Ohio State's spring game is set for April 13th, and over the past few weeks we've been tracking all of the major storylines to be on the lookout for in Columbus. Justin Fields and the quarterback derby will take up much of the spotlight, but the Buckeyes' offensive line and linebacker units are also going to be under plenty of scrutiny.
Ryan Day and the rest of the team are set to begin practice this coming Wednesday, so you'll definitely want to stay dialed in for all the reports and sessions that are available to the media. Things will wrap up a little over a month later at the annual spring scrimmage.
Elsewhere around the Big Ten, there are a number of other major storylines as some of the conference's top programs face position battles and the need to reload in key spots.
Quarterback Battles in Madison, Evanston
Last year was a disappointment for the West favorite Badgers. Paul Chryst and Co. did once again knock off Miami to put a bow on things, but the Pinstripe Bowl was hardly the goal heading into the season. Wisconsin loses three All-American offensive linemen (which is story in itself), but the folks in Madison have done a fine job developing at the position.
The quarterback battle got pretty interesting when Alex Hornibrook entered the transfer portal a few days back. That means it's going to be junior Jack Coan and true freshman Graham Mertz battling it out under center. Coan saw action in five games last year as he completed 60 percent of his passes for 515 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Mertz arrived in January and is unquestionably the more touted of the duo. The Kansas native was a player the Buckeyes absolutely loved in the Class of 2019.
For Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats, it may not be as much of a race now that Clemson transfer Hunter Johnson – a five-star in the 2017 class – is eligible and poised to take over. Clayton Thorson's time in Evanston has come to an end and now it'll either be Johnson or senior T.J. Green at the helm. Johnson played in five games as a freshman in 2017 and appears to be the favorite. Green played in four of Northwestern's games a season ago and has more familiarity with the system and playbook.
New Wolverine Staff Facing Challenges Up Front
Despite its late-November destruction in Columbus and Peach Bowl dud, Don Brown's defense was once again one of the country's most formidable units in 2018. The front seven has lost several key components and could be one of the biggest question marks heading into the spring.
Star defenders Rashan Gary, Chase Winovich, and Devin Bush are all off to the NFL and former-five star defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon has transferred to Tennessee. Linebacker Noah Furbush along with defensive tackles Lawrence Marshall (a one-time Buckeye pledge) and Bryan Mone also are lost to graduation.
Perhaps even more importantly, both Greg Mattison and Al Washington are now coaching in Columbus. Brown and Michigan's new defensive staff will have some new toys to play with, but replacing the production of Gary, Winovich, and Bush is going to be virtually impossible. Five-star defensive tackle Chris Hinton and four-star Mazi Smith are two candidates to make an immediate impact as true freshmen. This is yet another reason why the Zach Harrison signing was especially huge for Ryan Day and Larry Johnson.
Year Two for Frost in Lincoln
It was far from an ideal start for the Scott Frost era as Nebraska struggled out of the gate in losing its first six contests. Still, there's plenty of room for optimism as the Huskers improved along the way and went 4-2 to finish the season. There are plenty of young pieces in place and sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez looks like he's going to be a good one.
The question is how long does it take before Nebraska takes the next step? We're not talking a leap all the way up to the West Division crown; rather something along the lines of 7-5. True freshman Wandale Robinson could bring a Rondale Moore-like presence to Lincoln, and that is a scary thing to consider with the Buckeyes heading west in late-September.
Does the Lewerke Regression Continue?
Remember when Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke was showing promise back in 2017 and some outlets had projected him to be a top-10 NFL Draft pick as soon as this April? It's been all downhill from there as the Spartan offense has been awful and Lewerke is coming off an injury-plagued season; a season that saw him throw for just eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions (he threw for 20 and 7 in 2017).
Brad Salem has moved from QB coach over to the offensive coordinator role as the Spartans will look to make some major improvements. We'll have to see how much the system is tweaked (if at all), but the play up front also has to get better if Lewerke wants to survive another season in East Lansing.
Revamped Backfield in Happy Valley
Trace McSorley and Miles Sanders are out. Tommy Stevens and Ricky Slade are in, but can a pair of talented true freshmen also make some noise at tailback? The Nittany Lion faithful is in love with Stevens, and it's probably for good reason as he's played the "Lion" role for the past three seasons and dabbled a bit at quarterback, running back, and receiver. It's going to be strange not seeing McSorley back there, but Stevens has more than earned his shot in 2019.
Several Ohio State targets signed with Penn State back in December, but the tailback duo of Noah Cain and Devyn Ford are the two I'll really be keeping a close eye on. Cain played at IMG Academy and is already on campus while Ford will arrive this summer. Slade was a five-star himself back in 2017, so it's fair to say that James Franklin may have the most talented running back stable in the conference.
