For a program consistently preaching how it doesn't like to slap redshirts on its freshmen, Ohio State has done so more frequently than Urban Meyer would prefer at various points of his tenure.
Excluding extenuating circumstances, the prevailing logic is to keep a player's eligibility clock running. Elite guys are going to leave after three years with the program regardless, and for those that might ultimately become recruiting misses, keeping their scholarships on the roster longer than necessary creates bubbles within classes and decreases the scholarships available that would otherwise be handed out to the next potential blue chip.
Having said all that, a true freshman year of seasoning can bring dividends to the program later as the Buckeyes have enjoyed some breakout performances from redshirt freshmen over the years.
Heading into the 2016 season, Meyer had redshirted a whopping 21 of 25 freshmen from the 2015 class meaning a host of guys had their first opportunity to emerge as legit contributors. That group was headlined by Mike Weber who ran for 1,096 yards on 6.0 yards per carry with nine touchdowns after sitting out the 2015 season partly due to a torn meniscus suffered during fall camp.
Dre'Mont Jones also made the most of his first chance to see the field ranking sixth on the team in tackles with 52 including 4.0 TFL. Alongside Jones, emerging fan favorite Bobby Landers chipped in 7.5 TFL in spot duty, good for fifth on the team. Damon Arnette also worked his way into the fold particularly on special teams and tallied 21 stops for the 2016 Buckeyes.
Dre'Mont Jones will eat your damn face off.
Conversely, ahead of the 2017 season only 11 of 23 freshmen from the 2016 class took a redshirt, decreasing the amount of guys with a chance to burst on the scene after a year of watching from the sidelines.
Linebacker Tuf Borland emerged as a key contributor with 58 tackles which ranked fourth on the squad. Punter Drue Chrisman was the arguably the most valuable of all the redshirt freshmen averaging 44.2 yards per punt – good for second in the Big Ten and 14th nationally – with 25 efforts downed inside the 20 and 15 punts of 50+ yards.
Finally, Dwayne Haskins didn't make much of a mark until late November but it was worth the wait as he stood tall following J.T. Barrett's injury helping Ohio State hold off Michigan in Ann Arbor. On the season, Haskins completed 70% of his throws (40/57) with four touchdowns and one interception.
With the 2018 season fast approaching, there are just six redshirt freshmen on the roster from a 2017 class of 21 prospects. Those players include quarterback Tate Martell, cornerback Shaun Wade, offensive linemen Josh Myers and Wyatt Davis, wide receiver Elijah Gardiner and defensive tackle Jerron Cage.
The n-count itself makes it tough to believe this year's crop of redshirt freshmen will collectively have much of an impact though there are certainly a few guys to keep an eye on.
Shaun Wade is finally healthy and looking to break into the cornerback rotation.
Martell obviously headlines this list following Joe Burrow's transfer to LSU. Now the clear cut backup to a first-year starter in Haskins, the reality is Martell sits just one injury/play away from being handed the keys to Ohio State's offense. Even assuming Haskins enjoys a full season of health and production, Martell could still play a useful role via packaged plays that would potentially offer a bit of a change of pace for defenses (though we know Haskins will still log some carries of his own).
Wade is finally healthy after injuries played a huge part in his redshirt and it shouldn't be forgotten he is a former five-star talent. Currently outside the top three cornerback rotation, Wade should still see plenty of time in the defensive backfield in lopsided games which could lead to more meaningful snaps providing his performance is on point. Even if not, he could play a more meaningful role on special teams.
Myers and Davis look to be the primary backups at their respective positions with Meyers behind Brady Taylor at center and Davis ready to spell Demetrius Knox at right guard. Myers pushed Taylor enough that toward the end of spring drills that offensive line coach Greg Studrawa indicated the battle for the starting spot will rage into fall camp. Davis, meanwhile, looks to be more of a definitive depth option at this point.
The other two redshirt freshmen on the roster, Gardiner and Cage, don't currently own a spot on the two-deep and there's no question they play in position groups loaded with depth meaning they'll more than likely be on the outside looking in all season.
Again, there are only six of them this year and the wildcard is clearly Martell but depending on Haskins' health and how the offensive braintrust chooses to deploy his backup, this could be the first time in awhile that a handful of redshirt freshmen fail to emerge as big time contributors for the Buckeyes.
