Football
Football Note and Quotebook
By John Porentas
Chemistry Develops Early: Team chemistry is a vague concept,
but coaches and players insist that it is one of the most important
ingredients in putting together a winning football team. According
to Jim Tressel, nowhere is chemistry more important than on the
offensive line which must function as a cohesive unit if any offense
is to be effective. Tressel really likes what he sees of the chemistry
he sees in the four offensive linemen (Ben Person, Steve Rehring,
Kyle Mitchum and Jon Skinner) in the recently signed recruiting
class.
"They seem to have a camaraderie of their own, and anytime
I've seen great offensive lines, they have a certain ability to
communicate and know what each other are doing and care for each
other. If you take those four guys, I think they're going to add
to what we've already got," said Tressel.
According to one member of that group, Steve Rehring, there has
been one member of that class that has really helped produce that
chemistry.
"Ben Person has a lot to do with that," said Rehring.
"He calls us about once a week. He's the leader of the group
pretty much.
"We all had our official visit together and we got a bond.
"I know Ben called Kyle (Mitchum) I think once-a-week just
to see how it was. I know this spring their probably going to come
down for some practices and we're all going to hang out."
Person is an unique individual who would much rather be a doer
than a watcher. He is also gung-ho over being a Buckeye.
"I've never been a huge football fan watching on TV. I've
always loved to play football but I never watched much on TV until
about 8th grade. I went to a game at Ohio State and I loved it up
there. Every time I was up there it felt just great and I knew I
wanted to be a Buckeye," Person said.
Person said that the high regard with which OSU's recruiting class
is held is nice, but it's the doing, not the talking, that matters.
"It does excite me because it means we have a chance to be
national champions, but If you look at Texas who has always has
great classes, what have they done the last few years.
"It means something but then it doesn't mean something, because
if you have a top five class and don't win a national championship
it doesn't mean much.
Everybody (in the recruiting class) wants to be a Buckeye and everybody
wants to win a national championship and beat Michigan."
Person, who committed early with the Buckeyes, said the did so
to relieve some of the nuisance of the recruiting process.
"The month of February and March I got 15 or 20 letters a
day and it was ridiculous. I knew I wanted to be a Buckeye and it's
hard to get excited about letters. I was getting tired of the process
so I went ahead and committed," he said.
Tressel seems very please with his offensive line catch in this
year's recruiting class.
"We feel real good about the guys we got up front," he
commented.
Multitasking OK with Tressel
A number of athletes on football scholarships have participated
in other sports in the Jim Tressel era. Nate Salley participated
in basketball, and players such as Michael Jenkins have participated
in track. One incoming player, Ted Ginn Jr., has expressed an interest
in a track career. Tressel says he has absolutely no problem with
that.
"Our posture on multiple sports, whether it be track or basketball
or wrestling or whatever it happens to be, is as long as a young
man is academically doing well, that's not a problem," he said.
Get While the Getting's Good:
Jim Tressel and Recruiting Coordinator Bill Conley have talked
about the need to "even out" the recruiting classes at
OSU, but found that they weren't able to do this season, and for
very good reason.
"We had a large group leaving and we felt as if we were involved
with a lot of topnotch football players, and if we could get a topnotch
football player, we weren't going to leave a spot open just for
that reason of evening (out classes)," said Tressel.
"I think as redshirting occurs and that type of thing there
will be a natural progression of that type of thing. I think right
now if we were recruiting for next year there would be 15 or 16
available spots. We'd like to get to the spot where we're signing
17 to 20 more consistently, but you're not going to leave a spot
sitting empty if you can get an outstanding player," Tressel
said.
"There's no way we'll be able to sign 25 next year."
National vs. Institutional Letters: Two players recruited
by the Buckeyes did not appear on the official list of players signed
by the Buckeyes. That's because coaches cannot comment on players
until they are actually signed. The two players involved have not
yet signed because they intend to enroll at OSU spring quarter.
Because of those intentions, they will not sign a national letter
of intent, but rather an institutional letter of intent. Then cannot,
however, sign those letters until the first day of classes of the
quarter in which they enroll. OSU, therefore, could not list them
on their list of signees.
"The NCAA rule is that if you sign a National Letter of Intent,
it is for the fall," said Tressel. "You can't sign and
institution letter until the first day of class. They will sign
an institutional letter on the first day of class."
At that time, they will be added to the "official" list
of signees.
Tressel was unsure as to whether those two players would be counted
in the recently-signed class or the next one.
"I guess we can count them either way because we can fit them
either way."
Two More Vacancies: The Buckeyes have two more slots to
fill, not in their recruiting class, but on the coaching staff.
The departure of Mark Dantonio and Tim Spencer has left the coaching
staff shorthanded.
"One of the perils of success is that when you're successful
you lose guys off your staff, and Coach Dantonio had an opportunity
and Coach Spencer an opportunity with the Bears. We have our hands
full and we've talked a little bit about how we're going to go about
it. I think we'll begin early next week bringing some people in.
We probably start bringing some guys in next week," Tressel
said last week.
At least one coach was in this week for an interview, but it is
not known if he was offered a job. Tressel said that the shape of
the coaching staff will most likely change just a bit with the new
staff members.
"I think today we would go with four guys over on the defensive
side and then five guys on the offensive side, giving Joe Daniels
the opportunity to monitor and work moment-by-moment with the quarterbacks,
then fill in our two vacancies with receivers and running backs.
If we had to decide today that's what we'd do," said Tressel.
There has been some speculation that Tressel would look toward
the Ohio High School coaching ranks for a coach. Tressel did not
confirm that.
"There's a chance, but I wouldn't want to infer that that's
where we're headed or that's where we're leaning," Tressel
said.
"It could be high school coaches from Ohio or elsewhere, could
be pro coaches and guys who are currently in the college ranks,"
he said.
The coach in town this week is a college coach who has in the past
coached receivers.
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