Urban Meyer received a question he didn't expect, and it came from one of his own players — not a coach, reporter or administrator. It struck him in such a way he moved swiftly to address it.
"One of the players came in the other day and said, ‘Do you really enjoy coaching?’" Meyer said Monday. "I said yes, then I go no, then I go yes, then I go no.
"So I had an emergency team meeting just about 10 minutes after that and it was, I just had a player ask me that, and I answered yes. I love coaching a good kid, good student, good guy that does everything right."
Why is this relevant? Because Meyer brought up that exchange unprovoked at his latest press conference, when a reporter asked him if he and his staff had seen what they expected from the seven players who graduated high school early to enroll at Ohio State in January and participate in spring drills.
“Michael Jordan, Austin Mack, Jonathon Cooper and Antonio Williams and to answer how do I like coaching those guys? I love them. They’re over 3.0 students, I don’t know if they’ve missed a class yet and they do everything right.”– Urban Meyer
After discussing the emergency meeting, Meyer listed four names among the seven true freshmen he enjoys working with.
"Michael Jordan, Austin Mack, Jonathon Cooper and Antonio Williams and to answer how do I like coaching those guys? I love them," Meyer said. "They’re over 3.0 students, I don’t know if they’ve missed a class yet and they do everything right."
Jordan made waves when he took first-team snaps at left guard during practice on March 29. Mack had the black stripe removed from his helmet two days later, the first freshman to do so in spring practice in Meyer's tenure. The head coach also mentioned both Cooper and Williams often when he spoke to the media this spring.
And though he only mentioned four of the seven who left high school early to get a jump on their college careers — offensive lineman Tyler Gerald, defensive lineman Malik Barrow and linebacker Tuf Borland are the others — Meyer is pleased with how the group as a whole is adjusting.
"You never know what you get. Sometimes high school coaches and people tell you that they’re the greatest people in the world and then they get here and they’re not," Meyer said. "We try to change them, but those kids are doing great."
Meyer also singled out Barrow in his response, noting how he would be included in the group of four names he mentioned from the true freshmen as "doing really well," but didn't because the defensive tackle is recovering from ACL surgery.
Here is a brief update on each early enrollee and where they stand in their respective part of the depth chart ahead of Saturday's spring game.
Austin Mack, WR
The fact Mack lost his black stripe without even reaching double digits in practices attended is impressive. He added much, much needed depth at wide receiver for the Buckeyes after the departures of a host of NFL talent and injuries to other key pieces in Zach Smith's position room.
Meyer mentioned on Ohio State Pro Day that Mack "is going to play" in 2016, and knew that after only two practices. Ohio State needs him to stay healthy and keep trending in that direction, but he is part of a group that has a mess of talent available though it is mostly inexperienced.
Michael Jordan, OL
Jordan might not have lost his black stripe yet, but he is neck-and-neck with Mack for the most talked about true freshman this spring.
Possessing an excellent frame — Jordan is listed at 6-foot-7 and 316 pounds — the Canton, Michigan, product worked with the first-team offense during a few days Ohio State permitted the media to watch practice. He hasn't honed things up completely yet with his game, but is showing excellent determination and will to do extra.
"We have a culture around here, plus-2," senior captain and center Pat Elflein said. "So say you go five yards, you go seven yards. Or the play is five seconds, go seven seconds. He's been doing that."
Antonio Williams, RB
Williams entered a position group assigned with replacing the most important piece lost from 2015, Silver Football winner and Big Ten Offensive Player and Running Back of the Year Ezekiel Elliott. No easy task.
But Williams hasn't shown any fear, even though he sits third behind redshirt freshman Mike Weber and redshirt senior Bri'onte Dunn for carries.
"He's a tough kid and he's hungry. He wants to do it right," Tony Alford said March 31 of Williams. "He's a perfectionist by nature. Academically, socially, he wants to do things right. He's a pleaser by nature."
Jonathon Cooper, DE
Larry Johnson is a positive soul, so he wasn't shy in discussing Cooper's potential last week after practice. Cooper is making mistakes, but they can be rectified.
"The thing you have to say to yourself sometimes is he makes those young mistakes because, well, OK, he’s still supposed to be in high school," Johnson said. "He’s coming along. This is the best thing for him, he’s grabbing it really good and he’s a really smart player. The sky’s the limit for him."
Cooper's explosion off the edge is a key reason he shot up recruiting boards and became a player Ohio State could ill afford to lose from Central Ohio (he is from Gahanna). The Buckeyes lost a ton up front defensively, so if Cooper can stay healthy and produce off the edge, he most likely will see time.
Malik Barrow, DL
Barrow isn't able to do much this spring, but the fact Meyer singled him out on Monday is a noticeable positive for a kid recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in September.
Provided he does not experience any setbacks, it is a pretty safe bet Johnson will have a keen eye on his development this summer and into fall camp and allow him the chance to show what he can do on Ohio State's interior defensive line. The Buckeyes have big holes to fill in that spot.
Tyler Gerald, OL
Gerald is out for spring drills like Barrow due to a shoulder injury. Meyer announced that March 8, the first day of practice.
The injury likely means Gerald will redshirt in 2015, but it is important to note what his early enrollment does going forward. Gerald is a 4-star prospect and played at IMG Academy with Barrow, so the fact he'll get rehab and treatment at Ohio State before working with Greg Studrawa is not a bad thing.
Tuf Borland, LB
Meyer and Luke Fickell haven't mentioned Borland by name this spring, but middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan did in February when he and the other two captains were made available to the media.
"Tuf came in in January and he’s getting quicker, getting stronger and I like that," McMillan said."
It's good to be liked by the man who leads your position group, especially when he is a team captain. Borland is part of a room that lost two stalwarts, Joshua Perry and Darron Lee, but is also very young.
