Ohio State Football: Dwayne Haskins offers new opportunities at QB

With J.T. Barrett moving on, the style of play at the quarterback position for Ohio State is almost certain to change, especially if Dwayne Haskins will be the next signal caller.

The Cotton Bowl is over, as are the 2017 Ohio State Buckeyes. Most notably, it signals the exit of quarterback and veteran leader JT Barrett. The exit of the senior means it will be time to change guard at the quarterback position; those are big shoes to fill. The Buckeyes will start new, but in good hands.

Enter Dwayne Haskins Jr, better known as the most qualified man for the position.

Over the course of 2017,  Haskins already saw his fair share of playing time. The quarterback took snaps in 10 of the team’s 14 games, completing 70.2-percent of his throws for 565 yards, 4 touchdowns, and just 1 interception.

All but one of Haskins’ appearances came in garbage time, but his lone meaningful appearance proved his legitimacy.

It’s easy to recall the sophomore-to-be’s performance in Ann Arbor in the final game of the regular season, when JT Barrett took an early exit following a knee injury. During almost two quarters of action, Haskins threw for 94 yards on 6-of-7 passing, but it was his poise that sent the message.

Essentially, Haskins was the player of the game in the eventual 31-20 Buckeye victory over the rival Wolverines. That in itself from a redshirt freshman is a heck of a feat.

Haskins is likely to get a chance to prove he can do ‘it’ for more than a half of football; instead, he’ll be slated for a whole season of action.

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Worth noting was Haskins’s ability to keep the game under control in most of his relief appearances. While Urban Meyer put the starting offense back in against Illinois in the team’s 52-14 victory, it came as a measure to ensure the game stayed under control.

Going forward, Haskins will continue to see reps in the ever important game management aspect; it’s the reason JT Barrett was so successful at winning games for Ohio State.

One caveat to the Ohio State offense is a change in quarterback style. Barrett weaponized his legs to create a Buckeye offense that focused on option plays. Haskins’s game resembles that of Cardale Jones, a pro-style quarterback with a big arm.

JT Barrett received criticism throughout his career for not being able to hit the deep ball. Now, Ohio State has a quarterback that’s plenty capable of that style of play. However, it comes with a higher potential for interceptions.

While it will be new, it doesn’t mean it’s a perfect fit for transition. Skill position players will have to learn new tricks, but have the whole offseason to make effective changes.

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Since Ohio State missed the College Football Playoff this season, there’s undoubtedly an expectation to finish in the top-4 in 2018. Haskins has the capability of making that happen; he was ranked the No. 91 player in his recruiting class and No. 3 pro-style quarterback. However, the real test of character will happen between the lines, beginning next fall.