All eyes were on the quarterbacks at Ohio Stadium on Saturday afternoon in Columbus, as the Buckeyes look to replace longtime quarterback J.T. Barrett.
However, while the quarterbacks stole the show, there were a number of other players that put on impressive displays in the spring scrimmage, including true freshman running back Master Teague.
The Tennessee native saw his first reps in the Horseshoe on Saturday, and carried a game-high 14 times for 73 yards and the game's first touchdown. He also caught a swing pass from Tate Martell on the first play of the game, for a gain of four yards.
While the quarterbacks and select skill players switched which team they played for throughout the game, Teague played exclusively for the Scarlet squad, which featured the second-team offense. His long run of the day was a 17-yard scamper, although he might have been able to collect more yards had it not been for the quick whistles, in an effort to keep players healthy.
J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber played sparingly, each earning one carry each. Dobbins' one touch went for a loss of one yard, while Weber ripped off a 63-yard scamper on his only carry, which set up a Tate Martell rushing score. Antonio Williams added five carries for 47 yards for the Gray squad.
Demario McCall Shines
It's not unusual to see an H-back have an elite performance in a Spring Game because of the amount of passing that usually occurs in the scrimmage setting, but Demario McCall's performance late in the game was eye-opening.
McCall caught a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter of the game from Joe Burrow, and finished the day with 11 receptions for 165 yards and two scores, leading both the Scarlet and Gray teams in receiving yards.
The North Ridgeville, Ohio native played in just four games last season as he dealt with a nagging groin injury, but appears to be close to 100 percent as the 2018 season draws closer. While he will still have to compete with the likes of Parris Campbell and K.J. Hill for reps at H-back in 2018, there is a good chance he will be able to make his mark at least on special teams during his third season in scarlet and gray.
Alumni Flood The 'Shoe
While some fans stayed away from Ohio Stadium due to the impending inclement weather, a number of Ohio State alumni were in attendance on Saturday to watch the Buckeyes' scrimmage.
Malcolm Jenkins and Ryan Shazier headlined the group of alumni in attendance as honorary captains for the game, while a plethora of other Buckeyes joined the party.
Spring Game Salute to our Buckeye Legends and Scarlet & Gray Captains -- @MalcolmJenkins & @RyanShazier #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/U9RfmYl7l2
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) April 14, 2018
The departing seniors and early NFL draft entrants from last year's team were honored during a first-half timeout, as they received their 2017 Big Ten Championship rings. Former offensive lineman Andrew Norwell was also honored during a timeout.
Offensive Tackle Swap
It had been assumed that veteran offensive lineman Isaiah Prince would move over to left tackle for his senior season in Columbus. When the first-team offense took the field for the Gray squad on Saturday, however, it was true sophomore Thayer Munford who took the reps at left tackle, while Prince stayed in the right tackle spot he has occupied for the last two seasons.
Munford had already been "penciled in" as a starter at one of the tackle positions, but Meyer said after the game that Ohio State is still figuring out where the two will play come fall.
"We've done both, and that decision hasn't been made yet. Isaiah's been playing a lot of left too, and I think we're just trying to get that rotation of who is going to be the third tackle," Meyer said. "Nick Petit(-Frere) is a guy that's been here too watching. A very talented young man. And then you got Josh Alabi, also has earned the right maybe to get in a little bit. So we're just kind of figuring out what's best."
Alabi spent the majority of Saturday's scrimmage with the Scarlet team, which featured the second-team offense.
