Rise And Shine—Two Players Who Increased Their Stock During Ohio State's Fall Camp

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

In less than two weeks—12 days, to be exact—the Ohio State Buckeyes and first-year head coach Urban Meyer and his hand-selected Dream Team coaching staff will take the field to kickoff the highly-anticipated 2012 football season.

It seems Meyer came in already excited and impressed by some players, such as Braxton Miller, Devin Smith and John Simon, but a few others whose long-term futures as Buckeyes weren't always so clear have since also caught his attention in a positive way during camp.

If you've been watching ESPN's All-Access: Ohio State Football, you may have noticed a few of these previously under-the-radar, or in-the-doghouse players who have done a 180 and made a positive impression on Meyer and his staff.

For me, there are two guys who are the epitome of this. The first is sophomore receiver Tyrone (formerly T.Y.) Williams.

At 6-6, 230, Williams is literally a huge target. Physically, he has undoubtedly been blessed with the "tools" of the trade. The problem for Williams has been the mental part of the game. It's hard going from the superstar WR in HS to a backup (at least up until now) in college.

In limited action last year, Williams seemed to buckle under the pressure rather than rise to the occasion. If you play receiver and you drop more balls than you catch, the odds are stacked against you when it comes to seeing the field.


Frustrated by his lack of playing time, Williams posted a tweet questioning the teams' lack of appreciation and/or commitment to him. I remember it saying something to the effect of, "If they don't want a 6-6 receiver here, maybe I need to go somewhere they do want me..."

That's me paraphrasing from my memory and not an exact quote by any means, but you get the gist. Williams was unhappy and when Urban Meyer was hired last November, I thought for sure he was a goner.

He seems to be a new man these days under Meyer. Perhaps he is going to return to being the star player he was at Shaw HS just a few short years ago. That would be a win-win for both Williams and Ohio State.

I am not exaggerating when I say he was a fantastic HS player, and him landing a scholarship with Ohio State was no accident.

See for yourself.



Sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller could very-well-be the 2012 Big Ten Offensive POY or at the very least, a strong contender as he comes into his own this season.

Knowing that, and with coach Meyer looking for playmakers at wide receiver to WOW him, Williams' time to step up and make a positive impact on this team and to forever change the course of his (previously?) fledgling Buckeye career is right now.

Just in case you haven't been watching, here's a clip from the Ohio State Training Days series. You've been missing out!



The other player who has really stood out over the last two weeks is junior tailback Carlos Hyde. As far as being under-the-radar or in-the-doghouse, Hyde was a little of both. Regardless, I've personally been a fan of Hyde's since his commitment and BlockONation.com interview back in 2009.

Last season, then-sophomore Hyde showed that he has the potential to be a very dependable and capable running back, despite being Jordan Hall's backup.

He wasn't always utilized as often as many Buckeye fans (myself included) wanted him to be and it may have had something to do with his work ethic and attitude. His playing time diminished even further when senior Dan Herron came off of suspension.

At one point during the 2011 season, he too posted a tweet that reflected a broken man who was considering giving up.

Maybe it was a bad attitude, or laziness, or something else all-together that cost Hyde carries and had him pondering—however so briefly—the end to his his time as a Buckeye, but those days seem to be well behind Hyde on the eve of the 2012 campaign.

With Hall still at least 4-6 weeks away from a full recovery after undergoing off-season foot surgery, Hyde is the No. 1 back right now, and regardless of when Hall returns, Hyde can solidify his standing as such if the effort he has displayed in camp continues through the first month or so of the season.

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@BlockONation


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Conjecture, Video Evidence Suggest Ohio State's Passing Game Will Improve Tremendously in 2012

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

I read an article yesterday about Ohio State sophomore QB, Braxton Miller, which more or less said Miller will flourish in 2012 in Urban Meyer's offense, a fact that most experts and fans would seem to agree on.

There are still doubters out there, however. I read several comments that referred to Miller as overrated, and a plethora of others that implied Ohio State has no WRs for Miller to throw to.

While they aren't exactly nationwide household names yet, to say the Buckeyes have no talented WRs simply isn't true.

