Projecting Who Will Win Buckeyes’ Open Starting Positions

Ohio State is set to return 15 starters for its national title defense this fall, but the departure of numerous veterans has Urban Meyer looking for replacements at wide receiver, defensive end and a pivotal cornerback spot.  There’s also a pretty intriguing quarterback quandary you may have heard about.  A couple of the Buckeyes’ openings were filled during spring practice. Raekwon McMillan secured the middle linebacker position that was vacated by Curtis Grant, and on offense, Nick Vannett stepped up as the lead tight end in place of Jeff Heuerman. But fall camp will be a proving ground for a handful of important position battles. Which Buckeyes will rise up and secure a starting spot this fall?  Quarterback GAIL BURTON/Associated Press After leading Ohio State on an incredible postseason run through Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon to close out the 2015 season, and as the only healthy quarterback among Ohio State’s three elite options this spring, many pegged Cardale Jones as the favorite to win the unprecedented quarterback battle.  But if you ask Jones, he’s not the one leading the race. The 6’5″, 250-pound gunslinger told Austin Ward of ESPN.com that he still views himself as a third-stringer, and that he still has a ways to go before securing the starting spot. “I’m working harder than ever,” Jones said, via Ward. “I understand that I want to be the starting quarterback of this team, but I know I have two guys in front of me who are working just as hard.” That quote falls in line with a culture Meyer has built at Ohio State—that everything you get is earned, not given. Meyer also revealed during spring practice that he plans on naming the starter midway through fall camp. Jones certainly won’t be the third-stringer he views himself as now. Winner: Cardale Jones Right Tackle Jay LaPrete/Associated Press With four starters returning to a unit that dominated down the stretch of the ’14 season, Ohio State’s offensive line has the potential to be the best in the country this fall. But that potential will only be reached if the Buckeyes can effectively replace the sole deflection of right tackle Darryl Baldwin. The leader for that vacated spot coming out of spring is Chase Farris, a converted defensive lineman who backed Baldwin up during the 2014 season. He gained the edge over talented underclassman Jamarco Jones, who has bounced between right and left tackle as a Buckeye. “Chase Farris will start if he continues to progress,” Meyer said this spring, according to Ari Wasserman of The Plain Dealer. Winner: Chase Farris   Wide Receiver Christian Petersen/Getty Images Perhaps the biggest loss the Buckeyes need to overcome is the departure of senior wideouts Devin Smith and Evan Spencer.  Smith spent the previous four seasons as Ohio State’s elite deep threat, while Spencer emerged as the Buckeyes’ best perimeter blocker (a hugely important role in Meyer’s offense) and one of the team’s unquestioned leaders. In their absence, the two players who stepped up this spring were Corey Smith and Noah Brown. …

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