In case you haven't heard, Ohio State has an ongoing quarterback battle to replace J.T. Barrett.
Dwayne Haskins, Joe Burrow and Tate Martell all showed flashes of brilliance in their final spring practice on Saturday during Ohio State's Spring Game, but at the end of the day, it was Burrow that had the most impressive stats, completing 15-of-21 passes for 238 yards and a pair of scores.
However, if you are going off just stats for a Spring Game, then you probably shouldn't be the one picking a starter. All three signal-callers have made their case to be Ohio State's next starting quarterback, but each have also shown their flaws as well. We aren't going to predict who the Buckeyes will trot out with the first-team offense Sept. 1 against Oregon State, but we are going to make a case for and against each player as they head into the summer.
Dwayne Haskins
Why He Should Start
Haskins has far and away the most arm talent on Ohio State's roster and it isn't even close. His arm can extend defenses much like Cardale Jones did during the Buckeyes' 2014 national title run, and he shouldn't be asked to run much because of Ohio State's two-headed monster at running back with J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber.
The redshirt sophomore also has the most meaningful playing experience of any quarterback on the roster, leading Ohio State to a victory against Michigan last season after replacing the injured Barrett. Haskins led the Buckeyes to either a touchdown or a field goal attempt on each of his four drives against the Wolverines, as his pass to Austin Mack showcased both his arm strength and accuracy.
Why He Shouldn't Start
He has shown a tendency to take chances with the football in tight coverage, something Urban Meyer is clearly not a fan of. After a turnover that led to an Illinois touchdown in last season's home finale, Haskins was pulled in favor of Barrett and the starting offense because Meyer wasn't confident enough in Haskins or the second-team offense to pull things together.
Haskins also has the least amount of mobility between the three quarterbacks competing for the job and as everyone knows, Meyer loves to run the quarterback. While it might not be necessary to run the quarterback as much with two running backs like Dobbins and Weber, Meyer would like to have that option, and Burrow and Martell are better options to run the football.
Joe Burrow
Why He Should Start
Burrow is the most experienced quarterback on the roster in terms of time with the program, coming to Columbus in 2015 as a redshirt freshman. He was Barrett's primary backup in 2016 and showed plenty of promise in mop-up duty, despite never entering a game that was undecided.
While Haskins has the biggest arm and Martell is the better runner of the three, Burrow is somewhere right in the middle, and might have the most momentum of any quarterback on the roster right now with an impressive Spring Game performance. Burrow has drawn comparisons to Barrett with his skill set, but showed Saturday that his arm is stronger than Barrett's, which could still give Ohio State the option to throw deep, even if his arm isn't as strong as Haskins.
Why He Shouldn't Start
Burrow broke a bone in his throwing hand before the start of the season last year, and because of it lost his backup spot to Haskins. However, once he was healthy again, he failed to earn the job back from Haskins and rarely saw the field in 2017.
His ceiling doesn't appear to be as high as Haskins' or Martell's, and his transfer from the program, while unfortunate, would hurt Ohio State the least of the three in terms of depth and where the players are in their Buckeye careers. While he has earned a number of game reps, he has yet to prove he can perform with a game on the line in his college career.
Tate Martell
Why He Should Start
Since Meyer loves to run the quarterback, Martell opens the offense to do so. His running ability behind center is the best Ohio State has had since Braxton Miller in 2013, though his throwing accuracy remains a question mark.
Martell is the former High School Gatorade National Player of the Year, and is as dynamic as any player Ohio State has on its roster, not just at quarterback. If not the starter, Martell should see the field in some capacity, as his play-making ability was on full display in the spring game.
Tate Martell showing off the stutter step that @BraxtonMiller5 made such great use of as an Ohio State quarterback. pic.twitter.com/CSQwa7vENL
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 14, 2018
Why He Shouldn't Start
Where his Spring Game performance showed off his running abilities, it equally showed the holes in his game when passing the football. As mentioned above, stats never tell the whole story, but 5-for-16 is glaring when it comes to accuracy. His confidence throwing the ball isn't there yet, but it is clear he is a dynamic runner.
Martell also has never played a snap in an actual college football game and remains the biggest unknown of this group. For now, however, his game is too predictable to become the full-time starter. Reps in a Wildcat-style package with the option to throw out of it, though, is definitely on the table come fall camp.
