Ohio State Football: Loss of key secondary players adding up
The Ohio State football team lost four key members of its secondary last season and the toll is starting to show.
Ryan Day, Kerry Coombs, and the Ohio State football team can not be pleased with its secondary play thus far this season. As the Buckeyes try to replace three starting members from last year’s squad, Ohio State is coming up short with options.
Cornerback we knew would be a problem. Losing two first-round picks in Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette is hard to replace. Shaun Wade has tried to fill the bill on the outside as the No. 1 corner and has not been himself so far this season. He had a rough second half against Penn State last week and has looked unsure at times on the outside.
The safety position has been an absolute mess after losing ‘The Eraser’ from a season ago in Jordan Fuller to the NFL. Marcus Hooker looks slow to his spots and can’t seem to make a tackle in the open field. That is a massive problem for a player that is seen as the last line of defense for coordinator Kerry Coombs. Other safety Josh Proctor has been reduced to a sub-package role.
The nickelback spot has been a problem as well as Marcus Williamson has not had the same effect that Shaun Wade had last season at the position. Sevyn Banks has been solid though not spectacular at the other starting spot.
Cam Brown’s torn Achilles injury has not helped matters for depth purposes as Ohio State now look at Tyreke Johnson and freshmen Ryan Watts to fill the void.
Not getting into specifics but the loss of Amir Riep on this roster has really hurt as well. He was tabbed as Shaun Wade’s replacement heading into the offseason and received a gold bulk of playing time for a college football playoff team last year. He was clearly being groomed for a larger role in 2020 before off the field issues occurred with him.
Next. Ohio State vs. Rutgers 2020: Offense grades. dark
Add this all up and it’s clear that the Ohio State Buckeyes have a major problem in the secondary. And with only five regular-season games remaining before the postseason, answers must be found sooner rather than later.