Having said that, it still seems that this is a common opinion shared by many outside of the Ohio State family and program. We can call it a basic lack of knowledge about this team and roster, or perhaps a bit of hate from fans of rival teams, or even just plain idiocy. Honestly, it's probably a concoction of all three, and I believe Urban Meyer wants it and likes it that way.

Coach Meyer has repeatedly said that WR is the weakest position on the roster and his biggest area of concern. Meyer is a master of hyperbole, and everyone drinking the "lack of talent at the WR position is alarming" Kool-aid are in for quite a shock come September. Miller and OSU's passing game is a bit of an afterthought to many, and that's just fine.

These opinions are based on past performance, and when taking that into consideration, they are hard to argue against based on the miserable ranking — 115th in passing in the nation — the Buckeyes had as a team last year.

There are a couple things to also remember about last year.

1. Braxton Miller's QB coach was previously Ohio State's video coordinator, and during games, he was not on the field coaching his true-freshman QB, but up in the coaches booth instead.

2. Jim Bollman was OSU's offensive coordinator, and kept the remnants of Tresselball on life-support all season long.

3. The entire staff was one and done, and they knew it, and it showed on the field. They gave up on coaching the players, and the season was obviously a huge disappointment — but those days are over.

Below are a few video highlights to help bolster the claims I have made above.

(I didn't find any recent, individual highlight videos of Corey "Philly" Brown, Chris Fields, or Verlon Reed, but all three are in the two-deep mix at WR for Ohio State this season.)

Braxton Miller 2011 Highlights


Braxton Miller to Devin Smith vs. Wisconsin


Braxton Miller to Evan Spencer: Amazing One-Handed Grab vs. Akron


Senior TE Jake Stoneburner: A WR in a TE Body


Sophmore WR Tyrone Williams:
HS Stud, College Dud? The Verdict Should Come Soon


Incoming Freshman WR Michael Thomas: Spring Game MVP


Incoming Freshman WR Frank Epitropoulos


Incoming Freshman WR Ricquan Southward


2012 Spring Game Highlights


I'm certain the Buckeyes cannot wait to prove that last years passing and receiving stats — some of the lowest totals ever recorded during a single season at Ohio State — were a complete fluke.

With the new offense the Buckeyes will be running under Meyer — and taking into account the great staff that Meyer has assembled — I fully expect Miller and his young but talented WRs — both upperclassmen and conceivably one or two incoming freshmen — to elevate OSU's aerial attack towards elite status in 2012.

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@BlockONation

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Ohio State Class of 2011 Recruiting Update

Here is the current, up-to-date list of recruits that have verbally committed to play for Ohio State starting in 2011.

The class size is expected to be right around 20, and with 15 recruits already on board, there are precious few spots left.

Coach Tressel and his staff have once again assembled a talented and highly-rated ensemble, headlined by top QB Braxton Miller (pictured at right), that should easily push this class into the nations' top five when the final rankings are released, after NSD arrives next February.





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Screen image of recruiting class via Scout.com

With NSD Looming, Ohio State Looks To Add Icing To Their 2010 Recruiting Class Cake

by HD Handshoe
Founder—Block-O-Nation



Five months ago, Ohio State had 11 players already committed to their 2010 recruiting class.

As of now, that number sits at 16, with as many as four to six slots still open before this class is full.

The Buckeyes are still hoping to land the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation, offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson, as well as top linebacker Jordan Hicks, among a few others currently not committed elsewhere, including o-lineman Matt James and safety Christian Bryant.

If the Buckeyes somehow find a way to land at least two, if not all four, of those kids, they could crack the top 10, and likely the top five if they do land all four.

As we enter the final stretch leading up to national signing day on February 3, here is the current list of OSU commits for 2010 (listed in order of star-rating via Rivals.com from top to bottom), and a link to their respective Rivals.com recruiting profiles.


