Ohio State preseason camp is over and the first game week is almost upon us, with the Buckeyes hosting Akron on Aug. 31.
The team may be ranked No. 2, but that doesn’t mean Ohio State hasn’t had plenty of questions to answer. Not all have been answered yet, but before kickoff, let’s go position by position to break down what we’ve learned.
QB: Will Howard is the biggest winner
The Buckeyes entered camp with a battle between Will Howard and Devin Brown, but Howard ran away with it from the start.
The Kansas State transfer showed off an improved arm, he got his weight down, his pocket presence continued to shine and his mobility was hard to contain. He looks well prepared to take over the starting job. The remaining question is how he responds to the pressure of being Ohio State’s quarterback.
Ohio State eases into the season in August and September, and the first big test won’t come until the Buckeyes host Iowa on Oct. 5.
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RB: James Peoples is going to be a quality backup
We were never going to get much information about Ohio State’s plans to split carries between senior TreVeyon Henderson and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins, but we did get a better idea of the depth behind the nation’s top running back duo.
There are only two options behind them: James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon. Both are freshmen, but their talent is evident. Peoples especially looks like he can be an impact player in the future. A four-star recruit ranked No. 8 among running backs in the 247Sports Composite, Peoples performed well in camp both as a runner and in the passing game. He’ll have to make strides in pass blocking, like all freshmen, but he’s going to be really good and can help Ohio State right away.
WR: This group is deeper than expected despite the inexperience
It’s no surprise Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate and top-ranked 2024 recruit Jeremiah Smith are at the top of Ohio State’s depth chart with Marvin Harrison Jr. gone. The concern was about the depth behind them because there isn’t a lot of experience.
But through camp, we got to see there’s more talent behind the top three. Brandon Inniss had a fantastic camp and should be used in a variety of ways, with the ability to take handoffs out of the backfield if needed. Bryson Rodgers had a good preseason, as well. Ohio State still needs Jayden Ballard to step up, but there’s a solid four- or five-deep right now. Ohio State rarely goes deeper than that anyway, barring injuries.
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With the loss of Cade Stover, Ohio State had a massive hole to fill at tight end. It was never going to do so with just one person.
Tight ends coach Keenan Bailey went to the portal and got Will Kacmarek from Ohio. He had 22 catches last year, and he was known more for his blue-collar mentality and blocking. Since the spring, everybody has raved about his route running and improved catching ability. If he can be a threat in the passing game, along with his already strong blocking ability, he can be a real impact player for the Buckeyes.
There’s still no answer as to how much we’ll see of Jelani Thurman. The talented redshirt freshman had a strong camp, but coaches wanted to see more consistency from him. I tend to believe he’s too good to leave off the field, especially in the red zone, but time will tell. He seems to have embraced the blocking and toughness part of the position. If so, he’ll get on the field at some point this season.
This group could be better than expected.
Will Kacmarek had 507 career receiving yards at Ohio. (Lon Horwedel / USA Today)
OL: The right side of the line seems finished
There were many questions about the offensive line coming into camp, beginning with how things would play out on the right side. Though Ryan Day and offensive line coach Justin Frye wouldn’t name a starter Thursday, all signs point to Josh Fryar taking over at right tackle with Tegra Tshabola at right guard. That would mean Carson Hinzman and Luke Montgomery will come off the bench as swing linemen and provide depth.
I still think this year’s offensive line can be significantly better than a year ago. It was difficult to see how well the line played in camp because of the split fields and the illness that went through the team, but a lot of people are excited about Josh Simmons, and Donovan Jackson paired with Seth McLaughlin at center should be a strong interior duo.
DL: How deep can the Buckeyes go?
We didn’t learn a ton about the defensive line that we didn’t know before. The starters are the same: JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton. The question was what the depth looked like.
The expectation is that Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Caden Curry will be first up on the edge, but I liked what I saw from Mitchell Melton in camp, too. At defensive tackle, camp showed us that Larry Johnson has five players he can feel good about with Hero Kanu, Jason Moore and Kayden McDonald coming off the bench. Johnson, on Wednesday, said Ohio State was about five to six deep inside. I talked to him a bit more after his news conference and he added that Tywone Malone Jr. could be the sixth interior player.
Johnson said McDonald is looking at about 25 snaps if they’re playing a 60-snap game, a snap share he added Ohio State is hoping for across the board. We’ll see how that shakes out during the season, but it’s at least our first tangible look at a rotation this season.
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LB: Sonny Styles showing his versatility
Ohio State doesn’t seem to have a problem with letting Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks rotate at will linebacker. The Buckeyes expect to play both at times, which is a good sign that both are learning the position and performing at a high level. It’s especially impressive that Styles has made the transition so smoothly from safety to linebacker. There will be times he plays at nickel, too, as he’s shown the ability to do both. I’m still curious how often Ohio State will play Styles and Hicks at the same time alongside Cody Simon at mike linebacker.
Behind them, Arvell Reese had a terrific camp. He’s not in a position to steal snaps from Simon at mike linebacker, but he could take the second-team reps in blowout games.
DB: Young talent is waiting in the wings
We know that Ohio State has elite talent at the top of the depth chart, especially in the secondary. The question was how much depth is there behind the starters at cornerback. The answer is clear: There’s a lot. Jermaine Mathews Jr., Aaron Scott and Calvin Simpson-Hunt all had strong camps and have bright futures when their time comes. That competition will only get better when five-star recruits Na’eem Offord and Devin Sanchez get on campus next season.
The safeties have been impressive, too. Jaylen McClain, Malik Hartford and Jayden Bonsu stood out this offseason and will play important roles — especially McClain and Hartford. If they can continue their trajectory, there won’t be any panicking about replacing high-end talent like Denzel Burke and Caleb Downs down the road.
(Top photo of Will Howard: Jason Mowry / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
