Ohio State football: Developing depth at cornerback a must

The Ohio State football team did not have good cornerback play in 2020. They must develop depth in that position group this season.

New OSU secondary coach Matt Barnes certainly has his work cut out for him this spring. With the news that Sevyn Banks will miss the remainder of spring practice, and fellow 2020 starter Cameron Brown being limited, the Buckeyes have gotten very thin at cornerback. How thin? Right now, there’s one healthy player at that position who has game experience. Redshirt senior Marcus Williamson is it.

The thing to keep in mind about Williamson is he plays in the slot, which is more of a hybrid cornerback/safety position. The Buckeyes need help with depth on the outside. Quite obviously, it is going to have to be provided by some unproven players. Some of those unproven players are young; one is not.

When you look at the Ohio State football team roster, five names jump out at you as viable candidates. Redshirt junior Tyreke Johnson, redshirt freshmen Cam Martinez, Ryan Watts, and Lejond Cavazos, and true freshman Denzel Burke.

Johnson came to the Buckeyes as a much-heralded five-star recruit out of the same Florida high school as Shaun Wade (the football factory that is Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville). The hope was for him to become the next great Ohio State cornerback.

It hasn’t happened. Not even close. He’s not only failed to crack the depth chart, but he’s also underperformed when he’s had the chance to play. When Urban Meyer would talk about players who had, in his opinion, floundered in their first few years for him, he’d say they needed to DO something. The Buckeyes need Johnson to DO something and help the cornerback position.

When Barnes met with the media recently, he said Cam Martinez put his head down in the off-season, went to work, and is one of the most improved players on the team. Barnes said the OSU staff is effusive in their praise for the Michigan native.

Denzel Burke did not play a lot of corner in high school, but Barnes said it is uncanny how natural he looks at the position. He cited Burke’s footwork, patience, and said he looks seasoned already.

Barnes summed it up this way in his press conference, “Not that we’re surprised, but I am, to a degree, just kind of blown away by how far along he looks at times. Now, he’s still got a long way to go, don’t get me wrong, but he looks pretty natural in there. So, really excited about him.”

Don’t sleep on Ryan Watts and Lejond Cavazos simply because Barnes was not asked about them. Watts is a big (6’3”, 205 pounds), physical corner who is the type you need to play press coverage. Cavazos spent most of last season injured but still managed to lose his black stripe not long after getting back to practice.

While the absence of Brown and Banks has given these five an opportunity for more reps and development, Barnes made it clear they are nowhere near setting a depth chart. The emphasis, he said, has been on effort, technique, and concepts.

The defensive staff may be a long way from deciding who fills in the depth chart behind Brown and Banks, but the foundation for that much-needed depth is being laid now. The entire Ohio State football team will be better for it.