COLUMBUS, Ohio – With the spring practice in the books, the quarterback derby in Ohio will be transferred to the fall training sessions.
This is not a surprise, as the candidates for the successor to star Justin Fields are two sophomores and are a true freshman. No one threw a pass in a college game.
CJ Stroud, Jack Miller III and early entrant Kyle McCord all got a lot of action in Saturday’s annual spring game, and no one got a clear lead. Stroud and McCord each threw two contact passes into the controlled scrum.
“It looked a lot like what this whole spring was like,” coach Ryan Day said. “Some good, others not so good and many learning opportunities there. There are flashes here and there, and then there are only a few learning opportunities. The race is underway for the next few months to see who can take the next step. . “
None of the backs were made available after the game, but teammates liked what they saw. Thayer Munford, the fifth-year attacking striker, is confident that one of the three can lead the Buckeyes when they open the season on September 2 in Minnesota.
“Whoever it will be behind me and the offensive line if we play Minnesota, everyone knows he’ll be the man,” Munford said. “I’m just happy with where our quarter is now.”
Day returns for his third year as head coach of the state of Ohio. He has 12 beginners returning from the 2020 team that finished 7-1 in a season shortened by COVID-19. The Buckeyes won a fourth straight Big Ten championship and advanced to the national championship game, where they were sent by Alabama.
‘The goal no. 1 was to come out [of the spring] healthy, and we did, “Day said. We had a very physical spring. It was great to get out there and get in the stadium and play. ‘
The game was played in front of a limited crowd of about 19,000 fans, which progressed after the Buckeyes played home games in an almost empty Ohio stadium last season.
SERIOUS
The Big Ten Network reports that 2021 is the first season since 1952 that the Buckeyes will start a quarter that has yet to throw in a college pass. It was the second year of legendary coach Woody Hayes’ 28th season in Columbus. The Buckeyes finished 6-3.
VARSMEENE APLENTY
McCord was one of the first 15 enrolled freshmen to participate in the spring practice. Other celebrities from the country’s no. 2-arrangement class included defensive end Jack Sawyer, wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, and fullbacks TreVeyon Henderson and Evan Pryor.
TRAINER’S ROOM
The state of Ohio went through the spring practice without expecting several injured players in the fall. They included guard Harry Miller, defensive attack Haskell Garrett, midfielder Dallas Gant and cornerbacks Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown. Everyone is expected to be ready for the start of the pre-season camp in August.