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Football
Looking at Tuesday’s Depth Chart: Defense
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Buckeyes opened practice to the media again on Tuesday, and we finally got a chance to see linebacker Curtis Grant in action.

We also got to watch defensive end Nathan Williams in his first contact drill since knee surgery.

A lot is going to change before things kick off on Sept. 1, but we now have a better idea of what the Ohio State coaches are thinking about a few different spots in the two-deep. 

Check out the full report on OSU’s defense in our Practice Insider from Tuesday.

LEO
54 John Simon (6-2, 260, Sr.)
88 Steve Miller (6-3, 255, So.)
8 Noah Spence (6-3, 240, Fr.)

*No changes at the Leo spot Tuesday, although Nathan Williams did jump in for his first contact drill since his knee surgery. Miller had a good day, but Spence was nearly unblockable (in shells) during the one-on-one drills.  

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
52 Johnathan Hankins (6-4, 317, Jr.)
92 Adolphus Washington (6-3, 289, Fr.)
90 Tommy Schutt (6-2, 305, Fr.)

*No Adam Bellamy on Tuesday (as far as we could tell), so Washington slid up to work with the second-team defense. He can also play strongside end, but the coaches seem to like him inside right now. Schutt got his first real taste of action, but he’s still swimming. A favorite target of Mike Vrabel’s verbal jabs.

NOSE TACKLE
53 Garrett Goebel (6-4, 285, rSr.)
51 Joel Hale (6-4, 295, So.)
72 Chris Carter (6-4, 358, rFr.)

*Goebel made some nice plays on Tuesday and Hale had the tackle of the day…on a team manager. Carter looks to be in much better shape than the spring and Luke Fickell said he is around 350 pounds right now (was as high as 390 last summer).  

STRONGSIDE END
63 Michael Bennett (6-3, 277, So.)
50 J.T. Moore (6-3, 250, rSo.)
95 Se’Von Pittman (6-3, 259, Fr.)

*Bennett was with the first-team again Tuesday and Fickell said he is pretty much a first-team guy at this point. He certainly looks like one, both in scrimmages and drills.

WILL LB
10 Ryan Shazier (6-1, 226, So.)
42 Luke Roberts (6-2, 230, Fr.)
25 David Perkins (6-2, 220, Fr.)

*Shazier said he is up to 230 pounds now after playing at 205 last year. Said he eats 6-8 times a day and feels both strong and faster. After playing at Mike LB on Monday, Roberts moved over to Will LB, where he had been in the spring.  

MIKE LB
14 Curtis Grant (6-2, 235, So.)
36 Connor Crowell (6-1, 233, rFr.)
5 Camren Williams (6-1, 225, Fr.)

*A projected starter for the Buckeyes, Grant returned to practice Tuesday after missing Monday to be with his ailing grandfather back in Virginia. He took every snap with the first group, bumping Crowell back down to the second group. Williams moved over to Mike LB with the third group after playing Will LB on Monday.

SAM LB
6 Etienne Sabino (6-3, 237, rSr.)
15 Josh Perry (6-4, 231, Fr.)
34 Jamal Marcus (6-2, 225, Fr.)

*Perry was back on the field Tuesday after missing most of Monday’s practice with an injury. He was also banged up in the spring, but got a chance to work with the second group on Tuesday.  

CORNER
1 Bradley Roby (5-11, 185 rSo.)
9 Adam Griffin (5-8, 180, rSo.)
23 Tyvis Powell (6-3, 196, Fr.)

*Roby made the play of the day Tuesday, picking off a deep ball from Braxton Miller to Devin Smith. Despite the over-the-shoulder grab, Roby isn’t going to get a chance to play WR, at least not according to Fickell.

CORNER
12 Doran Grant (5-11, 188, So.)
7 Travis Howard (6-1, 196, rSr.)
18 Najee Murray (5-9, 178, Fr.)

*Howard was late getting out on the field Tuesday (possibly because of finals), and as a result he spent much of the day working with the second group. Grant got his first taste of being a No. 1 corner, but be injured his leg breaking up a pass intended for Michael Thomas.  

SAFETY
2 Christian Bryant (5-10, 190, Jr.)
19 Orhian Johnson (6-3, 210, rSr.)
16 Zach Domicone (6-2, 216, Sr.)

*Johnson had to leave practice briefly on Tuesday, but he returned with a securely taped ankle. His biggest play of the day was a blocked 45-yard field goal with Meyer watching anxiously.

SAFETY
4 C.J. Barnett (6-1, 202, rJr.)
3 Corey Brown (6-1, 197, rJr.)
28 Ron Tanner (6-0, 192, rFr.)

*Tanner saw some time on the back end of the defense Tuesday, along with Jamie Wood and Devan Bogard. Wood walked off the field gingerly at the end of practice and had to be carted out of practice.  

Depth Chart Comments: Offense

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