Every year there is a player at Ohio State’s spring game that causes fans to reach for the nearest roster.
Who is that guy?
Fans don’t have the Buckeyes’ entire roster memorized — OK, maybe some do — nor is it easy for them to identify certain players from the crowd. During spring games, many of the players Ohio State will be counting on come fall won’t play or will only play sparingly. The risk just isn’t really worth the reward in what’s essentially a glorified scrimmage so it's always a bunch of unfamiliar faces out on the field.
The spring game — which is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday — is a time for many of Ohio State’s inexperienced players to get their feet wet. It’s for the players trying to make a name for themselves.
Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer uses it to see how those younger, inexperienced players perform in front of a game-type atmosphere even though it may not be a real game.
“There’s nothing like performing in front of 100,000 people,” Meyer said recently.
So fans learn a lot about the future. Meyer learns about the future, too.
And every year there are one or two players who shine above the rest during the spring game and deliver breakout performances. And even though a strong outing in the spring game rarely means anything when it comes to actual contributions in the fall, that doesn’t stop the excitement building after a strong performance.
From Bam Childress to Michael Thomas, these spring game breakouts happen seemingly every season. Because of that, we've put together a list of players who may get you irrationally excited about the fall on Saturday.
Torrance Gibson
There was a 100 percent chance of this name being on this list and, truth be told, even if Torrance Gibson doesn’t have a catch Saturday fans will still be captivated by the former highly-touted quarterback’s potential. He’s 6-foot-4, fast and during limited viewing of spring practice has flashed glimpses of what seems to be an incredibly high ceiling. Gibson is still learning a new position, though, and that’s likely why it’s difficult to peg how much he fits into the wide receiver rotation in the fall. But he’s certainly as interesting a player as Ohio State has on its roster.
Austin Mack
A name that’s come up a lot this spring, Austin Mack has taken full advantage of guys like Noah Brown, Corey Smith, Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson being held out. Mack is an early enrollee, but he’s already impressed the coaching staff with how polished he already is as a wide receiver. It seems like a strong spring game performance would be the perfect cap on a stellar first spring in Columbus.
James Clark
Another wide receiver, yes, but this figures to be a pass-happy scrimmage so we're selecting the guys who have chances to makes some plays. Clark has been talked about this spring as a guy who has really come on as of late and he, like Mack and Gibson, has certainly benefitted from the Buckeyes being without their top-four pass catchers.
Jalyn Holmes
We wanted to put one defensive player on this list and the defensive line is a little further ahead than the offensive line so far — based on the limited amount of practice we’ve been able to see — so I think Holmes can wreak some havoc out there against some inexperienced tackles. The plan is for Ohio State’s quarterbacks not named J.T. Barrett to be live so there’s potential to see plenty of big hits by Holmes in the backfield as this figures to be a very pass-heavy game.
Joe Burrow
Somebody has to throw all of the passes Saturday, right? Obviously, Barrett is Ohio State’s quarterback this season and likely next season, as well, but Burrow and Stephen Collier will get the majority of the snaps inside Ohio Stadium this weekend. With lots of passes expected — that’s why Bri’onte Dunn, Mike Weber and Antonio Williams aren’t on this list — Burrow will have plenty of opportunity to showcase his talents to Ohio State fans for the very first time.
