2021 Ohio State Offseason Thread

[MaximumSam]

It's a big year for Ryan Day, as the team really turns over in his image and not Urban Meyer's, and Justin Fields almost certainly hits the NFL road.  I am highly confused on the scholarship/eligibility rules after COVID for next year.  As far as I know everyone is eligible to come back, which might make for a bit more parity next year as the big teams lose a bunch of guys and maybe the not so big teams keep a bunch a guys.  We shall see.

Anyway, going through the roster and figuring out what it will look like.  If everyone is eligible to come back then obviously a lot of guesswork here.

Quarterback:

Leaving: 

Justin Fields almost certainly going to the NFL and will be a top ten pick.  If you had to pickj one person most responsible for there even being a B1G season, you might land on Fields, who didn't need to play at all yet started a big petition to play that was supported by many players, dropping the bottom out of the justification the B1G put forth to not play.  In any event, never quite won the big prize but you can't be dissatisfied with how good he was.

Gunnar Hoak was a local kid who transferred from Kentucky to fill out a sparse QB room.  This year both other guys got snaps over him.  He went through Senior Day and the OSU Twitter page thanked him for playing, so I assume that's it.

Returning:

C.J. Stroud was a late riser who went from a three star guy to a five star guy on 247, he was the first guy off the bench against Clemson when Fields got hurt.  Is he the leader in the clubhouse for QB next year? I thought he kind of looked like Fields standing in the pocket, so maybe that will give him the edge.

Jack Miller: The first QB commit of the class, there has always been a bit of smoke on whether he would make good on coming to Columbus to compete with Stroud.  In any event, he's still here and will be in the competition to start in the battle between two redshirt freshmen and a true freshman.

Kyle McCord is the true freshman, and another five star prospect on the composite.  He is enrolling early so will be in the competition for starter and/or backup.  It's a pretty important competition, as all these guys are young and it seems unlikely they will all stick around, especially with uber recruit Quinn Ewers on the horizon.  

[Brutus Buckeye]

Hoak will find his way back on the team as the third string QB, and then the top two QBs will suffer season ending injuries the second of which occurs in THE GAME, and then Hoak will come in off the bench and lead OSU to a comeback win like Haskins, and then go on a Cardale-esque tear through the post season with CJ Saunders playing the Devin Smith role, and they will beat an undefeated Wisconsin team 59-0 in the CCG, and then they will boat race Bama in the semifinals, and then in the NCG they will make Notre Dame wish that they were never even born, and all of the grass in Ohio will instantly transform into Shamrocks, and Dublin will erect statues of the duo next to their field of concrete corn.



Only the grass is gonna be like

[Mdot21]

I've got my money on CJ Stroud. Really liked him a lot. Was hoping that Michigan would land him. 

Stroud will have a huge leg up on McCord just by getting that year of experience. Really rare for true freshman QBs to come in and play at a high level right away. Not saying McCord can't do it- but it's rare- and that year of experience gives Stroud the upperhand imo.

[ELA]

I am highly confused on the scholarship/eligibility rules after COVID for next year.  As far as I know everyone is eligible to come back, which means the big teams lose a bunch of guys and recruit some transfers with immediate eligibility off of the other P5 teams.

FIFY

[ELA]

I've got my money on CJ Stroud. Really liked him a lot. Was hoping that Michigan would land him.

Stroud will have a huge leg up on McCord just by getting that year of experience. Really rare for true freshman QBs to come in and play at a high level right away. Not saying McCord can't do it- but it's rare- and that year of experience gives Stroud the upperhand imo.

Yeah, he was MSU's 3rd choice at QB in the 2019 class, and at the time they offered, WSU was the only other P5 offer I believe.  Maybe Cal?  Once he blew up at Elite 11 and other schools came calling, that killed MSU's chances.

[MaximumSam]

FIFY

But can they do that? I'm struggling with the scholarship cap here. Is it still a hard cap? 

