Ohio State football: True freshman pushes for playing time

The Ohio State football team has some freshmen who could really fight for playing time this season.

When you look at the list of Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class, there is a name you probably should not be hearing just yet. Guys rated this low are usually redshirt candidates. From everything I’ve heard and seen so far, cornerback Denzel Burke is not a redshirt candidate. He’s making a real push for a significant role in the Buckeyes’ secondary.

Seeing he’s the eighteenth-rated recruit in that 22-member class requires a bit of perspective. He was the country’s eighth-ranked Athlete and a top-200 player. While his .9214 rating by 247 Sports has him down the list of Buckeye recruits, that would not be the case if he’d gone elsewhere in the Big Ten.

He’d be Michigan and Wisconsin’s fifth-rated recruit and Penn State’s second. That’s right. Burke would be SECOND in Penn State’s 2021 class. Also, if you’re wondering, he’d be eighth on Notre Dame’s list. See what I mean by needing perspective on where he is among Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class? A player like Burke being that low on the Buckeyes’ list tells you how good of a class they had.

Burke drew rave reviews in the spring from secondary coach Matt Barnes and continues to impress through the first part of fall camp. Observers have said the Scottsdale, Arizona native stands out among the young corners.

So much so, he became the first of the six defensive backs in the 2021 recruiting class to have his black stripe removed. I hear and read his name mentioned constantly. What’s impressive about this is Burke was projected as a safety by most, but Barnes said he shows a lot of natural cornerback skills.

Cam Brown and Sevyn Banks are the projected starters at corner, along with Marcus Williamson at the slot corner/cover safety. Beyond those three there isn’t a lot of depth, much less experienced depth.

Burke’s competition behind the starters, Demario McCall, Ryan Watts, and Lejond Cavazos have a combined 28 snaps at cornerback between them-all of those were by Watts. If Burke continues to shine, he has an excellent opportunity to position himself for playing time.

The Ohio State football team has shown a proclivity for identifying a skill set in a player others may not see and using it to their advantage. Denzel Burke looks to be the next of those.