2013 4-Star Quarterback J.T. Barrett Set Out To Prove Ability In Elite 11

Barrett is out to prove his ability

2013 Ohio State commit QB J.T. Barrett attended ESPN's Elite 11 camp in Dallas over the weekend. ESPN has video of Barrett talking about his skills as a QB as well as some of the Elite 11 coaches telling us what they think of the Texan quarterback.

When Barrett talked about himself, he mentioned that he wants people to recognize him as a quarterback because he can throw the ball. Most people that put him down as a dual-threat mostly believe that he's just a running threat, but Barrett disagrees. 

He also makes mention of how he didn't get recruited by Texas and how that has motivated him to do even better in college.

See for yourself about Barrett's playing style and the accuracy he can show when launching a football to receivers. This kid can be a pretty good player once he joins the college ranks. 

Video after the jump.

Former Ohio State Quarterback Troy Smith Looks To Revive Career

Smith had an illustrious career at Ohio State

The Heisman Trophy that Troy Smith won at Ohio State in the 2006 season lays in storage somewhere in Cleveland.

The quarterback is hoping his career avoids the same fate.

Smith is trying to break back into the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who signed him in the offseason as an insurance policy during organized team activities and training camp.

"The 27-year-old who dazzled while leading the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title and a berth in the national title game during his senior season is now a journeyman trying to beat out established veterans Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch for a spot behind Ben Roethlisberger.

Selected in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, Smith made the team and started two games, including a 27-21 win over the Steelers in the regular season finale.

The victory capped an otherwise miserable 5-11 season for the Ravens, who promptly drafted Joe Flacco the following spring. Smith welcomed the competition, but it was over before it barely began when he developed Lemierre's syndrome.

The illness starts as a sore throat then blossoms into an infection. In Smith's case, the disease attacked the pain receptors in Smith's lungs. A bout with tonsillitis followed and he dropped 45 pounds off his 6-foot frame."

Smith never got a chance to compete with Flacco for the job and when Flacco led the Ravens to the playoffs as a rookie, Smith was rendered a backup. 

Baltimore cut him after the 2009 season and Smith landed a spot in San Francisco.

2013 4-Star Quarterback JT Barrett Commits To Ohio State

Barrett is a huge grab for Ohio State

The good news has just gotten better. As the Ohio State recruiting machine continues to roll on, the country’s No. 1 dual-threat quarterback, JT Barrett, has committed to Ohio State, giving Urban Meyer his 10th commitment in the 2013 class.

Barrett visited Ohio State near the end of March and came away with a great feeling about the Buckeyes. 

He announced soon after that, that Ohio State, LSU, Texas Tech and Nebraska were his top choices at that time and he would make another trip back to Ohio State, most likely in the summer. Now, it seems the Buckeyes have earned the commit from Barrett.

Barrett’s list of scholarship offers included Ohio State, Nebraska, LSU, Texas Tech, Arizona, Illinois, Ole Miss, Baylor, Kansas State and Mississippi State before he selected the Buckeyes.

The 6'2", 205-pound Barrett completed 102 of 171 passes for 1,605 yards during his junior season. He connected for 14 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Barrett also rushed for 1,521 yards and nine touchdowns. Barrett also led his team to the fourth round of the playoffs as a sophomore and is one of the up and coming prospects in the 2013 class.

JT Barrett runs a 4.60 40, is a legit 6'2" and 205-pounds. Quicker than fast. Moves with a powerful quickness about him.

Barrett can be considered a true dual-threat QB prospect. A program can design a QB-run game (Urban/Tebow) with him. He has very good, quick and reactive feet.

Barrett is a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings. He is the country’s No. 1 dual threat quarterback, the No. 38 overall prospect and the No. 7 prospect in the state of Texas.

Barrett’s decision is a huge one for the Buckeyes. With Braxton Miller just a sophomore, Cardale Jones a freshman, and Barrett headed to Ohio State, the quarterback position looks great for years to come. Of course, super athlete Jalin Marshall is headed to OSU. Marshall loves playing quarterback, but has the potential to be the Buckeyes' version of Percy Harvin. That's the role he will most likely take.

