COLUMBUS, Ohio – Several early preseason prognosticators are predicting Ohio State should have one of the top 10 or 15 teams in the country.
If the Buckeyes live up to that hype, it’ll likely be because of a lot of players who are unknown to even the most rabid fans, but will take the field during Saturday’s 2014 LiFE Sports Spring Game, presented by Nationwide, which kicks off at 1:30 p.m. at Ohio Stadium.
They include receiver Johnnie Dixon, linebacker Raekwon McMillan, H-back Curtis Samuel, offensive lineman Marcelys Jones, kicker Sean Nuernberger and quarterbacks Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett and Stephen Collier.
Jones, a third-year sophomore, will quarterback the scarlet team with red-shirt freshman Barrett calling signals for the gray team. Senior Braxton Miller has been sidelined throughout spring drills after undergoing shoulder surgery.
There are even new faces coaching the new faces: defensive assistants Chris Ash and Larry Johnson.
Fans will recognize some familiar names too: Rod Smith, a fifth-year senior, is competing for the starting position at running back, along with third-year sophomores Bri’onte Dunn and Warren Ball.
Speedster Dontre Wilson has been moved from a running back to H-back and seniors Devin Smith and Evan Spencer are returning at the wide receiver spots.
The scarlet team will be coached by assistant head coach Stan Drayton while the gray is led by cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs.
The annual spring intrasquad scrimmage will feature four 10-minute quarters with clock stoppages throughout the first half and a running clock in the second half. There will be no kickoffs but Cameron Johnston will be punting under live conditions with no returns.
Ohio State’s four most recent first-team All-American selections – linebacker Ryan Shazier, offensive tackle Jack Mewhort, cornerback Bradley Roby and defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins – will be honored during the. Kickoff is set for approximately 1:30 p.m.
Shazier and Mewhort were All-Americans in 2013 while Hankins and Roby were All-Americans in 2012.