Ohio State Football: Breaking down the depth chart, tight ends
In this week’s latest installment of breaking down the depth chart, we look at the Ohio State football team’s tight end room.
The tight end position for the Ohio State football program has always seemed to have great potential over this past run with Urban Meyer and now Ryan Day as head coaches. However, it just never really has translated into games.
No doubt, the tight ends have been a big part of the offense whether it be in the blocking game or as outlet receivers, but the tight end has never been a featured target in the Buckeye offense. Could this finally be the year that this position group is unleashed without a clear-cut H-back in the offense?
Lets take a look at this position group top-to-bottom and see if the Buckeyes can exploit some matchups this upcoming season.
Starter: Jeremy Ruckert
Luke Farrell might have something to say about this but I believe the best player in this position group is the four-star Lindenhurst, New York native, Jeremy Ruckert.
With excellent size at six-feet-five-inches-tall and 238 pounds, Ruckert has the potential to wreak havoc in the middle of the field for this Buckeye offense. He is a superior athlete and has wide receiver-like speed playing this position.
We saw it at times last season, for example in the Big Ten Championship game, where Ruckert went down the seam on a linebacker and ran right past him for a one-handed touchdown grab.
This could be the next evolution of Ryan Day’s offense. With K.J. Hill off to the NFL and no clear favorite to win the H-back position battle, Ruckert can take those routes and tear up opposing defenses that try to cover him with a linebacker.
Second-string: Luke Farrell
According to the Eleven Warriors’ snap tracker, Farrell had more snaps this past season at 459 than Ruckert did at 404. Farrell is the senior and better blocker between the two, and that will assuredly get him on the field for a good amount of playing time. He just is not quite the weapon that Ruckert is down the field and in space.
The Perry, Ohio native had only seven receptions last season for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Again, this position wasn’t featured that much last season but for a starter in this offense, those are not great numbers.