Another day, another Noah Brown camp highlight:
And here's Mike Weber showing dapper footwork and balance while putting Joe Burger through the spin cycle:
MACK GAME-READY. We all love to know Jim Tressel, but I wasn't alone in my frustration of his deferment to upperclassmen when more talented underclassmen waited in the depths.
When Urban Meyer teleported into Columbus from the punditry dimension, I thought those days were over. Then I watched Vonn Bell fail to supplant Pittsburgh Brown until the Orange Bowl.
Every year, Meyer makes a grandiose claim about how many freshmen he wants to play. He never plays that amount. Even this year, there is plenty of blue chip talent at his disposal, even with a freshman class more mature than last year's.
That said, some true freshmen will play. Austin Mack is one of them.
From cantonrep.com:
"When you take a kid like that, who is very serious about his trade, came from a very good high school program, has a guy who trained him in the offseason, and then we get him, that's why he's game-ready,' Meyer said this week. 'And he will play this year.'
[...]
'That's an awesome feeling, but it's never guaranteed,' Mack said. 'I'm glad he has that trust in me already, but I want to be able to keep working hard and still prove to him and my teammates and my unit that I'm able to go on the field and do what they expect.'
[...]
"Thanks to coach (Zach) Smith and all the people in my unit, like Noah Brown, my bigger brother " every day after practice we're in the film room, he's telling me where I can get better. It's just working and grinding through the struggle right now."
"Game-ready" is about as high a praise as a freshman can earn from Urban. I don't expect Mack to dominate from the jump. I expect he'll have a campaign that will lead to many tabbing him as a "potential breakout player" during next year's preseason cycle.
A GOOD TOOL TO HAVE. Jordan Fuller, a 2016 four-star athlete and New Jersey's consensus No. 4 prospect, committed to Ohio State in February. Though Gareon Conley locked down a starting position in the spring, all other defensive back spots are up for grabs.
Fuller may not start at any of them, but he could add crucial depth and see the field through his versatility.
From landof10.com:
More than anything else, Fuller brings versatility. He was listed by recruiting services as a cornerback, safety and athlete and it seems as though he could play either role in the defensive secondary if he finds the field as a freshman.
On top of the athleticism that helped him earn consensus four-star status as the No. 131 overall recruit in the 247Sports composite rankings, those around him also describe Fuller as a hard worker.
“He’s mature beyond (the average freshman),” cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs said. “Physically they all have certain gifts, but he has a certain level of maturity about him and how he goes about his business. He’s prepared very hard all summer. He understands what we’re doing. He still has a lot to learn, but he’s well on his way.”
Meyer, a master at manipulating media to motivate his players, also praised Fuller, which can't be taken lightly. I expect him to play, though he'll probably start on special teams for an even faster track to playing time.
And you might not know Jordan Fuller's mom is a backup singer for Bruce Springsteen.
JINKS! Back in 2001 (which feels like 1976 now), Bowling Green took a chance on a young and charismatic position coach from Notre Dame. Two years after going 2-9, Bowling Green went 9-3 and Urban Meyer was off to Utah.
This offseason, the Falcons deployed a similar gambit by replacing new Syracuse coach Dino Babers with a Texas Tech position coach who coached high school three seasons ago. Mike Jinks will enter as a complete wild card to Meyer and his staff.
From cleveland.com:
Jinks, 44, has never been a college head coach. He's only been an assistant on the college level for three years. He has never been an offensive or defensive coordinator.
So while the assumption is the former Texas Tech associate head coach will have an offensive and defensive attack in step with the Red Raiders, the reality is, Jinks' 17 years as a high school head coach in Texas might give more of a clue to what he's comfortable with on offense and defense.
The next step would be to check the backgrounds of the offensive and defensive coordinators Jinks hired. But that's a one-stop option as well -- offensive coordinators Kevin Kilmer and Andy Padron, plus defensive coordinator Perry Eliano are all first-time coordinators.
This is either going to be a masterstroke for BGSU or a complete disaster.
Even if Jinks is legit (I'll wait to see his product before proclaiming one way or another), we already know he'll enter the Horseshoe facing a talent disadvantage. It's hard to see a first-time staff coming together to topple a three-time champion on his home turf. Nobody is actually prepared for their first game as head coach in front of 100,000+ hostile fans.
Counterpoint: I didn't see Virginia Tech walking out with a W in 2014.
PRO BOWL PRYOR. If you put your ear to the northern sky, you can hear the steady thump of the Cleveland Browns grid machine perambulating towards glory.
Major alert #BrownsCamp pic.twitter.com/nhPVFmJSok
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 15, 2016
Between the battering Robert Griffin and Josh McCown will take this season, it's good to see Pryor built a repertoire with his Week 17 QB.
UNIVERSE WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS. Ohio State poached 2014 four-star (and 11W registered user) OL Demetrius Knox out of Texas in 2014. In another timeline, Ohio State only needed to go an hour west on I-70 to earn his signature.
From mydaytondailynews.com:
COLUMBUS — Ohio State offensive lineman Demetrius Knox lived in Springfield until seventh grade, attending Perrin Woods Elementary School and Roosevelt Middle School. He moved to Fort Worth, Texas, he said Sunday, because his uncle thought he would get more looks from colleges.
“I guess it worked out,” Knox said.
Yeah, it sure did. Although, it makes me wonder: Would Knox have earned an Ohio State offer if he stayed in Springfield? The Shield has produced its share of players, so it's not crazy to think.
Oh well, it worked out for the good guys. And Knox looks primed for worthwhile minutes this fall too.
THE G.O.A.T. GETS 20/20. Freshman H-Back and potential return man Demario McCall, who we established over the summer as the greatest player to don the Scarlet and Gray, became Ohio's No. 3 overall 2017 prospect with bad eyesight.
With these contacts Football should be a lot fun and easier
— Demario Mccall (@DemarioMccall) August 16, 2016
Uh oh, looks like Demario learned how to putt.
THOSE WMDs. The Shawshank Redemption accounted for a huge amount of cable time in 2013... Apple and Amazon security flaws led to my epic hacking... Vine: Boogie Cousins roasting Draymond Green... The detectives who never forget a face... 12-year-old off to Ivy League.
