Ultimately, spring games don’t matter a whole lot. Some guys who look like potential studs in mid-April don’t do anything in the fall and vice versa. People have gotten burned in the past expecting big things out of some of the stars of spring games.
But they’re undeniably fun.
In Columbus, the annual Scarlet vs. Gray showdown gives the Buckeye faithful an idea of what the team will look like in the upcoming fall. Throughout a long summer of painstakingly waiting for the next first game to arrive, those plays in Ohio Stadium this weekend are the only images of next season’s Ohio State team fluttering through most peoples’ minds.
This year’s spring game will kick off at noon on Saturday with nearly 20,000 people in the stands.
Don’t expect a lot of Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson or Thayer Munford. Some of the most experienced returners will only see the field for a portion of the game. But a bunch of the younger guys will get run this weekend. Given how few opportunities they received last year due to the truncated regular season and lack of blowouts, a sizable portion of the roster hasn’t shown much in games yet. Thus, there are a lot of intriguing players to watch.
Here are 10 of the most interesting Buckeyes to keep an eye on Saturday.
Paris Johnson
Spring games aren’t the best opportunities to evaluate offensive line play. Not by any stretch. This, though, represents the first chance to see Johnson as a starting guard. We saw a few plays with him as an interior lineman during the College Football Playoff, and this is the next step. He’ll presumably line up with the starters at right guard and go up against some of Ohio State’s best defensive tackles. Ryan Day and Greg Studrawa have been pleased with his progress, and now he’ll have a shot to show those outside of the program what he looks like on the inside.
Craig Young
It’s not every year that a team has a 6-foot-3, 228-pound safety. But Ohio State might in 2021. Young has spent a good portion of the spring working with Matt Barnes’ unit, making him a candidate for the hybrid linebacker-safety role sometimes (or formerly) known as the Bullet. His ridiculous athleticism that led Urban Meyer to extend an offer after a camp performance has led the Buckeyes to give him a look in a role that could have him moving all over the field. The spring game will be a chance to both see what this new spot looks like and how Young performs at it.
Lathan Ransom
This spring, Ransom has generated as much hype as anybody else on the roster. He didn’t see much playing time as a true freshman before the 2020 postseason and ultimately was on the field for only 61 defensive snaps all year. In the fall, Ransom should see a significant uptick in opportunities as a sophomore. His teammates and coaches have been glowing in their praise of him. Ransom, who could be seen often in the slot as a de-facto nickelback, will give a preview on Saturday of what to expect next season.
Teradja Mitchell
Three years ago, Mitchell was being touted as Ohio State’s middle linebacker of the future. Finally, after three straight seasons as a backup, he’s in line to start. Except he’ll be at weakside linebacker instead of in the middle. Mitchell has been deemed a “thumper” for years, so in a spring game setting that perhaps won’t feature tackling for the first half, his entire game might not be on display until the fall. This, though, will be a helpful hint of what’s to come.
Taron Vincent
You have to sit up and take notice when Day goes out of his way to compliment somebody the way he did with Vincent, whom he all but predicted would be a breakout star for the Buckeyes in 2021. Haskell Garrett has been sidelined this spring with an injury, so Vincent has gotten the majority of 3-technique reps with the starters in practice and will see an abundance of snaps on Saturday. Not since 2018 has Vincent played fully healthy in a game. Since he has avoided injuries this offseason, the spring game will be the first glimpse of what he can be when not hindered by his body in several years.
TreVeyon Henderson
The nation’s No. 1 running back recruit has spent three and a half months on Ohio State’s campus, and now he’ll get to show what he can do inside of Ohio Stadium this weekend. Henderson hasn’t played a competitive football game since his junior year in Virginia, so even though this is an exhibition, it’s an important step in his process. He talked about wanting to show what he can do when the pads come on, and now he’ll try to do just that when the eyes of thousands are on him for the first time ever. Time to see what he can do.
Luke Wypler
The five presumptive starting offensive lineman remain the same: Thayer Munford, Matthew Jones, Harry Miller, Paris Johnson and Nicholas Petit-Frere. Wypler, however, has made a steady push to wedge his way into the competition. Miller’s absence from spring camp due to injury has allowed him to spend much of the past month repping with the first-team offense. Studrawa was profuse in his praise of Wypler recently. In the spring game, he’ll make his final pitch before the summer gets underway that he deserves to start in 2021.
Jack Sawyer
Larry Johnson says that one way or another, he’ll find a way to get Sawyer a spot in his defensive end rotation. The Pickerington North graduate has spent years around the legendary defensive line coach, refining his craft and learning technique as a commit. And now, he’s been able to go through an entire spring camp with Johnson. Sawyer will see plenty of playing time in the spring game, and like Henderson, it’ll be his first game since his junior year.
Miyan Williams
With Master Teague limited in recent practices, Williams has taken first-team reps and gone through running back drills first. He has clearly impressed the coaches, including Tony Alford, who watched the man of many nicknames truck a couple Clemson players in the playoff. If he wants to make another statement – and he seemingly always does – then there’s a prime opportunity waiting for him on Saturday.
C.J. Stroud/Jack Miller/Kyle McCord
Not since the Urban Meyer era has Ohio State played a game without Justin Fields. The changing of the guard is upon us. A team spokesman said to not expect any quarterback interviews this spring, so outside of vague comments by coaches and non-quarterbacks, what transpires inside Ohio Stadium this weekend will play a massive part in what those outside the program think of Stroud, Miller and McCord.
