Young Ohio State DBs Got Their Feet Wet and Showed Promise

I think Ohio State will continue to be known as DBU.

The defensive backfields for both the Scarlet and Gray teams weren’t exactly performing at a high level during the Ohio State spring game. Everybody who watched it saw receivers running wide open quite often, especially in the first half. That was to be expected with so many young defensive backs playing in Ohio Stadium for the first time.

Five of the six defensive backs in the 2017 class are early enrollees who got their feet wet for the first time. JUCO cornerback Kendall Sheffield transferred to Ohio State prior to spring practice and Jeffrey Okudah, Shaun Wade, Marcus Williamson and Isaiah Pryor enrolled in January, with Pryor being the only safety in the group.

With Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley and Malik Hooker heading to the NFL, some of those players will play key roles for the Buckeyes next fall. It was beneficial for these players to get a game under their belts with 80,000 fans watching them.

Coach Kerry Coombs had plenty to say about the play of his corners last Wednesday. Here is a quote from the Ohio State cornerbacks coach as reported by Eleven Warriors.

"“What I shared with the players after the game is this: That is one of the most valuable experiences they can have,” Coombs said on Wednesday. “To understand how awful it feels to give up a touchdown at Ohio State. It is the worst feeling, and it should be. If it doesn’t make you sick to your stomach, you’re not going to be able to play here.”"

They certainly won’t want to have that feeling again, and now there is game tape for coaches to show them where they need to improve. It did appear to me that the young guys began to find their footing and played much better as the game progressed.

Here is my take on the Ohio State defensive backs, especially the corners, after seeing them in action.

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Kendall Sheffield: The JUCO transfer is game ready to compete for the open corner position opposite Denzyl Ward with Damon Arnette right now. It appears he isn’t shy about banging pads with a ball carrier either.

Jeffrey Okudah, Shaun Wade and Marcus Williamson: Coaches are high on Williamson but I see a redshirt year for him. Okudah and Wade are raw but unbelievably talented. College ready physically right now, and only going to improve under Kerry Coombs’ tutelage. They will play next season and compete for a spot in the two deep rotation.

Isaiah Pryor: I can see why he is competing for a backup safety spot as a true freshman.

Rodjay Burns (2016) and Joshua Norwood (2015): Both were three star recruits in their respective classes and I thought each were transfer candidates, and one may still be. However, I thought they both played pretty well in the spring game.

There was a lot of noise about Burns during the spring practices, and it was all good. I don’t see him rolling over for the new recruits when it comes to competing for the open backup corner position.

Next: Buckeyes Add Elite DE to Already Impressive 2018 Class

Overall, I was encouraged to see how the young players in the Ohio State defensive backfield performed in the spring game. There is still plenty of work for them to do before the start of next season, that’s for sure. But it’s obvious there is plenty of talent at DBU.

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