Ohio State Football: A little thunder and lightning from two classmates
One pleasant surprise on the Ohio State football team during the spring game was the thunder and lightning on display by 2016 classmates.
The starting time for the Ohio State Spring Game was moved up last Saturday so it would be over before the storms hit Columbus in the afternoon. However, there was still a little thunder and lightning in “The Shoe” provided by Antonio Williams and Demario McCall, two backs from the 2016 recruiting class.
Each of the players had their moments the last two years but rarely during the same game.
Williams simply looked like a different back last Saturday as he rushed 5 times for 47 yards and 1 touchdown. Most of his yards came on power runs between the tackles in the red zone.
McCall had 11 receptions for 165 yards and 2 scores. Finally settling into the H-back position, his speed and elusiveness were on full display.
I for one was glad to see it. In January of 2016, before Williams and McCall had played their first game for Ohio State, I wrote that the two could possibly become a thunder and lightning duo.
Each player has performed well at times so the potential of that happening is certainly there. Unfortunately, either the thunder or the lightning has usually been absent.
McCall came out of the box strong as a freshman. He made big plays both rushing and receiving while displaying the lightning quickness I had expected to see.
During the 2016 season McCall rushed for 270 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and 3 touchdowns. He also caught 4 passes for 84 yards and a score. Williams languished on the bench and only had six carries the entire season.
In 2017, Williams played a key role early in the season backing up J.K. Dobbins while Mike Weber was dealing with a hamstring issue. He rushed 57 times for 290 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and 3 touchdowns.
Many of Williams’ carries came in the red zone where we got a glimpse of his powerful running style. Unfortunately for McCall, he was sidelined for much of the season due to an injury and saw limited playing time.
It would appear now that each of the ‘16 classmates are primed to make their mark on the Ohio State football team during the 2018 season.
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Williams received quite a bit of praise from the coaching staff this spring and you can see why from his performance Saturday. He seemed to be a more confident runner, seeing holes open up and hitting them at the right time, and he even bounced one run outside for a nice gain.
Now that McCall finally has a full-time job at H-back, I’m sure Urban Meyer is going to find numerous ways to get the ball in his hands in space. I have a feeling the crossing pattern McCall ran so well during the spring game will be used often, it was difficult for anyone to stay with him. He is also set to be the primary return man this season.
Williams and McCall are in loaded units with proven, experienced players in the mix so both will have to battle for reps. But it’s a long season and I’m sure offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson will want to spread the wealth around so the two will get their share of opportunities.
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And when they do, I have a feeling Williams and McCall are ready to respond. Then there may be a little more thunder and lightning from the 2016 classmates that was on display during the spring game.