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Football
Redshirt Forecast: Wait ‘til Next Year
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS — Schools like Ohio State attract the top high school talent in the country each year, and in turn, most these players expect to come in and make impact right away for their new schools.

That’s now always the case, however, as many youngsters need an extra year in the program before they’re ready to take the field. We continue our “Redshirt Forecast” series with a look at the six freshmen who will most likely have to wait until next year to make their first contributions.

For some strange reason, we also included the thoughts of Tony Gerdeman.

Six Newcomers Most Likely to Redshirt in 2010

1.CB Adam Griffin – We knew coming in that Griffin was undersized for a place like Ohio State, but we didn’t realize he was that undersized. The son of two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin stands about 5-foot-8, making cornerback his only real option. It makes no sense to call it a wasted scholarship until we see what the kid is capable of (and even then few would call it a waste), but he’s going to have to fight his way onto a special team at some point and that’s not going to happen in 2010.

Taylor Graham
Photo by Jim Davidson

2. QB Taylor Graham – The son of another famous Buckeye, Kent Graham, Taylor’s got some real talent. He can sling the ball a quarter-mile, but right now he’s behind Pryor, Joe Bauserman and Kenny Guiton. Barring a rash of injuries at the quarterback position, Graham will spend his first season in Columbus running the scout team.

Gerd on Graham: Pretty self-explanatory. Unless he somehow wins the second spot.

3. WR Verlon Reed – One of the more intriguing players in the class of 2010 is Verlon Reed. A local kid who played quarterback in high school, Reed is going to get his first shot to play wide receiver at Ohio State. He has his heart set on getting a chance to line up under center eventually, but his best bet would be to commit to playing the receiver position. It’s going to take him a little time to learn the ins and outs of the position, and he definitely needs to work on his hands, but Reed is dynamic once he has the ball. He broke off long touchdown runs in the North-South and Big 33 games and could work his way onto the field next season when the Buckeyes lose Dane Sanzenbacher, Taurian Washington and possibly DeVier Posey. He had a few nice special teams plays in coverage during Saturday’s kick scrimmage, but it’s probably a stretch that he works his way onto a coverage team this fall.

Gerd on Reed: He's not a receiver yet, so he needs to sit until he is.

4. S Chad Hagan – The Pennsylvania product is coming off a serious injury and still doesn’t really have a position. He was lining up at safety during the “Showtime” portion of practice, but he could also end up playing outside linebacker or the Star position. He’s listed at 230 pounds, but looks more like 215-220, and probably ends up playing safety or star for the Buckeyes. That’s a decision for another year.

Gerd on Hagan: He's about the 6th free safety right now. And I'm not convinced that's his ultimate spot.

5. RB Rod Smith – The kid has the talent to contribute as a true freshman, but right now we don’t even know if he’s going to be on the team in 2010. Coach Tressel maintains he will arrive any day, but with each passing day it becomes less and less likely he will wear the Scarlet and Gray this fall. Even if he does make a late appearance in camp, it’s already probably too late for him to make a push this season. The Buckeyes already have five scholarship backs, including a power-back from the class of 2010 in Carlos Hyde. Safety Jermale Hines didn’t join the team until midway through the 2007 season and still ended up playing as a freshman, but Smith isn’t going to contribute on special teams the way Hines did.

Gerd on Smith: At most he would get about 40 carries if he ever gets into school. No need for him. There's enough power running with Hyde and Saine.

6. DL J.T. Moore – One of the least talked about players in the class of 2010, Moore is a good looking player. He seems to make big plays when the defense really needs them and could work his way into the rotation during the second half of fall camp. Junior Nathan Williams replaces Thad Gibson in the starting lineup, and he’s being backed up by Solomon Thomas, who also should see some playing time this year. Moore has gotten some third-team reps, but he’s got to beat out classmate David Durham, who is also repping as a Leo this fall. Like Hagan, it’s uncertain exactly where Moore ends up. He could stay at Leo long-term, but might fit better as a strongside defensive end or even a quicker defensive tackle if he can add some bulk and move inside.

Gerd on Moore: Do we assume they want more than two Leos? If so, Moore or Durham have to play.

* Check back with The Ozone tomorrow for the six freshmen on the redshirt bubble for 2010.

Freshmen who will play.

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