Ohio State football: Will Tate Martell see the field as a true freshman?
Ohio State quarterback Joe Burrow going down with an injury changes everything.
When Joe Burrow injured his hand on Monday, it changed the dynamics of the Ohio State quarterback situation. Duane Haskins is now listed as the number two QB, but will Tate Martell also see the field as a true freshman?
If J.T. Barrett stays healthy and Haskins performs well in garbage time while Burrow is on the mend, Martell will probably be red-shirted. But Burrow may not be ready to play for several weeks as reported by Dave Biddle of 247Sports. If there is an issue with either of the situations concerning Barrett and Haskins, Martell may very well see playing time.
Let’s look at the redshirt freshman Haskins and what he brings to the table and the question mark about him. He his a pro-style quarterback with a big arm, but how will he fit into an offense designed to utilize the talents of the more mobile Barrett? Haskins performed very well in the Ohio State spring game this year but wasn’t asked to run the read option very often.
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If Haskins doesn’t perform well with that important piece of the Urban Meyer offense, it could open the door for Martell to get some reps at QB. There isn’t any doubt he is mobile enough to effectively run the read option.
Martell was the No. 2 dual threat quarterback in the 2017 recruiting class. During his three years at Bishop Gorman high school, he rushed for 2,204 yards and 35 touchdowns to go along with 7.507 yards passing and 113 scores.
And Martell has impressed the coaching staff from the time he entered Ohio State as an early enrollee in January. It is often noted his competitiveness stands out as well as how quickly he picks things up.
Of course the best case scenario for the Buckeyes would be for Barrett to avoid injury, Haskins to play well and Burrow to come back healthy as soon as possible. But if that isn’t the case, I think you can expect Tate Martell to suit up for the Buckeyes and play quarterback at some point this season.
Next: Outlook and predictions for the Big Ten East Division
After all, no coach in America understands the importance of having depth at the quarterback position more than Urban Meyer. He remembers the 2014 national championship season all too well.