COLUMBUS: Ohio State’s 25-man Class of 2016 announced on national signing day Wednesday included only one area player in Walsh Jesuit offensive lineman Jack Wohlabaugh. But the Buckeyes could have a decidedly local flavor next season.
OSU coach Urban Meyer identified four returning players from area high schools who will have a chance to start in 2016.
Speaking on his radio call-in show on 97.1 The Fan, Meyer said Bri’onte Dunn, a GlenOak product who will be a fifth-year senior, will compete with sophomore Mike Weber, junior Curtis Samuel and senior Dontre Wilson for the starting running back spot vacated by Ezekiel Elliott.
Meyer said Wilson, 5-foot-10, has bulked up to nearly 200 pounds.
Corey Smith, a Buchtel High School graduate, was granted a sixth year of eligibility after breaking his leg in the fifth game last season. He is slated to start at wide receiver opposite Noah Brown.
Sophomore Denzel Ward from Nordonia is expected to start at cornerback opposite Gareon Conley, and junior Dante Booker of St. Vincent-St. Mary is scheduled to be the weak-side linebacker, Meyer said.
Cornerbacks coach/special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs said Ward’s speed is his greatest attribute.
“He’s gotten a lot stronger already,” Coombs said. “He played well on special teams in critical situations [in 2015]. He was on all four running teams, didn’t get enough corner experience.”
Although he said the staff is excited about Ward, Coombs expects a battle for that spot.
Passing game
Meyer confirmed Smith was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA and will play if he “takes care of business, which he will,” presumably in reference to Smith’s grades.
Lost to injury in Game 5 against Indiana, Smith finished the season with five receptions for 62 yards. He was also valuable on special teams as a gunner.
Smith starred at Buchtel before moving on to East Mississippi Community College. In his first season at Ohio State in 2014 he caught 20 passes for 255 yards.
Parris Campbell of St. Vincent-St. Mary, Samuel and Wilson and tight end Marcus Baugh will also factor into the passing game. Receivers among the Class of 2016 are Austin Mack, a product of Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop Luers rated by 247Sports as the nation’s 76th best overall, and Binjimen Victor of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Coconut Creek.
Wohlabaugh might sit
Meyer said Wohlabaugh, the son of former Browns center Dave Wohlabaugh, isn’t likely to play as a freshman.
Meyer said he and his staff rarely count on freshman offensive linemen. The coach also noted that Pat Elflein bypassed the NFL Draft to move from right guard to center. Meyer said the Buckeyes have good depth on the offensive line despite losing left tackle Taylor Decker, center Jacoby Boren and right tackle Chase Farris, all seniors. Left guard Billy Price will also be a leader on the line.
But new offensive line coach Greg Studrawa, hired last month after handling the same position the last two seasons at Maryland and holding the same job under Meyer at Bowling Green, said he’s excited to coach Wohlabaugh.
“I saw him on high school film. I’ve never seen a guy play with such passion and finish and effort. He’s trying to absolutely just gore people and that’s rare,” said Studrawa, a Fostoria native and Bowling Green graduate. “I saw that when I was recruiting him, we had him over in camp. I know what he’s about. There’s a kid who absolutely loves to play the game.
“Maybe he’s a center, maybe he’s a guard, but he has potential. He played hockey, that just shows you what a great athlete the kid was.”
Meet ‘the monster’
Meyer said Elflein went to dinner Friday night with junior college offensive lineman Malcolm Pridgeon of Nassau (N.Y.) Community College.
“He didn’t have to do that, usually that ship has sailed by the time they’re seniors,” Meyer said of Elflein. “That’s how unselfish these guys are.”
Pridgeon, 6-foot-8 and 325 pounds, was also being lured by Baylor, Florida, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Louisville, Nebraska, Pittsburgh and Rutgers.
“The big monster, Malcolm, that was all Ed Warinner,” Meyer said on 97.1 of the offensive coordinator. “I didn’t know we were going to take a JC offensive lineman, I wasn’t sure we were going to have room. Then he came on his visit and there was no doubt he was a Buckeye. He fit right in with everybody.
Pridgeon plans to major in culinary arts. Studrawa said Pridgeon told him he made chicken alfredo last night.
“I told him to bring some sometime,” Studrawa said.
Other stuff
Meyer said defensive ends Nick Bosa and Jonathan Cooper and cornerback Jordan Fuller are those among the class of 25 he expects to get the most playing time this season. Overall he’s looking for 18 of the 25 to contribute. ... Seventeen of the 25 didn’t take another visit after November. ... Meyer said Joe Burrow will be the backup behind quarterback J.T. Barrett. ... Coombs on who he likes in the Super Bowl 50 matchup of ex-Buckeyes cornerback Bradley Roby of the Denver Broncos and receiver Philly Brown of the Carolina Panthers: “Oh, come on, Philly won’t catch a ball.” Asked if that was on the record, Coombs said he would go text Brown the same comment immediately. ... Meyer called outside linebacker Keandre Jones of Olney (Md.) Good Counsel a “jewel” and predicted he would be a future OSU captain. ... The only glitch on what Meyer called an “uneventful” signing day was when the fax machine briefly ran out of paper. ... Meyer said “just to make dinner taste good” Tuesday he watched a highlight film of Fuller, Jones and quarterback Dwayne Haskins of Potomac, Md., with defensive coordinator Luke Fickell, defensive line coach Larry Johnson and Studrawa.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.