Before we get into the serious fun of projecting Ohio State's 2010 lineup, we have to sort out who's staying, who's going and touch on the delayed big addition to the roster.
Won't you please return for a shot at the crystal?Sophomore safety Rocco Pentello became the first Buckeye to make his intentions known when he announced that he was transferring to Ashland University. The former high school quarterback will try to earn playing time at that position for the Division II Eagles after two tough scout team years in Columbus.
Receivers Taurian Washington and Lamaar Thomas have long been rumored to be transfer candidates. Due to Carter and Small's troubles, both received additional snaps in the Rose Bowl, but neither recorded a catch or saw a ball thrown their way (despite the fact that Washington actually started the game and saw significant minutes). The word is Flash is gone for suresies, while Washington is still on the fence. It would be a shame to lose either of them, but with the depth at the position and some of the younger guys battling for time, I can see why they would consider heading elsewhere for a chance to play.
On the early departure front, 10 Buckeye juniors filed evaluation paperwork with the NFL, but it's thought that only four of them, Gibson, Heyward, Hines and Chekwa are actually considering leaving. Gibson, long thought to be taking his game to the next level, has made some encouraging statements as of late, but I'd be shocked to see him back next season. Hines is a guy that I could see leaving and Chekwa, though he could benefit tremendously from sticking around for another year of seasoning, would be a first day guy if he left. Heyward, despite the urging to cash-in from his teammates, is probably a lean to return. He flew a bit under the radar, though his performance in the Rose Bowl had one scout gushing that he could be a mid first-rounder.
At this point, it's hard to pin down the decisions of any of the four. A lot can happen between now and the January 15th, the date they must declare by, and large sacks of money have a way of altering one's leanings. What's helped me best through the years is to assume they're all leaving and then treat it as a bonus when a player announces his return.
The Buckeyes added to their depth at running back when big Carlos Hyde arrived in Columbus and began taking classes. Hyde, originally part of the '09 recruiting class, did not qualify and spent time at Fork Union getting his grades in order. Now, he's safely vibin in his dorm:
It's nice to see this because so many of the non-qualifiers kind of quietly disappear. Carlos turned in the hard work and will hopefully get to see that payoff soon.
Now for the fun part. Assuming the worst and all four juniors mentioned above leave early for the NFL as well as the transfers of Washington and Thomas, the depth would project somewhere along these lines:
Offense
- QB: Pryor, Bauserman, Guitton
- RB: Saine, Herron, Hall, Berry, Rod Smith and Hyde (!)
- FB: Boren, Homan
- WR: Posey, Sanzenbacher, Carter, Fields, Jackson
- TE: Stoneburner, Fragel, DiLilo
- OL: Boren, Brewster, Browning, Shugarts, Adams, Hall, Miller, Mewhort, Longo, Linsley (!!)
Defense
- DE: Williams, Thomas, Fellows, Newsome
- DT: Larimore, Simon, Goebel, Bellamy
- LB: Homan, Rolle, Bell, Sabino, Klein, Whiting, Sweat
- CB: Torrence, Howard, Brown, Evege
- S: Johnson, Barnett, Wood, Domicone
Special Teams
- K: Barclay
- P: Buchanan
If everyone comes back, the Buckeyes will return 16 starters, but again, assuming the apocalyptic scenario in which Gibson, Heyward, Hines and Chekwa all leave, Tressel will still have an offense that's perhaps as diverse as he's ever had and a defense that is experienced and solid, even if it needs to break some youngsters in.
The defensive depth also doesn't account for Tyler Moeller, who could be back to his havoc-wreaking ways in the fall if things go right for him, nor do the units include anyone from the 2010 class as that's still too far off to pencil in.
What's your take? How equipped do you think the Bucks will be for a run later this year?
