It's game week, and it's time to take one last look at what the Ohio State
football two-deep depth chart will look like. It feels like head coach Ryan Day and the coaching staff have been more honest and transparent about where things stand this offseason, and we've been able to observe how things have gone with the reps in camp as well. It's a very talented roster, and one that should make a run toward another College Football Playoff.The offense seems pretty well set aside from who is going to get that third starting spot at wide receiver, and maybe there's a surprise at tight end, but beyond that, things seem to be pretty well set. Here's our last, best, very educated guess on how things will look with playing time and the pecking order when
the Buckeyes kick things off against Ball State on Saturday. It probably looks like a lot of others you might see making the rounds.
We'll start with the offense and dive into the defense on Tuesday.
Ohio State football projected two-deep depth chart on offense
Quarterback
Starter: Julian Sayin
Backup: Tavien St. Clair
Sayin, of course, has the starting job locked down and should have a Heisman-worthy campaign. There has been a real push by freshman quarterback Luke Fahey for the backup role, but the experience and talent of Tavien St. Clair will likely win out as the guy who gets the first crack at running the offense after Sayin.
Running Back
Starter: Bo Jackson
Backup: Isaiah West
There were some interesting moments when West was getting first-team reps in the fall ahead of Jackson, but that appears to be much ado about nothing. The coaches have been very complimentary of how good Jackson has looked in developing more ability to break away in the second level, and he'll be the guy. West will also get plenty of run, but we'll also keep an eye on Legend Bey, who has apparently been leaping tall buildings and breaking ankles and hearts. He'll push for time and could eventually eat into what West will get as the backup.
Receiver
Starters: Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuin
Backups: Chris Henry Jr., Kyle Parker, Brock Boyd
This is a really deep group, and all six of these players will likely get into a significant rotation. It's still a coin flip between McCuin and Henry for the third starting spot, but we'll go with the experience and polished speed of the transfer McCuin to start things out this season. Don't be surprised if Henry begins to slowly break out and become a force through the season, however.
Tight End
Starter: Nate Roberts
Backups: Mason Williams
Roberts is the most talented and will move from a lot of fullback opportunities last season to a traditional tight end. Beyond that, it'll be interesting to see who is on the field with the second-most volume. Ryan Day said that Roberts, Williams, and Bennett Christian are in a group of their own, so look for those other two to be on the field too, especially in multiple tight-end sets.
Offensive Line
Starters: Ian Moore (left tackle), Luke Montgomery (left guard), Carson Hinzman (center), Austin Siereveld (right guard), Phillip Daniels (right tackle)
Backups: Carter Lowe (left tackle), Jake Cook (left guard), Josh Padilla (center), Gabe VanSickle (right guard), Deontae Armstrong (right tackle)
Last week, Day confirmed that the starters on the line were "trending" to what we've all thought, along with Siereveld moving inside to right tackle and Moore taking over at left tackle, and with Hinzman, Montgomery, and Daniels rounding out the best five. Beyond Padilla would be the next in line either at center or guard, with Lowe, Cook, VanSickle, and Armstrong being called out as also having good camps and set to step in if needed. It must be noted that if Moore were unavailable, we'd likely see Siereveld moved back to left tackle, with a shuffling of things.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State football projected depth chart on offense, final call
