Thursday, August 7, 2014

Which Buckeye Will Be Missed The Most in 2014?



The Ohio State Buckeyes will begin the 2014 football season with a vastly different team than in years past.  11 Buckeye starters are now gone, either playing in the NFL or taking part in other endeavors.  While it still remains to be seen if the Buckeyes are fully capable of overcoming such enormous turnover to their roster, there is simply no hiding the fact that they will sorely miss many of their talented players.

With some being easier to replace than others, here’s a look at who the Buckeyes will have the hardest time replacing and who they’ll miss the most in 2014.

Carlos Hyde 

Arguably the most beloved player on the whole Buckeye squad last season, senior running back Carlos Hyde proved himself a tough act to follow.  

After an early season suspension caused him to miss the first three games of the season, Hyde ran rampant through opposing defenses, averaging over seven yards per carry and totaling over 1,500 yards in just 11 games.  He also became head coach Urban Meyer’s very first 1,000 yard back, a staggering feat considering Meyer’s coaching resume of 13 years.

Hyde (34) ran for over 1,500 yards in 2013.
Hyde left for the NFL Draft at seasons end and was picked in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers.

Starting the season as Hyde’s replacement will be sophomore Ezekiel Elliot.  He saw a fair amount of the field last year, mustering up several total touchdowns to go with over 260 rushing yards on only 30 attempts.  Elliot has the unique combination of size, speed and power that give him the best chance of adequately replacing Hyde.

Behind the incumbent back is a three way battle between Rod Smith, Curtis Samuel and Bri'onte Dunn, all of which are fully capable of pushing Elliot for playing time.

Jack Mewhort 

A stalwart on the Buckeye offensive line for many years, Jack Mewhort started 38 out of 49 career games during his tenure at Ohio State.  Starring at both left and right tackle, as well as left guard, the versatile offensive lineman was a great leader on and off the football field, earning him the title of captain on offense last year.  

Meyer commented last season on Mewhort saying “He’s one of my all-time favorite players I’ve been around. He’s playing at an extremely high level, but that’s just part of it... He has the incredible respect from the strength staff, the coaching staff and the players…”

Mewhort was taken by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the NFL Draft after spending four long years at Ohio State. 

With junior Taylor Decker moving from right to left tackle, that makes fifth-year senior Darryl Baldwin the prime candidate to take over for Mewhort.  Baldwin has been used sparingly during his time at Ohio State but should start the season at right tackle.  

Ryan Shazier 

Leading tackler and 2013 All-American linebacker Ryan Shazier will not be featured in an Ohio State uniform this upcoming season, a rare sight for Buckeye fans and the college football world as a whole.  

Shazier was an absolute beast during his three years at Ohio State, racking up 317 total tackles with nearly 50 of those being tackles for a loss.  Last season was his best, again leading the Buckeyes in tackles totaling 143, 59 more than second leading tackler safety C.J. Barnett. 

Shazier (2) had his finest defensive seasons in 2013.
Shazier would forgo his senior year, however, and enter the NFL Draft where he was ultimately selected in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Returning starter junior Joshua Perry slides over to fill the vacancy left by Shazier, thus giving him more chances to make plays on defense.  

Sophomore Darron Lee is projected to plug the hole where Perry used to be and has fellow teammates raving about his offseason play and star potential.  

“I think it is laid out for him to have a big year” tight end Jeff Heuerman said

“He’s going to play a key position in our defense. He is a great kid, a great athlete and he has worked his tail off during this offseason.”

Between Perry and Lee, the two linebackers will together try to fill the massive shoes of the departed Shazier.

Sleeper: Kenny Guiton

Backup, yes BACKUP, quarterback Kenny Guiton was surprisingly instrumental to the Buckeyes’ success in 2013.
    
When starting quarterback Braxton Miller got injured in Week Two, Guiton was given the reigns to the Buckeyes’ high octane offense.  The best offense in the country didn’t miss a beat under Guiton and he flourished, throwing for almost 650 yards over the course of three games, breaking records along the way. 

Given Miller’s injury history, it is somewhat of a blow to lose a player of Guiton’s caliber.  The Buckeyes will have to bank on Miller being healthy throughout the whole season, something he’s never really done, if they want to return to the Big Ten championship game.


Remember, Guiton was also the same quarterback two years ago that famously preserved the Buckeyes’ perfect season in the waning moments of the game against the Purdue Boilermakers.  

                                 

Sophomore Cardale Jones will be Miller’s backup this year.

There’s no denying that Ohio State lost a boatload of talent in the offseason, and in an improved Big Ten Conference, they will find it even more difficult to replace players such as Hyde or Shazier.  

Yet, the Buckeyes are one of the only programs in all of college football that have proven that they never truly rebuild, but reload year after year.  For a team that has went 24-2 over the past two years, hopefully Meyer and the Buckeyes will be able to adjust to the changes quickly.  


Vote HERE for who you think the Buckeyes will miss the most in 2014.