Monday's Buckeye Bits

Rise and shine Buckeye fans, it's March Madness Week! Despite the Buckeye's loss in the B1G Championship to Michigan State, the weekend was still a success after finishing off a great run for the basketball team.

Heading into the weekend Buckeye fans were a bit skeptical of their chances in any tournament, let alone the NCAA tournament. Thankfully, a last second win over MSU to win a share of the regular season title, and shutting down Purdue and Michigan, brought some much-needed energy and hope before the March Madness tournament.

The Madness begins tomorrow but to hold you over until then, let's dive in to today's Buckeye Bits!

Buckeyes Earn A 2-Seed. The NCAA March Madness tournament selection show yesterday revealed the seeding of the 68-team bracket, where the Buckeyes landed in the East region as a #2 seed. The opponent they will face (Thursday at 9:50) is the #15 seed, Loyola Greyhounds. The Buckeyes region is pretty tough, featuring opponents such as #1 seed Syracuse, #3 seed Florida State and #6 seed Cincinnati. Here are the rest of the region's, for your viewing enjoyment: Midwest, West, South (H/T Eleven Warriors)

2013 5-Star Quarterback/Athlete Jalin Marshall Commits To Ohio State

The versatile Marshall is #2 in 2013

According to the Middletown Journal, 2013 5-star QB/ATH Jalin Marshall has committed to Ohio State. Marshall has said that playing for the Buckeyes is a "childhood dream". This gives Urban Meyer the 2nd commitment for the class of 2013, and this is a HUGE grab for Ohio State. Jalin Marshall is the #1 prospect in Ohio for 2013, as Urban is once again starting to build that fence around the Buckeye state.

Ranked as the nation’s top athlete and the No. 5 prospect overall, the 6-foot, 190-pound Marshall joins four-star safety Cameron Burrows in giving his word to Ohio State, choosing the Buckeyes over offers from the likes of Notre Dame and Tennessee. During the fall, Ohio State and Notre Dame were running even for Marshall’s services, but when former Irish assistant coach Tim Hinton left South Bend for a job with the Buckeyes, it tipped the scales in the home-state school’s favor.

As a junior, Marshall rushed for 1,972 yards and 20 touchdowns, and he also passed for 781 yards and six more scores. He will begin his Ohio State career as a quarterback, which is very important to him. Along the way, both the coaches and Marshall may decide his talents best fit at slot WR, where many hope they will see him don the scarlet and gray.

To read more about Marshall's talents, we point you in the direction of one of our Recruiting Profiles. 

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest updates, news, and opinions on Ohio State athletics. 

Quarterback Taylor Graham To Transfer From Ohio State

Tim May has reported that Taylor Graham was granted a release from Ohio State, freeing up a scholarship and leaving Ohio State with only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.

Graham is without a doubt a pocket-passer and was not a good fit for what Urban Meyer wanted in a QB for the spread offense. During the spring and summer of 2011, it appeared that Taylor Graham was making some noise in the QB department to try and take that #1 spot from Joe Bauserman. As camps went on, Braxton was moved into the #2 spot, while Bauserman retained that top spot. Since then, things have been quiet with Taylor Graham.

Obviously with the new hire, Graham is looking to take his talents somewhere he will fit the offense better. The redshirt freshman stands at 6'4", 230 lbs and is from the state of Illinois. Taylor's father played quarterback for Ohio State (1990-91) and 11 seasons in pro football. We haven't seen any of Graham in games, other than the Spring game. 

On a side note, as I mentioned above, this also opens up another scholarship for Urban Meyer to use on the recruiting front, and will certainly be put to good use. 

Wherever Taylor happens to end up, we wish him the very best in the future.

Tom Herman Hired By Urban Meyer, Ohio State

Braxton Miller? You're damn right I'm stoked

FootballScoop.com has reported that Urban Meyer and Ohio State has hired Iowa State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tom Herman. Herman is expected to be named the quarterbacks coach at Ohio State. 

Herman is the first outside coach to be hired to Meyer's staff. Meyer announced at his introductory press conference that Luke Fickell, currently the interim coach through the Gator Bowl, when the Buckeyes meet Florida, would be retained at Ohio State in an as a yet undetermined role (We think Co-D-coordinator).

