The Ohio State football team had its annual Spring Game on Saturday. It's the first time that the Buckeyes have suited up to play a game since winning the national championship in January. This year's team is much different than last year's though.
Ohio State lost a ton of talent from a year ago. This year's version of the Ohio State Buckeyes has a lot more holes. Some of those holes were on display during the Spring Game. These three players did not perform as well as they were hoping to during the game.
1. Aaron Scott
The cornerback room is a very competitive room right now. There are a lot of guys fighting to see time behind Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Mathews Jr. Aaron Scott is one of those players. He hardly played last year because of some injuries that he was dealing with.
Scott struggled most of the day covering Mylan Graham. He got shook a couple of times on routes, completely falling down. He didn't look like someone who is ready to grab a starting cornerback spot. He might have some work to do as a backup, first.
2. Tavien St. Clair
Being a true freshman quarterback, Tavien St. Clair does not have a chance to win the starting job this season. His head is swimming as he works his hardest to learn the playbook and understand what the Buckeyes want from him. Saturday was not his best day.
The number-two overall recruit in the 2025 recruiting class struggled for most of the day. He was just 1/7 in the first half and finished the game with two interceptions. He did lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to a touchdown on the final drive, firing in a touchdown pass. Perhaps that gives him some confidence.
3. The starting defensive line
Perhaps the most concerning thing from the Spring Game was the lack of pressure from the starting defensive line. There was hardly any push from anyone up front. That's especially concerning because they have to replace all four starters on the defensive line.
The action was so bad up front that Ryan Day was asked about it following the game. When asked if the team would look into the transfer portal for defensive linemen, he replied, "We'll see."
Asked if Ohio State has what it needs on the defensive line or if it will need to pursue defensive line help in the transfer portal, Ryan Day says the Buckeyes are going to have to “take a hard look” at that.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) April 12, 2025
The defensive line must be better, especially in the first game of the season against Texas. Perhaps some portal help will get the unit back to where it needs to be.