COLUMBUS, Ohio — When Cardale Jones surprisingly announced he would return to Ohio State for his junior season following the Buckeyes’ improbable run to the national title, he did so knowing there was no guarantee he’d reclaim his status as the team’s starting quarterback.
But as the only healthy signal-caller with experience under his belt on the OSU roster at the time, he also saw an opportunity to build an insurmountable lead in the Buckeyes’ unprecedented quarterback competition.
With J.T. Barrett still recovering from a fractured ankle and Braxton Miller’s status even more up in the air, Jones figured that he’d take all of the first-team reps with the Ohio State offense in the spring, a chance to build on the momentum he gained with three postseason wins at the end of the 2014 season.
“With a full offseason taking reps as a No. 1, I think it’ll make me be the best quarterback I can possibly be,” Jones said as he announced his decision to forego the upcoming NFL draft on Jan. 15.
And while the Cleveland native appears to have improved after what Urban Meyer deemed to be a “good” spring for the national champion quarterback, he didn’t do enough to solidify himself as firmly ahead of Barrett and Miller. Perhaps even more concerning for Jones heading into the summer is the plan the Buckeyes head coach laid out for the country’s most-talked-about position battle, which wouldn’t appear to favor the Big Ten Championship Game MVP.
“I’ll come up with…
Continue Reading: Why J.T. Barrett Could Have the Inside Track at the Ohio State Starting QB Job
