COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the 14 Ohio State football freshmen who arrived on campus this month as early enrollees, the true wake-up call will come in February. Buckeyes assistant athletic director for football performance Mickey Marotti called that the month the football program “hangs it hat on.” Those freshmen must endure dark, cold, challenging mornings on their way to their first spring practices. Marotti embraces his role as the gatekeeper between the “fun stuff” of the courtship that brought the players into the program and the meat grinder that can help them reach their potential. “Everybody’s got to be nice to everybody,” Marotti said of the recruiting process. “I don’t have to be nice to anybody.” Marotti began laying a foundation right after those freshmen arrived. It’s one reason why he is keeping that group of early enrollees — the largest he’s ever worked with — together in a separate…
Continue Reading: While Ohio State football’s freshmen must grow physically, they have already impressed mentally
