Ohio State Football: Projected 2-deep depth chart for 2017
Ohio State football has lofty expectations heading into the 2017 season and here’s what the depth chart looks like.
After a lousy finish to the 2016 season with a blowout against Clemson in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State football has to be looking ahead to bigger and better things in 2017. The Buckeyes are losing plenty of talent, but the expectations are still at a reasonably high level.
Urban Meyer has been fantastic in Columbus since taking over as head coach, going 61-6 over five years — an almost unbelievable record. He’s been one of the best coaches in college football both on the field and in the recruiting circuit.
In fact, he’s reeled in some of the best recruits over the past few years, rivaling Nick Saban over at Alabama. You want proof? The Buckeyes just lost a four-star recruit and their overall composite rating for the 2018 class went up. That’s wild. For about 99.9 percent of programs, losing a four-star would drastically improve the class’ overall rating. Not Ohio State.
Those recruits have been blossoming into solid players for the Buckeyes and even though the team is losing a number of crucial starters to the NFL, there’s plenty of talent returning.
Take a look at the protected two-deep for the fall.
Offensive Line
Starting tackles: Jamarco Jones (LT), Isaiah Prince (RT)
Backups: Brandon Bowen (LT), Kevin Feder (RT)
The offensive line is returning plenty from last year’s team, including starting senior left tackle Jamarco Jones and junior right tackle Isaiah Prince. The former is expected to be an All-Big Ten offensive tackle before the season is over and Prince looks to be a solid starter. Brandon Bowen and Kevin Feder look to be too capable backups who are just waiting for their opportunities, but don’t sleep on freshman Josh Myers, either.
Starting guards: Michael Jordan (LG), Matthew Burrell (RG)
Backups: Josh Myers (LG), Demetrius Knox (RG)
When you see the name “Michael Jordan” your mind instantly shifts to the hardwood, but not so fast. Ohio State’s Michael Jordan is one of the top young linemen in the conference who was part of the Buckeyes’ 2016 class. He will be back as a starting left guard for his sophomore year. Fellow sophomore Matthew Burrell will likely get the nod on the other side, but Demetrius Knox will be pushing for snaps. Myers is a nice tackle/guard combo backup.
Starting center: Billy Price
Backup: Brady Taylor
Billy Price is another All-Big Ten caliber offensive linemen, anchoring the group in the middle. The senior returning starter has high hopes for the season and is likely to garner some interest from the NFL as well. He will be backed up by junior Brady Taylor who is likely to take over the position next season,