Tested: Ohio State stacked with quality 5th-year players

Tested: Ohio State stacked with quality 5th-year players

Fitch graduate Price among the leaders

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

The old guys club at Ohio State this year is exclusive.

Led by quarterback J.T. Barrett, seven players are in their fifth year of eligibility in Columbus, meaning each had a redshirt year. Not only are all at the top of the Buckeyes’ depth chart, they’re among the best players in college football.

That doesn’t happen often at a big-time football program that churns our early departing stars for the NFL.

Barrett, who is 26-4 as a starter and the first three-time captain in Ohio State history, might not even be the best of them. That’s defensive end Tyquan Lewis, the reigning Big Ten defensive player of the year. He’ll be a top NFL prospect.

The fifth-year guys also include starting tight end Marcus Baugh, the team’s top returning receiver; center Billy Price (Austintown Fitch), who has started 41 consecutive games on the offensive line; defensive tackles Tracy Sprinkle and Michael Hill; and Chris Worley, who will start at linebacker for the second straight year.

“You’ve got some guys that are battle-tested,” said Worley, who’s on the watch list for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s best linebacker. “Every team goes through the tough times, the hard game and you have guys who have been through it, so that’s always a plus.”

Coach Urban Meyer said while he can never plan to have so many elite guys sticking around, it’s a great situation.

“You can’t put a price tag on that,” he said. “I saw that developing throughout the offseason. It’s unusual. I don’t think we’ve ever had that. You’d have to go back some years, because we usually don’t redshirt guys with intent that they’ll be here in five years nowadays.”

HOLES AT CORNERBACK

Cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs said he’ll likely use a regular rotation of three players at cornerback this season — Damon Arnette, Denzel Ward and Kendall Sheffield.

Coombs has the difficult task of trying to plug the holes left by last year’s departing starters Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley, both of whom were NFL draft picks.

Ward was the third man in the rotation last year and finished with 23 total tackles, nine passes defended and nine pass break-ups. Arnette played in every game is ready for prime time, according to Coombs. Sheffield is a former five-star recruit and junior college transfer who enrolled in the spring.

Others, including true freshmen Jeffrey Okudah, Shaun Wade and Marcus Williamson, also could see playing time at corner.