Team captains are important for any sports team. For a team of 100 or more, the captains are essential for preserving order. And for a team hoping to repeat as national champions, they're crucial.
As the Buckeyes hold spring practice, they are learning more about themselves. It's not just position drills and reaction times that are improving, though, it's leadership.
The public will have its first glance at the 2015 team's leaders at the spring game on April 18. Even so, we can comfortably predict some of the team captains in advance.
As a refresher, here are the team captains for the last three Ohio State squads:
- 2012: John Simon, Zach Boren, Etienne Sabino, Garrett Goebel, Jordan Hall
- 2013: Jack Mewhort, C.J. Barnett, Christian Bryant, Kenny Guiton, Braxton Miller, Ryan Shazier, Corey Linsley, Philly Brown
- 2014: Michael Bennett, Curtis Grant, Doran Grant, Jeff Heuerman, Braxton Miller
Veteran experience is key: all but two of the 18 permanent team captains were seniors. The two juniors, Miller and Shazier, were not named captains until after their senior colleagues.
Diversity is important as well. The captainship has been exceptionally diverse; every position on offense and defense except for offensive guard has been represented over the last three years. (Let's also pay our respects to the special teams players, who have had no representative since Mike Nugent in 2004. They yearn for a champion.)
Another key thing is the number of guys who were named captains. With five, eight and five captains, the Buckeyes elect more leaders than most teams. The Buckeyes have a small senior class this year of 12, which makes five a reasonable prediction for the number of captains.
ABSOLUTE LOCKS
Braxton Miller: Hmm, let's ponder this. Miller was a team captain each of the last two years, including 2014 when he was injured. He's a former Heisman finalist, and he's probably the starting quarterback if he's healthy. Predicting Braxton Miller as a team captain is as adventurous as eating plain toast with tap water.
Taylor Decker: Just as secure a pick is Taylor Decker. A starting offensive tackle for the last two seasons, Decker is the most experienced member of the Slobs, and naturally social. As a naturally social three-year starter with designs on the NFL, Decker is a shoe-in for a captaincy.
PRETTY SURE
Joshua Perry: There will no doubt be defensive team captains, and there are only so many senior defenders. Perry is one of the team's starting linebackers, and he has been a capable hand since his freshman year. Perry is one of the smartest guys on the team. His leadership will be valuable.
Joel Hale: If you're surprised to see Hale's name here, you're not alone. 2014 was set to be Hale's final season, but he attained a medical redshirt, allowing him to come back for one last run in 2015. Hale has switched between offense and defense several times in his career, and he has been designated for interviews since 2013.
It's not always the most accomplished players who become captains, it's the ones who make the best leaders. Hale is one of them.
50/50
Adolphus Washington: Here is another player who wasn't expected to be here. Washington surprised a few people when he announced he would return for his senior season; he certainly had the talent to be drafted.
As a senior, Washington will be expected to anchor a defensive line with young talent the coaching staff has called out for a lack of development. I'd argue Hale is a more likely captain, but Washington is nearly as likely to be a team leader.
Nick Vannett: A senior tight end from Westerville, Nick Vannett, is another intriguing choice. He has been under the radar for much of his career, but Vannett has been reliable. In addition, he may come in handy as a role model for Ohio State's young tight ends, Marcus Baugh and Rashod Berry, and as an old-timer in general.
DARK HORSES
Cardale Jones: It would go against the trend of having seniors as captains if Cardale Jones were a captain, but think about it. In 2013, the Buckeyes had two quarterbacks as captains: junior Braxton Miller, the starter, and senior Kenny Guiton, the backup.
J.T. Barrett won't be a captain even if he wins the quarterback derby, but if Cardale wins out? He'll be the oldest, most experienced junior on the team, and he'll need the leadership bonus a captaincy brings. If he doesn't win the derby, there's a good chance he'll be a captain next year.
Joey Bosa: The most talented player on the team, Bosa has an amazing blend of skill and strength. If the unanimous All-American were a senior, he would be at the top of this list. Instead, he is a junior.
With Joel Hale and Adolphus Washington ahead of him, Bosa might be (for one of the only times in his career) lost in the shuffle. The Bosa situation will go to show Meyer's beliefs about juniors in team leadership positions; if Bosa doesn't make it, practically no juniors will be a captain under Meyer as long as there are capable seniors around.
Odds are, there will be somewhere between five and eight captains for the 2015 team. My preliminary prediction for team captains is Taylor Decker, Joel Hale, Braxton Miller and Joshua Perry, as well as another offensive representative – let's say Nick Vannett.
The team captains will have to embody the team mantra of 'Grind'. Their task will be challenging: to keep a national championship team from getting lazy and entitled. Whoever they may be, they have their work cut out for them.
