Ohio State Buckeyes
On offense the Buckeyes do not have the number of prospects from the senior
class as they’ve offered in the past, nor do they have the single outstanding
underclassmen that can make a move into the top twenty, (sans for a single true
sophomore) but quality players are still available. Chris Vance is a nice
sized receiver that plays to his numbers; big and slow (on film, not paper).
Vance easily out-positions opponents to make the difficult catch and even
displays decent route running skills but is not the burner that breaks it deep.
All things being equal he is a late frame selection in ’03. The same cannot be
said for Michael Jenkins, a junior that could move into the first sixty
choices if he has a big season and enters the draft. Jenkins has the speed to
stretch defenses and consistently makes the difficult catch down the field or
play into the opponents secondary. He seems to have that second gear and has
consistently improved his game, which lends one to believe he has a very bright
future. On the line we were a bit disappointed with the play of Adrien Clarke
last year after being awed by him during his red-shirt freshman season of 2000.
Clarke now moves to his natural position at guard after playing left tackle and
still has good upside as a power blocking lineman. Another pair of underclassmen
linemen to watch are tackle Shane Olivea and guard Bryce Bishop,
both of whom have solid potential for the next level. The true sophomore we
mentioned at the top… keep an eye on Lydel Ross, quite possibly the next great
running back to come out of Columbus.
Like the offense, the other side of the ball does not have the traditional
top ten pick, (or as the case usually is, a top five choice) nor does it
possesses the outstanding junior that’ll make a
monster climb up charts. The top prospect on the defense and entire team for
that matter is safety Mike Doss. Solid against the run and terrific
covering the pass, he is a complete safety that plays a total game. His range,
athleticism and smarts are impressive. While he’s not a defensive back that
blows coverage Doss was a little hesitant at times last season but his decision
to return for another year of college football was the best choice he made all
year. Doss is a late first round prospect right now that could move into the
middle part of the initial frame with a big senior campaign. Teammate Donnie
Nickey is super-smart safety that displays a terrific feel for the
game/position but lacks the great speed and suddenness. He is very much like
former Buckeye Rob Kelly. At one time we thought middle linebacker Matt
Wilhelm would meet the expectations Andy Katzenmoyer did not in college and
while Wilhelm is a fierce run stuffer, his play against the pass is inadequate,
making him a two down defender and late round pick at best. Junior Darion
Scott is a versatile and athletic lineman that can play tackle or end and
has some upside potential while senior Cie Grant will move from corner to
outside linebacker, a position which he’s better suited for and one where he
may have potential at the next level on the weak-side.
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