As in any other year, we’ll enter the 2015 Ohio State football season missing a few key pieces from the previous season. This is just the cyclical nature of college sports, as one class departs to make way for a newer, younger class.
Among this season’s lost starters are guys like Michael Bennett, Devin Smith, Darryl Baldwin, Jeff Heuerman, Evan Spencer and Doran Grant. They all give up their spots to the next generation of Buckeyes. It’s the unfortunate part of college football fandom—by the time you grow a fondness for watching particular players, they’re gone.
But what if you could bring one back? Just one.
The offseason is the perfect time to talk through these hypothetical scenarios, because, well…we have no games to discuss, and by now you’re probably sick of hearing about the quarterback battle.
So here are the rules: you can bring one former Buckeye football star to play on the 2015 team. The player had to have been drafted by an NFL team. And they must still be in in playing shape, so either currently in the NFL or very recently retired.
Who would you choose?
It’s a difficult decision, and there are different ways you can view this exercise. You can simply choose the best player available, regardless of position. You might just bring back someone who was just drafted so they can have one more season and a shot at a back-to-back championship. Or, you might look at the areas of greatest need on the team.
Herein, I’ll look at five candidates and the positives of selecting each. Then I’ll make my choice and you can feel free to give yours in the comments below, selecting one from my list of finalists or going completely off the board and picking someone else. There are dozens of guys to choose from and there are no wrong answers here.
My candidates:
Cameron Heyward
With the departure of Bennett, there would be a temptation to simply reach out and pluck that young man back out of the NFL and insert him back into the lineup. But what about keeping Diesel Washington at nose tackle and bringing back someone as devastating and explosive as Cam Heyward? Thinking back on the way Heyward got into the Michigan backfield or the game he had against Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, it would be amazing to have Cam back in the fold. Plus, it would be great to give him a shot at a national title for his service.
Devin Smith
Here’s a case of bringing back a guy who just left. Smith did one thing better than perhaps any other Buckeye available under the above rules—he went deep and caught bombs. Younger players like Michael Thomas and Corey Smith might be able to get the job done, but we know Smith can do it, and do it well. Plus, it would be cool to see him leave with every receiving touchdown and yardage record in the OSU media guide.
Johnathan Hankins
If you’re not going to bring back Cam Heyward, and insist on moving Diesel off the center, why not replace the nose tackle position with the best space eater of the past decade? Big Hank would occupy the center and one or both guards, allowing Washington, Joey Bosa and whoever wins the other defensive end spot to play gleefully in the offensive backfield on every down. Teams might routinely finish with negative yards rushing against such a front line.
Ted Ginn Jr.
Admit it. You’d love to see Ted Ginn in an Urban Meyer offense, and so would I. Ginn would provide the deep threat the Buckeyes lost to Smith’s graduation and he can also slide into the H spot for explosion plays on the fly sweep or even throw the football a la Jalin Marshall. Teddy might finish the season with infinity yards and eleventy touchdowns in the current Buckeye offense. And he’s an electric return man. Ohio State’s return game has been less than spectacular the last few years. Ginn would inject new life into the special teams units.
Chris Gamble
Like Ginn, Gamble would instantly give the Buckeyes a threat on special teams, and a much more sure-handed option on punt returns. He also provides shut-down cornerback qualities to go opposite Eli Apple, easily making up what the team lost in Doran Grant after 2014. Gamble is what other teams’ quarterbacks do when they throw to Chris’s side, so he’s aptly named. As a bonus, Gamble could play a few snaps on offense from time to time.
There are so many others who it would be great to see back in Scarlet & Gray for the 2015 season. Guys like Jack Mewhort, Ryan Shazier, James Laurinitis, John Simon, A.J. Hawk, Heuerman, and even devastating blocker and team glue-guy Evan Spencer would be most welcome.
In the end, I’m going with Ginn just to see all the fun ways Meyer would use him.
Who you got?