4-Stars Corey Brown—ATH/WR

4-Stars Andrew Norwell—OL

4-Stars Rodrick Smith—RB

4-Stars Taylor Graham—QB

4-Stars Carlos Hyde—RB (pictured above)

4-Stars James Louis—WR

4-Stars Jamel Turner—DE

3-StarsDarryl Baldwin—DE

3-Stars Tyrone Williams—WR

3-Stars David Durham—DE/LB

3-Stars Scott McVey—LB

3-Stars J.T. Moore—DE

3-Stars Chad Hagan—LB/S

3-Stars Johnathon Hankins—DT

3-Stars Verlon Reed—QB/S

2-Stars Drew Basil—K


For what it's worth, WR Tyrone Williams would likely be at least a 4-star recruit on both websites, had he not suffered a serious knee injury during his junior year (2008).

Also of note, Rivals has Ohio State's current class for 2010 ranked at No. 24, while Scout.com has the Buckeyes at No. 19.

Scout also has every OSU recruit listed as either a 3-star, 4-star, or 5-star caliber player, so depending on which site you prefer, OSU has fives, fours, and threes, or fours, threes, and a two, and is in the top 20 for now, or barely in the top 25.

No matter how you slice it, you can count on the Buckeyes adding a few more quality ingredients to their 2010 "cake" before they finish it off.



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12th Man: Shaw Wide Receiver Tyrone Williams Verbally Commits to Ohio State

Posted by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation


Imagine 6-6 quarterback Terrelle Pryor throwing lob passes to 6-7 wideout Tyrone Williams in the back of the Ohio State end zone. Buckeyes fans can begin the fantasy now.

"He's the best quarterback I've ever seen in college and he's really fast, too," Williams said. "I looking forward to catching balls from him."

Williams, a 6-7, 215-pound wide receiver at Shaw High School in East Cleveland, made an oral commitment to Ohio State on Saturday, becoming the 12th member of the 2010 Buckeye recruiting class.

Williams is big, strong, fast and still growing.

He has grown almost two inches and put on more than 15 pounds since the start of last season. He said he could reach 6-9. He is taller than any wideout playing at or committed to OSU. Shaw coach Rodney Brown said Ohio State coaches promised not to make Williams a tight end.

"When we bumped into (Pryor), the size difference was amazing," Brown said. "Tyrone is bigger than I realized when he stood next to Terrelle. It should be a great combination."

Williams also considered offers from Akron, Cincinnati, Kansas, Michigan State and West Virginia. He is rated a four-star recruit (out of five) by recruiting Web sites scout.com and rivals.com. Scout ranks Williams as the 33rd best wide receiver in the nation and the 15th best senior overall in Ohio. Rivals ranks him 44th among receivers and 14th overall in Ohio. Williams is the No. 3 ranked player in The Plain Dealer preseason Top 40.

Cincinnati was the only other school he visited. Williams called OSU coach Jim Tressel early Saturday afternoon.

"The coaching staff is very embracing,'' Brown said. "T.Y. is a home-state boy and it's the best choice for him. He could have visited other schools. He wants to a Buckeye."


(Article continues below the video)

Tyrone Williams Highlights


Williams, who is reserved and polite, said he struck up a good rapport with Tressel and assistant coaches Taver Johnson and Darrell Hazel. He said once he set foot in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, it was a done deal.

"From the first time I saw the original stadium, I knew I would like to play on that field," he said.

Williams had surgery last October to repair a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament. Prior to the injury, he caught 11 passes for 402 yards (36.5-yard average) and 11 touchdowns in five games. He missed basketball and indoor track seasons while recuperating, but returned for outdoor track and did well. Brown said Williams ran the 200 meters in 22.8 seconds and a 47.6-second split in the 4x400-yard relay. He has been timed in the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds.

"My knee is 110 percent," Williams said.

Williams caught five passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in a tie against Warren Harding on Friday. He said he plans to play basketball this winter and run track in the spring.

Williams, who turned 17 in May, grew up playing basketball and played football in eighth, 10th and 11th grades, but missed half of his junior year.

"I met him in the eighth grade and he had a choppy stride and great turnover, which is very rare for a tall kid," Brown said. "He's never been clumsy. He was bashful and shy when he was younger."

Brown said Williams still has to qualify academically.

"Tyrone has some work to do in the classroom, but last year he had all A's, B's and one C," Brown said.


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Original article written by Tim Warsinskey of the Cleveland Plain Dealer