Urban Meyer and Ohio State aren't short on talent. That doesn't happen when your wardrobe consists of a bunch of Block O pullovers and T-shirts.
A senior class that recorded 50 wins, a Big Ten title, national championship and Fiesta Bowl victory over the course of four seasons isn't the norm, however.
Meyer knows what Ohio State just lost to the NFL and graduation. Twelve Buckeyes heard their names called over the weekend as part of the NFL Draft. Five of them came off the board among the first 20 selections. Five more did before the end of the third round. The other two, Joshua Perry and Cardale Jones, were selected in the fourth. Outside of specialists, at least one player from every positional group got drafted. Three more signed free agent contracts. Based on the total number of picks and where they happened, Ohio State's 2016 NFL Draft class is the most impressive ever. There is not much more you can say.
"There have been some great things that happened," Meyer said April 20. "We had the clinic to recognize Ohio’s finest and the turnout we had just to say thank you to Ohio’s coaches. You have what’s been going on with recruiting around here, has been really good. You have this group of players getting ready for the NFL draft with the pro day."
Meyer, obviously, said that eight days before he and five players — Ezekiel Elliott, Darron Lee, Eli Apple, Taylor Decker and Joey Bosa — strolled the red carpet in Chicago. Media showered Ohio State's Pro Day with attention to see all that talent work out in front of a horde of scouts.
That talent is gone. A new hurdle awaits Meyer and Co.
“We have a lot of momentum here at Ohio State right now. We can’t lose it just because we lost some great players.”– Urban Meyer
"The challenge was whether we are good enough to go and play," Meyer said. "We’ve played at a high level for two years and now — are we going to drop?"
Meyer knows his new squad isn't where it needs to be yet, but liked what he saw in Ohio State's spring game. The Buckeyes also secured recruiting classes that ranked at least seventh in the nation each of the last three years according to 247Sports. It's 2017 haul is already the nation's best by a wide margin, though space is lacking due to a stunning 44 players on roster having four years of collegiate eligibility remaining. The cupboard is by no means bare.
"We are never going to rest easy obviously, we know we have got the talent, we know we had the talent, it is combining all of those things together," defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said. "That is the unique thing about what we do, is how do you mesh all of those guys together?"
Ohio State last had a young, but loaded roster in 2014 when it won the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship. Meyer mentioned having the same feeling then as he does now, knowing what he and his staff brought to Columbus from the recruiting trail.
But now the pressure of the departed's success weighs. Expectations couldn't be higher. Meyer is 50-4 in four seasons. It is thought the Buckeyes will be in the mix to make the Playoff every year under Meyer — that's the precedent he set.
"This is a special place right now," Meyer said. "We have a lot of momentum here at Ohio State right now. We can’t lose it just because we lost some great players."
Meyer won't allow there to be satisfaction. And with so much gone from last year's team, the youth is anxious to step in and produce. After all, its talent is why Ohio State hand-picked it to be part of its program.
It is what sits in line to start toward what is premised to be another 50-win stretch.
"We don’t have any contentment right now," cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs said. "We have nothing but discomfort, which is what we should have. We should have a lot of guys who are uncomfortable about where they are and how can they get better and what they need to do. I think there’s a real urgency among the guys to do that."