Also, first-year receivers coach Stan Drayton has been retained, though he may switch to coaching running backs. Taver Johnson, OSU's fifth-year cornerbacks coach, will also be retained. Linebackers coach Mike Vrabel's future with the Ohio State program is still under consideration by Meyer.

As for Meyer's new quarterbacks coach, Herman is relatively young (36 years old); He has been Iowa State's offensive coordinator for three years, as he was brought in with Paul Rhoads before the 2009 season. 

Under Herman, the Iowa State offense has scored 20.5, 23.7, and 23.6 points per game in those three years. 

Previously, Herman was the offensive coordinator at Rice for two years, and he spent time as an assistant at two other schools in Texas for the six season prior to that. Herman also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Texas after graduating from college. Meyer is obviously impressed with the job Herman has done running the spread offense during his tenure at ISU, and wants him to be one of the men that are privileged to come in and help develop Braxton Miller and even put some new spins on the offense. 

Keep it here for the latest updates on the coaching staff, recruiting, and everything else Buckeye.

Kenny Guiton Is Now #2 On Depth Chart

Smooth moves

Kenny Guiton has surpassed redshirt senior Joe Bauserman on the depth chart for the spot behind #1 QB Braxton Miller, according to Jim Bollman, who met with the media yesterday. When asked about who is listed as the backup to true freshman starter Braxton Miller, Bollman said it's third-year sophomore Kenny Guiton. Bollman went on to say that Guiton had improved a lot in the "athletic department" and has done a good job working hard in practice, and taking advantage of opportunities.

While this news isn't shocking, it's great to see that Guiton has finally earned his way up to that #2 spot. We always knew that Guiton should have the spot, but the coaches continued to give the nod to Joe Bauserman. Noise for Guiton as the back up reared it's head soon after the Nebraska game, in which the Buckeyes were at a 20 point advantage when Bauserman entered the game in relief of an injured Braxton Miller. Soon after, the Cornhuskers managed to come back, and it was Bauserman's head.

Quarterback Conundrum

Yeah..

Well that wasn’t what we were looking for in the second game of the campaign! Toledo gave the Buckeyes everything they could handle in a 27-22 showdown at the show this past Saturday. Missed opportunities, untimely fumbles and a shaky defense were the culprits that almost finished the OSU season before it could even get to the Big Ten portion of the schedule. Joe Bauserman was the only quarterback that saw action which left many in buckeye nation a little perturbed. Why did Fickell choose to stay with the wily.. err... veteran.. err... old quarterback when he had the Ferrari parked on the sideline? Was it the right move? Could Braxton have done a better job at guiding the offense to a more desirable outcome?

I think it is painfully obvious that our new coach knows that his job is on the line after this season and he will do anything in his power to win games. Unfortunately, his job status may be getting the way of giving our new star quarterback valuable game reps.

Quarterbacks Battle For Starting Job

Bauserman, Miller battle for the QB job

As we close in on the beginning of college football season, it is becoming clear who is going to get the majority of the playing at quarterback for the Buckeyes against Akron.



Through fall practice, it has become a two-horse race with the veteran Joe Bauserman and the freshman phenom Braxton Miller getting nearly all of the first-team snaps. Bauserman will probably get the start against Akron but he and Miller will likely split time with the first team both against the Zips and the following week when Toledo makes the trip to Columbus.

Are The First 5 Games Resting On Braxton Miller's Shoulders?

Ready to take the reins?

Bill Carey may just have a man crush, but does Buckeye Nation need to? My guess would be yes, simply because I think Miller is the guy to get us through the first 5 games of the season. Here's what he had to say about #5:

"If things break right for the Buckeyes, Miller will start the first five games of 2011 and then not see the field again until 2012. But the freshman's play could have a big impact on the national championship chase.

Miller, who was 7-for-12 with one touchdown during Ohio State's spring game, made big strides in the four-way battle to start while Terrelle Pryor serves a five-game suspension for his role in the trophies-for-tattoos scandal that has engulfed the OSU program. If the dual-threat quarterback from Huber Heights, Ohio, gets the nod to take snaps while Pryor is out, he and the Buckeyes will face two major obstacles: Miami in the third game of the season and defending co-conference champion Michigan State in the Big Ten opener. 

