Spring practice is typically when starting positions are won and lost in college football. Programs put together a depth chart ahead of their annual spring scrimmages before diving headfirst into summer conditioning. Fall camp is then used to prepare for the season opener.
Ohio State doesn't fully have that luxury this month at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, because injuries to as many as 11 players mean they "can't go full speed" Urban Meyer said. Instead, the attention turns to those younger guys who are healthy enough to perform and focus on their development.
"You focus on the guys that are here," defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Luke Fickell said. "That's the thing about it. Try to be as positive as you possibly can. To really focus on, if you're sitting there worrying about the guys that can't do what you're doing out there then you lose sight of getting to work with the guys that are."
The Buckeyes are without their top three receiving threats this spring, as Curtis Samuel, Corey Smith and Noah Brown rehab their way back from foot and leg injuries. Safeties Cam Burrows and Erick Smith aren't 100 percent either. As a result, Meyer isn't sure if Ohio State will be able to establish a full depth chart by April 16 at the spring game.
"Just new, uncharted waters," Meyer said. "I'm hoping we get, I'm putting a lot of pressure on the coaching staff to have somewhat of a depth chart."
Depth charts are obviously much more than just those players who start. The names mentioned above likely will fill plenty of those top lines once Ohio State releases its first depth chart whenever for 2016, but backups are just as important.
That's why it's imperative the staff continues to asses the talent its recruited to campus and how it responds to its first bit of practices in 2016.
"There’s not much you can do about it," offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Ed Warinner said. "You can evaluate those guys that are injured on what they’ve done in the past and how hard they’re working to get better, but all you can do is evaluate who’s out there."
Ohio State lost more than half its starters from the 2015 team to either graduation or the NFL Draft, so it is set to have a young roster this fall anyways. The guys unable to perform this spring hurt theirs and ultimately the team's development, but it isn't by any means their fault. And, it isn't anything the Buckeyes are in position to dwell on.
"To be honest, I couldn't name the guys that aren't out there," Fickell said. "I know there's some, and I know there's guys in my own unit, but the reality is we're going to focus on those guys that are in there and we're going to work with those guys.
"That'll only hopefully make us better because if those guys that are out are supposed to be the players, then they're going to have more competition when they get back which is in turn going to make them better which in turn is going to make us better."
