Thousands of pixels, and maybe even a little ink, will be used to debate who should start at quarterback before the Buckeyes next take the field. As Urban Meyer often says, though, a football team must be nine units strong. Here is a look at the most significant upcoming clashes for starting roles.
1. Offensive Tackle
As hardcore fans and everyone who has seen The Blind Side knows, the left tackle is one of the most highly valued positions in football. With first-team All-Big Ten starter Jamarco Jones graduating, a group of new and familiar faces will vie for left tackle starting job.
To begin with, Isaiah Prince could shift from right to left tackle for his third year as a starter. After struggling his sophomore year, Prince stepped up his game and became a reliable blocker last fall. It would be nice to have a known quantity defending the quarterback's blind side, but a Prince shift would not solve the numbers conundrum on the line.
Branden Bowen and Michael Jordan are potential candidates to move from guard to tackle. Both are game-tested, and, at 6-foot-7, both have the size to play tackle. Equally giant Malcolm Pridgeon, who backed up Jordan at guard last year, has the size to play tackle as well, but he has an uphill journey to a starting role.
6-foot-5 junior Joshua Alabi was listed as Jones's backup last year, and 6-foot-6 sophomore Thayer Munford backed up Prince on the other side of the two-deep. Both returners have the advantage of practicing the tackle position last season, but neither has the playing experience to rival Bowen and Jordan.
Finally, incoming freshman Nicholas Petit-Frere's status as the top-rated tackle in the nation makes him an instant competitor for the starting role. At 272 pounds, though, the 6-foot-6 standout is 50 pounds lighter than some of his rivals.
With at least seven contenders for the job, offensive line coach Greg Studrawa will preside over an intense and complicated transition. Long-story-short, it looks like Branden Bowen will have the inside track once he recovers from his injury. Any one of the aforementioned players, however, could make a significant jump this spring and blow the competition wide open.
2. Linebacker
The Buckeyes struggled at linebacker last year with Jerome Baker, Chris Worley and Dante Booker starting. As the season went on, Tuf Borland emerged as the leading man in the middle. Poised to be an even more integral component of the rush defense next year, it would be a surprise if he does not return as a starter.
Based on last year's depth chart, it stands to reason that Borland will be flanked by senior Dante Booker and junior Malik Harrison, who earned significant playing time as the season went on. Simple enough.
Enter Baron Browning.
Baron Browning
"This bowl camp, he’s been unreal and he’s started to put it all together, and his future’s going to be really bright," Worley said of Browning at the Cotton Bowl. If the 6-foot-4, 230 pound former five-star recruit lives up to his potential, he will simply be too good to keep off the field.
But the intrigue does not end there. Junior Keandre Jones, who coach Bill Davis compared to speedster Jerome Baker, will make a case for himself at the weakside position. One also gets a little bit of the sense that it is now or never for five-star junior Justin Hilliard, who has been hampered by injuries but has star potential. Last but not least, a young player like Pete Werner, who made a big impression last year on special teams, could make a leap. While Werner, Hilliard and Jones are dark horse contenders to start, so were Borland and Harrison last fall.
3. Center
With the departure of the top center in the country, Billy Price, Studrawa has another huge void to fill. In this case, the the Buckeyes do have a presumed replacement in senior Brady Taylor, who backed up Price last year.
With that said, junior Matthew Burrell will try to complicate things with a push for the starting role. Likewise, second-year guards Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers, the highest-rated offensive linemen Urban Meyer had ever signed at Ohio State prior to Petit-Frere, will try to find their way onto the field however they can. Finally, top-rated incomer Matthew Jones will try to take advantage of enrolling early.
While Taylor is the successor on the depth chart, he will have to fend off serious challengers to win the right of starting every play with the football.
4. Quarterback
As of November 25, 2017, Dwayne Haskins is the presumed 2018 starter at QB. With that said, it has not been all smooth sailing for Haskins. During last year's Illinois game, Meyer pulled Haskins, putting Barrett back into the game late, because he "didn't want it to turn into a clown show, which it looked like it for a minute." If Haskins struggles, junior Joe Burrow, who was listed with Haskins as a co-backup last year, is primed to move into the starting role.
Redshirt freshman Tate Martell is also determined to play. He has said he is willing to change positions if it gets him onto the field faster. While he will likely get the chance to use his speed with special play calls, it would be a surprise if he is the outright starter.
"I mean what else would I want? I didn't come here to sit on the bench."– Tate Martell
5. Defensive Line
The competition at start at defensive line will be as heated as any, but the stakes will be slightly lower because Larry Johnson is so adept at rotating players. That kind of cycle is simply not feasible at offensive tackle or quarterback.
At defensive tackle, returners Robert Landers and Haskell Garett and top transfer Antwuan Jackson will clash for the starting role next to Dre'Mont Jones. All, however, will play.
At defensive end, five-star recruits Jonathon Cooper and Chase Young will butt heads to start alongside Nick Bosa. Luckily for Buckeye fans, this is not a winner-take-all position, and all three standouts will have the chance to make major contributions.
6. Tight End
The super athletic Rashod Berry is the man to beat at tight end, but he will get a big push from freshman Jeremy Ruckert, who Urban Meyer has praised in glowing terms. Berry is heavier and stronger, which gives him the advantage as a blocker, but Ruckert is longer and more of a threat to stretch the field as a receiver. Berry and Ruckert's different skill sets present an intriguing trade off. Given that tight ends rotate, however, they can work as complements rather than substitutes.
7. Safety
Sophomore Isaiah Pryor is the next man up at safety, but he will have to fend off challenges from players such as Jahsen Wint, Brendon White and highly-touted recruit Josh Proctor. That said, five-star early enrollee Tyreke Johnson has made it clear that he opt to join an overflowing cornerback room rather than seek early playing time at safety. The Buckeyes still have plenty of talent at the position, but Johnson could have added all the more intrigue this offseason.
Wild Card
Demario McCall is an captivating talent. For two seasons, he has contributed flashes of brilliance during mop up duty. With two star running backs and six receivers returning, though, it is not clear how he will fit into Ohio State's attack. He is most likely find his niche on kick returns, but do not count him out as a secret weapon on offense.
