What is up? Welcome into your daily Buckeye Blitz or a Tuesday? You know how we do it, this is a two-for-Tuesday, but we’re giving you a 10. I’m your host Joe from the Buckeye Cast. Hope you’re enjoying the all-after season, off-season. Everybody calls us the off-season. There’s no off-season with Buckeye football, it’s just the after season, preseason, and the season. That’s how we do it, chop it up into three chunks, all right?
Like I said, it’s a 10 for Tuesday. 10 for, I have 10 Buckeyes that I believe – these are second-year players that I believe can make that jump into the too deep and have an effect on these starting roles. I’ve got five offense, five defense. Hit me up in the comments, tweet at me, DM me, whatever, contact me, email me, whatever. Let me know if you agree, disagree, or if I’m missing somebody.
So let’s kick it off right here. I think we’ve got to start with the receivers on offense, right? I mean, this guy’s got minimal snaps last year. Kojo Antwi, right off the bat, appeared in five games, had zero targets. He’s got the build and the skill set to play inside or out, so that makes them versatile and helps get him on the field faster, in my opinion. So maybe he can find more snaps this year. Another thing with all these receivers though, you’ve got to remember the 23 kids that just came in. They’re these 22 guys are gonna have to distance themselves and keep – keep, I don’t know, a leg up on the freshmen that are incoming. In his team at Rogers and Rodgers, you gotta these guys are gonna have them breathing down their neck, trying to steal snaps. So that’s Kojo. I believe he’s got the ability, he’s got the versatility.
Kyion Grayes the other receiver I want to talk about. Appeared in two games against Toledo and Iowa, had one catch against Toledo for two yards. They did show the ability to work underneath, kind of those crossing routes, you know, find an open spot in the zone and those areas of the field. So I think if he can continue to show this in practice, I think he can crack the two deep and continue that kind of, I guess you could say, it was Chris Olave his freshman year or a Mecca last year, we saw a lot of that underneath stuff. So will he get the chance?
Kaleb Brown appeared in five games as a receiver and special teamer last year, one kind of one catch for five yards against Iowa, but he shows the ability – he’s freaky with the ball in his hands. He remembers he played a little bit of running back in high school, so if he can get some touches on jet sweeps or in the return game, I think he could be a valuable weapon. And again, for these receivers, it’s about keeping distance between the true freshmen coming in.
On the O-line, I’ve got two linemen I want to talk about. The big six-six, 330-pound sophomore Tegra Tshabola. He can play virtually anywhere on the line, especially tackle at that size. He cracked the two deep last year, which is speculation because Ohio State doesn’t release it two deep. I think it’s just something a coach said. So anyways, in four games, he appeared as a second-string right guard, so keep that in mind. And he had more than 50 snaps total on the season.
So, I think he’s poised to compete. Maybe not for a starting job, but maybe push a guy, or maybe be in the mix. I don’t know. I think if our guard, our guards are set, then I think he’s got to consider going out to tackle, especially at six-six. It just does he have the athleticism we want to see that the other O-line man,
George Fitzpatrick, I like to call him Fitzy. Fitzy, oh! So, we got a few snaps that right tackle against Indiana. He’s athletic, but he was under 300 pounds all last year. So, what he has to do, it’s hard to crack a too deep as a second-year old lineman. Takes a while to get their, their, you know, lose the baby fat and build on the muscle. So, but if he can make considerable improvements in his weight and strength this winter, I think he can crack the two deep, no doubt, at least push people, you know, at least push for it, you know, be in the mix. So, that’s my offense. Five guys on offense.
So, on defense, I didn’t, I kind of switched it up. I didn’t go with the obvious CJ Hicks, Sonny Styles. Yeah, we know, we know those guys need to play, and they’re definitely chomping at the bit to get in there. So, I went with five other guys that I think have an even better shot, especially at the end, which we have to replenish now, gonna replace some veterans that have left.
So, Kenyatta Jackson, number one right off the bat, appeared in three games last year. Two, like I said, two of the four D ends in the rotation last year are gone. So, that just leaves Jack and JT. Now, that opens the floodgates, and I’m going to talk about another D end here in a second.
Jyaire Brown, a corner started versus Wisconsin last year when remember when all those Corners were out. Cam and Denzel and everybody, he played nearly 200 snaps on defense, had eight tackles, three pass breakups, and with only Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock returning with experience, the only Corners returning, he’s slotted in to easily correct them. I mean, forget the too deep, he could be pushing Jordan Hancock for a starting job in my opinion. I think they should push Denzel as well, but I think Denzel’s probably got his spot written in marker.
Caden Curry, the other D end I want to talk about, he had to flash against Arkansas, Arkansas State. He’s the only freshman to appear in every game last year, 200 plus special team snaps. Part of he was part of kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and field goal teams. So, he had 81 snaps on defense, had 14 tackles, one and a half TFLs, half a sack. And with openings, it, like I said, defensive end, he’s definitely shown that he can crack that too deep, at least, you know, and then push for more snaps on at the end. Could also be a candidate for the Jack position, you know, in Knowles defense. He’s got a high motor, and that coaches will love that.
Let’s look at, continue on the D-line, Hero Kanu. He appeared in three games, didn’t register any sacks or tackles or any stats whatsoever. He was buried behind a lot of veteran D-tackles, you know, but they’re gonna have to fill out this too deep behind Mike Hall, Tyleik Williams, and you got Ty Hamilton coming back, but Hero Kanu is a strong powerful big bodied guy so space eater you know not a space heater space eater like eating.
Last guy I like this guy Kye Stokes the safety. Now he’s got a huge opportunity in front of him to snatch a starting job possibly. 12 tackles and a tackle for loss in seven games last year. He’s also on Kick coverage. His physical style and nose for the ball attacking. I think he’s he’s if he keeps keeps pushing I think he can easily crack that two deep and push for a starting safety job.
So 10 dudes we just talked about 10 dudes. Five on offense. Five on defense. Second year guys that can crack that too deep and push for starting jobs.
As always I appreciate everybody. Hit me up in the comments. Let me know what you think and I’ll talk to you later. Go bucks!