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Football
Shugarts Forcing His Way to the Top
By Brandon Castel

By most accounts, J.B. Shugarts is ahead of schedule.

He did not start 10 games last season as a freshman, like classmate Michael Brewster, or open fall camp atop the depth chart at one of the tackle positions, like Mike Adams, but Shugarts has to like where he stands after the first two weeks of Ohio State's fall practice.

J.B. Shugarts

After opening camp as the backup to senior Jim Cordle at right tackle, Shugarts split time at left tackle with junior Andy Miller on the first-team offensive line during the Buckeyes' fall jersey scrimmage Saturday.

"He's right there in the mix fighting for playing time," offensive coordinator and line coach Jim Bollman said. "He has the ability to go both sides. He's fighting for things and doing a good job and getting back in the groove."

For Shugarts, the first day of fall camp was a little bit like his first day at Ohio State.

After missing all of spring practice following off-season shoulder surgery, the 6-foot-8 tackle had those same anxious butterflies to get back on the practice field this fall, and back into the fray on the offensive line.

"It was hard to watch. I've never had to sit out like that, I've never had a major surgery," he said. "It was pretty tough, because I like to work out a lot. Not even getting to lift weights; that was pretty tough too."

As difficult as it was for Shugarts to stay off the practice field and out of the weight room during his recovery time, the sophomore from Klein, Tex. used the time to shed some unwanted baby fat from his large frame.

"When I checked into camp (last spring) I was about 312, but I'm about 305 right now," Shugarts said. "When I got here, I had a lot more baby fat. I've trimmed up a lot and I've got more muscle mass."

He also used the time to get his shoulder right.

While his teammates were running around, catching passes, throwing blocks and making tackles, Shugarts spent the spring rehabbing his shoulder with Ohio State's training staff so that he would have this chance to compete for playing time on the offensive line this fall.

"Everything feels good. My feet are good and my shoulder feels great," Shugarts said. "I feel great now. I'm punching real good, getting good hand placement on my blocks, driving good, throwing people down, so everything's feeling real good right now."

The injury itself actually occurred last season when Shugarts was working at right tackle with the second group, which coach Bollman said is the primary reason Buckeye fans did not see more of No. 76 during his first season in Columbus.

J.B. Shugarts

"Both J.B. and Michael Adams were here all year and got their feet wet. They would have played even more had they not gotten some nicks there," Bollman said.

Considering their limited amount of playing time as freshmen in 2008, many people questioned Jim Tressel's coaching staff on their decision not to redshirt at least one of the two young tackles last season, but according Shugarts, he would not be in the position he is today – competing for a starting spot on the line – without the valuable experience he gained by not taking a redshirt a year ago.

"Not redshirting, I got to travel to every game and see what it was really like. When you redshirt, you stay home and you don't get to learn as much so you get more distracted," he said. "Just being on the travel squad and playing on second team, I got to learn a whole lot that I really wouldn't have learned.

"I feel it helped a lot better than redshirting."

It's that live game experience Shugarts received as a freshman that could give him an advantage over Andy Miller, who appears to be his primary competition for the starting left tackle spot. Although Miller has been in the program twice as long as Shugarts, he has very little game experience to speak of coming into this season.

"I definitely gained something, just the chance to get on the field and get into a game experience and playing against a team like USC just so I could get (a feel for) the atmosphere, what it's really going to be like," Shugarts said.

With two more weeks to go before Ohio State's opener against Navy, the competition between Miller, Shugarts and Adams should only intensify as all three players make their final push for the starting job vacated by four-year starter Alex Boone.

"I expect to be a starter, but I can't just say I'm the starter, I have to go out and earn the spot," Shugarts said. "But I want to be one of those five on the field."

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