arrival.
Philly Brown, Jalin Marshall and Wilson all seemed to have trouble reeling in punts resulting in a staggering number of muffs or near muffs the past five seasons. Ezekiel Elliott even joined the club, fumbling a punt against Virginia Tech.
If Coombs can find someone he trusts to secure the ball, the next step is taking it to the house the other way — another skill that's been lacking at Ohio State. The Buckeyes haven't had a punt return touchdown since Marshall housed a punt back in 2014. Coombs wants to see a few this year.
"The first thing we think about is we chart every catch and then the next thing is what is their dynamic ability to score?" Coombs said. "That wasn’t a phase in our special forces that was good enough last year and we will be significantly improved this year and we’ve put a lot of time and effort into that."
"I think we’ve got a larger group from usual to draw from,” Coombs said. "I can’t tell you who it is yet, but somebody is going to emerge.”
We took a look at who is most likely to emerge as Ohio State's punt returner based on what Coombs said as well as what we've seen on film. Here are the top-five candidates, in order.
5. K.J. Hill — WR
K.J. Hill was not among the names Kerry Coombs mentioned when he discussed possible punt returner options, which is why he's so low on this list, but he's one of the few on the roster who's actually gone back to (hypothetically) field a punt.
Hill began to join Curtis Samuel deep as a punt returner beginning with the Maryland game, primarily to serve as a lead blocker. While Hill never actually returned or fielded a punt in a game, the fact that he was back there at all signifies that the coaching staff had at least some confidence in his abilities to handle a punt if it flew in the right direction or Samuel tripped over his shoelaces.
Hill was also on the kick return team and returned just one kick during the Fiesta Bowl when Clemson intentionally kicked the ball away from Samuel.
In summary, Hill has never actually fielded a punt, but he at least stood right next to Samuel for half the season while he fielded punts, which makes him one of the most experienced punt returners on the team.
4. Kendall Sheffield — CB
Kendall Sheffield came to Ohio State to compete for a starting spot at cornerback, but it sounds like the nation's top JUCO corner will get a crack at returning punts as Kerry Coombs said Sheffield will be involved in the return game.
Buckeye fans may be unfamiliar with his skill set as he's only been with the team since March, but Sheffield is one of the most dynamic athletes on the roster. He's big and physical, but more importantly for the punt game, he's shifty and damn fast.
His senior season in high school, Sheffield held the nation's top time in the 110 hurdles, and he put that speed to use in the punt return game both in high school and at the junior college level.
You can see some of his punt returns in this video at 1:01 and 1:41 as well as his kickoff return ability at 3:43.
While he's never returned a punt in a Buckeye uniform, he's shown a knack for fielding a punt and finding the end zone — a talent that's been lacking on this Ohio State team for quite some time.
3. Denzel Ward — CB
Denzel Ward has never fielded a punt for the Buckeyes, but he could be one of the top home run threats on the team once he gets the ball in the open field simply because of his blazing speed.
Ward was another track star in high school and source close to the cornerbacks told Eleven Warriors that Ward is "easily the fastest on the team," and that's exactly what the Buckeyes want back there — speed.
"Kendall (Sheffield) is going to be in the return game. Denzel (Ward) is going be in the return game," Coombs said. "We’re going to play some fast guys."
While he may not have the shiftiness some of the other guys have, good luck catching him if he finds a lane.
2. Parris Campbell — WR
Parris Campbell has more return attempts total than the rest of this group combined, but not a single punt return attempt — he was utilized exclusively in the kickoff return game.
The newly-dubbed H-back returned 21 kickoffs in 2016 for an average of 27.8 yards a return and nearly took one to the house against Indiana.
So close to six. pic.twitter.com/HBkxybX3nc
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 8, 2016
Campbell has all the tools necessary to be an elite return man: good hands, good vision, shiftiness and blazing speed. Coombs said he expects Campbell to be a dynamic returner in 2017.
1. Demario McCall — RB
If you're going to name someone the favorite to earn the starting punt returner spot, it makes sense that it's the one guy that's actually fielded a punt in a game.
Coombs agrees.
"I think if we ran out there today it’d probably be Demario (McCall)," Coombs said.
Demario McCall returned three punts last season, which is three more than anyone else on the current roster. While he was never able to create lightning in those attempts, averaging just 4.7 yards a return, his skill set is perfect for the role.
McCall is a speedster who can change direction on a dime, beat a man to the corner and weave through tight seems in a defense. Though he only played in garbage time in 2016, his talent and explosiveness was undeniable. He finished with the team's fourth-highest yard per game appearance total, averaging 61.3 yards during his six appearances which was behind only Curtis Samuel, J.T. Barrett and Mike Weber.
Thankfully, some hero took the time to compile every one of the future Heisman Trophy winner's touches during his freshman season.
Urban Meyer said his chief concern with McCall was ball security and McCall said his goal during the offseason was to put on weight. If he learns to hold onto the football and puts on a few pounds over the summer, he could be a lethal return threat in 2017.
Hello Heisman.
