Stock Up/Stock Down: Defense Looks Stellar in Spring Game, Hero Kanu Announces His Arrival, Chip Trayanum Flashes And the OL Still Needs Work

By Griffin Strom on April 17, 2023 at 10:10 am
Kenyatta Jackson, Hero Kanu
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Spring has sprung and stocks are back after the Buckeyes wrapped up their exhibition scrimmage at the Shoe on Saturday.

Upwards of 75,000 spectators attended Ohio State's 2023 spring game, where the scarlet and gray defense took care of business against the Buckeye offense on the final day of the program's spring schedule.

Following 15 practices and a spring game, we took inventory of who is trending up and down as Ohio State looks ahead to the summer and subsequent preseason.

Stock Up

Defensive improvement

Defense won the day without a doubt on Saturday as the Buckeye offense struggled to get much traction for large portions of the afternoon, and it took an Archie Griffin touchdown (more later) for Team Scarlet to come within nine points of Team Gray in the modified scoring system. The Buckeye defense gave up three explosive touchdowns before the end of the scrimmage, but it built a 20-point lead at one point before halftime.

To that end, the spring game primarily reflected what we previously saw during portions of practice over the past month, which makes the improved play of Jim Knowles’ defense one of the most positive takeaways of the early offseason for Ohio State.

RELATED Ohio State’s Defense Finishes Strong in Spring Game After Building Momentum All Spring

Hero Kanu

The former four-star from Germany only took 16 snaps as a true freshman in 2022, but with more performances like the one he turned in Saturday, Kanu is poised to earn a lot more in his second season. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound defensive tackle may have been the most productive member of Larry Johnson’s line in the spring game, and that’s saying something. Mostly repping with the second-team defense, Kanu was credited with five total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack on the day, routinely clogging up lanes in the run game and busting into the backfield to disrupt the Buckeye offense. In terms of what the media was privy to watch, Kanu had his best effort in the most high-pressure practice of the spring, which bodes well for his immediate future.

Five-star sophomores

Buckeye fans have been clamoring to see more of Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks in scarlet and gray, and neither one disappointed given more opportunities to show off their skills on Saturday. Repping as a first-team Will linebacker in the absence of the injured Steele Chambers, Hicks was tied for second among all Buckeye defenders with six total tackles and also recorded two pass breakups and a tackle for loss. Not to mention, both of Hicks’ PBUs were near interceptions.

Styles had a similar stat line as Ohio State’s second-team strong safety, finishing with six tackles and two pass breakups – one of which was another near-INT for the Buckeye defense. Styles also showed his physicality on an eyebrow-raising hit over the middle of the field as he attempted to break up a pass to fellow sophomore Kojo Antwi. Both Hicks and Styles flashed in the spring game, which was sure to please Ohio State fans that are hopeful about their careers in Columbus.

Chip Trayanum

With TreVeyon Henderson out and Miyan Williams limited to just four carries, Trayanum was the standout rusher of the day for Ohio State. While the offense struggled to move the ball early, the second-year Buckeye got it going with a 65-yard score down the right sideline that served as the first touchdown of the day for Team Scarlet. It wasn’t an anomaly, either, as Trayanum busted off a 70-yard touchdown run in an earlier spring scrimmage. On just eight carries, Trayanum finished with a team-high 110 yards on the ground – 63 more than the next-best Buckeye – as he staked his claim for more playing time in the Buckeye running back room.

Denzel Burke

Burke told reporters earlier this month that he wants to “prove all the doubters wrong” after a ho-hum sophomore season, and his performance in Saturday’s spring game was his first step toward doing exactly that. On an early 3rd-and-10 pass attempt from Kyle McCord to Carnell Tate, Burke broke up the play to be credited with a PBU. While that was the lone pass breakup the stat keepers gave him on the day, Burke’s blanket coverage prevented multiple other plays for the OSU passing offense, including another standout rep while guarding Jayden Ballard downfield. Burke says it's "a personal year for me” in 2023, and he played that way on Saturday.

McCord to Harrison connection

McCord didn’t necessarily light it up throughout the spring game. Still, it was clear that his chemistry with former high school teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. remains intact as the pair connected on several big gains on the day. Harrison picked up 62 yards on just three catches, with all of those coming on passes from McCord. The pair’s biggest play of the day came on a 36-yard pickup that allowed the Buckeye offense to cross midfield and enter the red zone in the first quarter. With Harrison taking reps in the slot this spring, McCord may have an easier time hooking up with the nation’s top wideout come fall – as long as he locks down the starting quarterback job.

Archie Griffin

Just when you thought Griffin’s stock couldn’t get any higher in Columbus, the two-time Heisman Trophy winner stepped in to show the young Buckeyes how it’s done on Saturday. Archie returned to the field he used to run wild on and did so again in the spring game, scoring his first touchdown for Ohio State since 1975. The third-quarter score was a much-needed jolt for Team Scarlet, which had only mustered one touchdown all day up until that point. Staged or not, it was real for me, dammit!

Stock Down

Certainty at QB

Ohio State seemed to get plenty accomplished on defense this spring, but offensively, there’s still a lot to sort out in the summer. First and foremost, the Buckeyes have yet to name a starting quarterback – something Ryan Day initially hoped to do by the end of spring. But with Devin Brown out of the spring game with a finger injury and McCord still looking hit or miss on the field, the quarterback battle will continue into the preseason.

McCord only threw one score, completed a lower percentage of his passes than Oregon State transfer Tristan Gebbia and had multiple passes nearly intercepted on Saturday. Still, McCord had flashes, and both he and Brown have plenty of time to iron out the wrinkles before the start of the season.

RELATED Ohio State Quarterback Competition Unresolved At End of Spring And Both Kyle McCord And Devin Brown Intend to Remain in the Program

Consistency on O-line

It was no secret that Ohio State’s offensive line struggled at times during spring practice since the first week of March, and that trend continued on Saturday. Team Scarlet gave up five sacks on the day as the Buckeye defensive line looked stellar against Justin Frye’s front line once again. Day even labeled the play of his offensive line “inconsistent” in his postgame press conference, and given the duress McCord and Gebbia were under for much of Saturday, it’s hard to argue with that nation. On the bright side, much of that can be attributed to the play of a defensive line that looks hungry and ferocious so far this offseason.

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