Ohio State’s 2015 recruiting class was deep, talented and heralded as one of the best in the country, but of the 25 players who signed last February, only four saw the field for the Buckeyes last season.
That means Ohio State has 21 redshirt freshmen on the roster heading into 2016, and with the mass exodus of talent heading to the NFL, those players have a huge opportunity to shine next fall.
It starts up front defensively, where the Buckeyes have to replace three starters with the departures of superstar defensive end Joey Bosa and defensive tackles Adolphus Washington and Tommy Schutt.
Former 4-star standout Jashon Cornell has an opportunity to crack the two-deep rotation as Sam Hubbard’s backup at defensive end, and Robert Landers should factor into the heavy rotation at defensive tackle.
On the second level, Urban Meyer will need to find two new backers to flank middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan, in addition to bolstering his depth in the unit. Justin Hilliard, Ohio State’s lone 5-star recruit in 2015, and Nick Conner, who shined as an early enrollee before suffering a season-ending knee injury, will have the opportunity to crack the two deep.
The Buckeyes will have to replace both safeties and cornerback Eli Apple on the back end. It’ll be tough for cornerback Eric Glover-Williams to start opposite Gareon Conley, but he could be a key backup and even earn time as the nickelback.
But it’s the offensive side of the ball where the…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Football: 2016 Will Be the Year of the Redshirt Freshman for Buckeyes