The Buckeyes are dreaming big this year, but the season could come down to how Miller plays early. If Pryor returns to a team carrying two losses, he won't be competing for a national title."

While it's important that we realize Joe Bauserman may be the front runner for the starting job, we can always go back to the fact that if Miller shows significant improvement between now and the first game, then Braxton Miller may be the man to lead the charge into the 2011-2012 season. With a stable full of talented running backs, we need strong leadership, and I think Miller can step up to the challenge. 

So, Who's Got That QB Spot?

Props to Guiton for showing why he CAN be #1

Well here we are, almost at the end of Spring Practice and unfortunately as of today there is no real answer to the quarterback question. The most apparent thing is that it is no longer just a three-man race with Bauserman, Guiton, and Miller. Taylor Graham seems to want the job also. If you read the reports and go by Jim Tressel’s track record for starting experienced players (not including benching Boeckman for Pryor) over younger, less experienced players, all signs seem to be pointing towards Bauserman starting the first game of the season. In a recent Saturday scrimmage, it was reported by the Dispatch that Bauserman, Graham, and Miller all had “some” spectacular plays, but Guiton appeared to struggle. 

Later in the same article, it stated that during a weekday practice Guiton performed the best. Tressel’s response to questions regarding the #1 quarterback: “We don’t have a game tomorrow, so we don’t have to make the decision.” Frankly, that is not inspiring. I know it is only spring practice, and there is a long way until both summer camps, and the opening of the season, but I was hoping for a little more surety or confidence on the quarterback front. 

My Thoughts On The Quarterback Debate

Seldom has the QB situation at Ohio State been this muddled. In previous years, the Buckeyes have come in with an established play caller behind center. This year would have been no different as senior-to-be and Heisman hopeful Terrell Pryor was scheduled to come back and lead the Buckeyes on another National Title run. However, a wrench was thrown into things with Pryor’s 5 game suspension. So now the big question is: Who gets the start? 

Well, the easy choice would be to start the player with the most experience - and that would be Joe Bauserman. Of all the returning players, outside of Pryor, Bauserman has the most experience. Over his last 3 years at OSU, he has 25 completions for 320 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, and has been sacked 5 times. Most of those stats came when Bauserman was in “mop-up” duty last season, or when Pryor suffered minor injuries. Those stats are not inspiring. Two of the last three successful quarterbacks at OSU - Troy Smith and Pryor - have been mobile. They have made plays happen when nothing has been available. That being said, in my opinion, Bauserman, while more athletic than most people think, does not have the “escapability” that is quickly becoming necessary to succeed in major college football.

Braxton is ours.

Ready for some action.

Buckeye fans can start smiling. Already coming off a Rose Bowl win, and some recruiting losses, fans were iffy about how the recruiting process would go in 2011. Well, the Buckeyes started out great as they land the number 1 quarterback prospect according to ESPN, and they should have more recruits following behind him. Miller is 6'2'', 200 pounds and is a dual threat quarterback like Pryor. They say Braxton has a better knack for throwing coming in then Pryor did, and that will help in the long run. My prediction is that Pryor stays his senior year and Miller will take a redshirt for that season. Then he can grasp the ropes and learn more about the offense and how it runs during game time. There will be challenges, though. Cardale Jones, another dual threat QB from Glenville, is very similar to Miller, although uses more of his legs, has Ohio State's recruiting staff wondering if they should pick him up. Of course, we all know about the uprising of Kenny Guiton and Taylor Graham is still in the mix as well.

Hopefully the rest of the hold out recruits will come flying in, and it should make for a great 2011 season, recruiting wise. Miller shows his immediate support of the Buckeyes below. Keep it here for more info, and we will try and get a video up as well.

For those of you who haven't seen Miller play, here's some film for your viewing pleasure.

Spring Finals: Quarterback

We all know by now that spring has come and gone, football wise that is, so we will be taking a look into all the positions, tell you how they did, and where they might be this fall. Today, we start with the Quarterback.