Ohio State's 2016 senior class has a chance to win its second national championship in three years with two more victories this season. Before kickoff against Clemson in the College Football Playoff, Eleven Warriors will take a brief look back at each player's time in Columbus.
Where They're From
Though Ohio State's 2016 senior class is considerably smaller than its previous one the group has the opportunity to do what last year's could not: Win a second national championship. The Buckeyes are set to take on Clemson in the College Football Playoff on New Year's Eve. Like last year, our first Fight To The End installment is reserved for walk-ons and other players that don't normally hear their names called on Saturdays whether it be due to injury or another reason.
Ohio State recognized a total of 21 players before it beat archrival Michigan 30-27 in double overtime. Here we will recognize graduate seniors Corey Smith, Chase Hounshell and Cameron Howard, backup longsnapper Aaron Mawhirter, Michael Cibene, Cam Burrows, Curtis Henry, Aaron Parry, Devlin McDaniel, Khaleed Franklin, Michael Lawless, Joe Ramstetter, Devan Bogard and Ph.D. candidate Jarrod Barnes.
Cibene is the only player among the 14 listed above not from Ohio, instead growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Others are from Westerville, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron, Sandusky, Dover, Galloway, Columbus, Marion, Trotwood, Kirtland and Zanesville.
The majority of players in this post make up a good portion of Ohio State's scout and special teams, helping the scholarship players and starters prepare for the next game.
Top Moments
Barnes, Smith and Hounshell all joined Urban Meyer's program as transfers. Smith came ahead of the 2013 season, redshirted then played key snaps in Ohio State's 2014 national championship run. He received a medical redshirt last year after suffering a broken leg in Week 5 at Indiana.
Hounshell graduated from Notre Dame in May 2015 and transferred to Ohio State with one year of eligibility remaining. He once committed to Meyer at Florida and has one career catch for six yards.
Barnes walked on at Ohio State in June of 2015 after he graduated from Louisville in three years with a degree in health and human performance. A terrific student, Barnes received a master's degree in kinesiology last year and is working toward a Ph.D. in sports management. A quote from Barnes hangs in the team room at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, an honor typically reserved for former greats like Cris Carter.
Ohio State's team room has a quote from a current player, which I've never seen them do before pic.twitter.com/lhsfVFZFdA
— Ryan Ginn (@rmginn) October 12, 2016
Smith has only played in seven games this season due to a broken bone in his wrist but has 29 catches for 325 yards in his career. A strong special teams performer, Smith also has five tackles in his time at Ohio State and has been instrumental in downing punts by Cameron Johnston inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
Mawhirter snapped during Ohio State's win at Oklahoma this season in place of Liam McCullough, who was ill. He nailed all 12 of his snap attempts (six on extra points, one on a field goal, five punts) in the 45-24 victory.
Burrows finishes his career with 31 tackles for four pass breakups, missing the majority of the 2015 season and all of this year with injuries. Devan Bogard had to shut his playing career down during the 2014 season as well after tearing his ACL for the third time.
Overarching contribution to the program
Smith, Burrows and Bogard (before their injuries) have had the most on-field presence among the players mentioned in this story, though Mawhirter played without mistakes in Ohio State's huge road win at Oklahoma like we mentioned.
Hounshell played on special teams this season and saw time at tight end late in blowouts, as did Barnes at defensive back. All of them played important roles on Ohio State's scout teams so as to prepare the scholarship players for the next game.
Each has a different story about how they got to Ohio State and many of them have national championship rings from the 2014 season. They all have an opportunity to receive another should the Buckeyes beat Clemson on New Year's Eve in the Fiesta Bowl and then either Alabama or Washington on Jan. 9 for hte national title.
You can see a list of their majors here.
Where They're Headed
Though each player will probably work out at Ohio State's Pro Day this spring, it is unlikely those mentioned above will get drafted. Still, each has a bright future with regards to life after football.
Burrows served as a graduate assistant for Mickey Marotti and the program's strength team during the 2016 season. We already mentioned Barnes is a Ph.D. candidate but he also works with the athletic department's career services area with the Bucks-Go-Pro initiative to assist athletes who don't turn pro in their respective sports.
Burrows, Smith and Hounshell already have their undergraduate degrees. Mawhirter, Cibene, Ramstetter and Parry are all scholar athletes.
Henry served as fellow walk-on Cin'Quan Haney's running mate in Ohio State's Undergraduate Student Government election this past spring. He is studying sports industry and plays football but showed enough desire and initiative with Haney to find time to run for office.
“We know that it's all going to be a time commitment, but we want to show people that this is possible and with the right mindset anything can be done,” Henry told Eleven Warriors in March.
Each individual who walked-on to the Ohio State football team did so with the understanding that their chance to actually play in a game was astronomically small. Balancing practice time that mostly resulted in zero on-field time with schoolwork is commendable enough as it stands.
Smith could get a shot playing special teams at the next level, either as a gunner or someone who tries to block punts. He did that well while at Ohio State.
Who knows what the future will bring for them but their work ethic is clear in more ways than one to help them be successful down the road.
More Smith, Burrows and Walk-ons
- A longer look at Jarrod Barnes' career aspirations post-football and after he gets his Ph.D. by James Grega of Buckeye Sports Bulletin. Definitely worth the read.
- That time Corey Smith leaked Ohio State's LeBron cleats on his Instagram page.
- Cam Burrows, the first commit of Ohio State's 2013 recruiting class, is also the first to graduate.
- Burrows breaks up a pass to help Ohio State escape with a 20-13 win against Northern Illinois in 2015.
