COLUMBUS, Ohio ? Coaches fight over players like Chris Worley. The incoming Ohio State freshman from Glenville could be claimed by safeties coach Everett Withers. He could be snagged by linebackers coach Luke Fickell.
Listed at 185 pounds as a recruit, Worley apparently has already added about 17 pounds since reporting. The idea is to be big enough to play like a linebacker without losing his ability to run like a safety. There's one part of the game where designations don't matter.
Everyone can be a piranha.
As our countdown to the start of preseason practice continues, we're already on our second special teams issue ?
No. 21: Finding the latest batch of Buckeye piranhas
21 days until the start of preseason practice
As the Buckeyes continue to recruit leaner, faster defenders, Urban Meyer continues to gather nominees for his special teams. Ideally, those coverage units should be made up of young, hungry Buckeyes who haven't learned enough to get on the field full-time, but who can certainly run down and tackle somebody. Last year, the coaches called that group the piranhas.
Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn't. Ohio State ranked 50th in the nation in kickoff return yardage allowed, and saw one kick run back for a score, by Purdue's Akeem Hunt.
Without backup quarterback's Kenny Guiton's late-game heroics, that kick return would have been a major reason Ohio State lost its undefeated season.
After excelling on kick coverage, injuries knocked freshmen Devan Bogard, Najee Murray and Armani Reeves out of the lineup and off the coverage teams. The Buckeyes noticed.
That's why freshmen Worley, Mike Mitchell, Trey Johnson, Vonn Bell, Darron Lee, Gareon Conley, Eli Apple and Cam Burrows could make a difference right away in 2013 without earning starting jobs. They don't have to know everything right away. But while joining those returning sophomore coverage contenders, they have to be able to stay in their coverage lane, run and make a tackle.
Do that, and their position coaches will continue to fight over them.
Coming Monday, No. 20: Can Penn State's Bill O'Brien make another quarterback?
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2013/07/no_21_turning_young_buckeyes_i.html
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