[FearlessF]

my take is hard cap at 85 ships, except returning seniors

but, I haven't done much research

[MrNubbz]

Hoak will find his way back on the team as the third string QB, and then the top two QBs will suffer season ending injuries the second of which occurs in THE GAME, and then Hoak will come in off the bench and lead OSU to a comeback win like Haskins, and then go on a Cardale-esque tear through the post season with CJ Saunders playing the Devin Smith role, and they will beat an undefeated Wisconsin team 59-0 in the CCG, and then they will boat race Bama in the semifinals, and then in the NCG they will make Notre Dame wish that they were never even born, and all of the grass in Ohio will instantly transform into Shamrocks, and Dublin will erect statues of the duo next to their field of concrete corn.

      

[ELA]

But can they do that? I'm struggling with the scholarship cap here. Is it still a hard cap?

Rules were made to be broken adjusted to benefit Ohio State.

-Barry Alvarez, probably

[MrNubbz]

Hey don't get in a snit because Dantonio put the torch to the program after backing up the trucks to the Treasurer's Office

[MaximumSam]

Shaun Wade says adios.  I don't think returning worked out for him - as always, we shall see, but it feels like he would have been a first or second round pick last year, but came back to show he's a top five pick and ended up showing he's a third or fourth round pick.  Not sure it wouldn't be better for him to come back to school, move back to a slot corner where he can blitz and play in the run game and show he's more of a playmaker again.

[MaximumSam]

Moving on to running backs:

Probably leaving:

Trey Sermon: What a crazy year.  Did mostly nothing in his first few games.  Looked like Walter Payton in the B1G Championship and against Clemson.  Then got hurt on the first series against Alabama.  I can only assume he is leaving given he's a running back and been in football a while, and if he does leave he will be in the OSU record books for most rushing yards in a game.  He did go through Senior Day and accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl, though I'm unsure what his injury was.

Demario McCall: He's been around for five years and never quite made much of an impact.  Despite being a fifth year senior, he didn't go through senior day, so I suppose he might come back for a sixth year to return kicks and what not.  Anything is possible.

Probably returning:


Master Teague: Never quite got going as he recovered from an Achilles injury, and then when the running game got going he got a concussion and Trey Sermon got all the run.  Then when Sermon was injured against Bama, he played the whole game but was mostly ineffective.  He is eligible to go pro, and the running back room looks a bit crowded next year, so you never know how this will play out.  But he would be the main returnee, so we will assume he comes back.

Steele Chambers: The redshirt frosh had 9 carries for 86 yards on the season, 8 of them early in the season, and he didn't play against Alabama or Clemson.  Not sure why that happened other than he lost a fumble against Rutgers and only had one more carry after that game.  He was also a linebacker prospect so It's not inconceivable he would get a look on defense.

Marcus Crowley: Another second year guy, he got some carries as a ture freshman, but battles injury and didn't get any carries until the Alabama game, where he had 6 carries for 14 yards in garbage time.  Another guy who will probably take a long look at the room before deciding what to do, could be a transfer candidate.

Miyan Williams: A true freshman this past season, he got a few carries, most memorably looking like a bowling ball with legs against Clemson for a series.  Would assume he is coming back to bowl over a few more guys.

Incoming:

TreVeyon Henderson: A five star prospect and top running back on 247, he may be with the team now as he planned to enroll early.  (FYI, no idea what the NCAA is doing with winter and spring practice).  Anyways, these guys typically don't come to a school to sit around and watch, so every expectation is that he will compete for the lead back role right away.

Evan Pryor: No slouch himself, Pryor was a top 100 recruit out of North Carolina.  Probably too much to ask to see him getting carries with such a crowded room, may be more of a redshirt candidate.  He does have a reputation as a pass catcher, though, which might get him on the field.

[Abba]

I have to assume some of those RBs will transfer.  

[MrNubbz]

Moving on to running backs:

Miyan Williams: A true freshman this past season, he got a few carries, most memorably looking like a bowling ball with legs against Clemson for a series.  Would assume he is coming back to bowl over a few more guys.

I like this kid he keeps grinding and seemed to hit the hole quick.Hope his taste of the 1st team keeps him working hard