During the portions of practice open to the media this spring, Ohio State's starting tight end, Marcus Baugh, could be seen running laps around the indoor field at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center as the rest of his teammates went through practice.
Baugh is sidelined this spring due to offseason surgery but is expected to be fully healthy by the time fall camp rolls around. And while it’s certainly disappointing the Buckeyes are going through spring ball without a key member of their offense, the reality is Baugh is a fifth-year senior and likely would have been limited anyway due to Urban Meyer’s famed 2,000-rep club.
Baugh’s absence allowed Ohio State’s other tight ends to get important reps. And, according to Meyer, the group is taking advantage of the opportunity.
“Tight end is the most improved position on the team right now,” Meyer said.
That’s certainly comforting for Ohio State fans to hear the head coach say. Because one of the narratives created recently is the Buckeyes don’t utilize the tight end position nearly enough.
There is a bit of merit to that, as production from the position — in the passing game — hasn’t exactly been eye-popping the last few years. Not since Jeff Heuerman in 2013 has an Ohio State tight end caught more than 25 passes or eclipsed the 400-yard receiving mark for a season.
Still, the Buckeyes produced some NFL talent at the position as Heuerman and Nick Vannett were both third-round NFL Draft picks in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Heuerman is currently with the Denver Broncos; Vannett plays for the Seattle Seahawks.
Baugh has the tools to be the next in line with another solid season this fall. Last year, in his first as a starter, the Riverside, California, native caught 24 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns.
But with Baugh sidelined this spring, Ohio State’s other tight ends had opportunities to impress the coaching staff in an attempt to earn some snaps in the fall. The other tight ends in the meeting room of new position coach Kevin Wilson include A.J. Alexander, Luke Farrell, Jake Hausmann and Kierre Hawkins.
Meyer gave a quick rundown of the pecking order Tuesday.
“A.J. Alexander is really coming on,” Meyer said. “Luke Farrell is a little bit ahead of Jake Hausmann but they’re both very comparable. Most improved position on the team.”
Alexander is the only one of the four who has any playing experience at the collegiate level. Last season as a redshirt freshman, Alexander served as Baugh’s back-up and caught four passes for 27 yards.
Farrell, Hausmann and Hawkins all came to Ohio State in the 2016 recruiting class. All three redshirted last season as true freshmen. All three were four-star prospects coming out of high school and there seems to be quite a bit of competition there with Farrell having the slight lead over Hausmann right now, according to Meyer.
In addition to overseeing the tight ends, Wilson is also tasked with enhancing the Buckeyes’ offense as a whole. History shows us when Wilson had similar talent at his disposal — as the Oklahoma tight ends coach and offensive coordinator — tight end production was rather impressive. That featured a 2008 season for Jermaine Gresham that included 66 catches for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Now, Gresham wound up being a first-round NFL Draft pick and Baugh may not be that, so the comparison is not exactly apples to apples. But the production still illustrates a willingness from Wilson to involve the tight end position when calling plays.
We’ll have to wait until the fall to see if there’s any added emphasis on getting the ball to the tight end at Ohio State. But “the most improved position on the team” is at Wilson’s disposal, so it doesn’t seem entirely out of the question at this point.
