Talking About Ohio State 2014 Walk Ons

Florida Gators football head coach Urban Meyer talks about quarterback Tim Tebow's commitment to service during the national championship football team's visit to the White House. Screenshot of a White House video. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Approaching the conclusion of the 2013 season, Ohio State competed against FBS schools with just 55 scholarship players. That is 30 fewer than what is allotted to major college program schools. On a travel roster 70 players are included. This shows the Ohio State roster could not have been filled with scholarship players and when they played Florida A&M shockingly the Rattlers actually in terms of scholarships had more resources.

Many questioned why head coach, Urban Meyer was so aggressive on having depth and bodies. He displayed no discrimination in terms of NCAA sanctions, injuries, redshirts and transfers.

Because of violations committed when Jim Tressel was in charge, there is for Ohio State a limitation of 3 scholarships to 82 for another extra season. To help prevent the roster from stockpiling Meyer is refusing to over sign. Thus, when over a four year period a transfer of 24 players was done, in terms of depth for the Buckeyes there was little left. There are 93 players on the entire roster including Ohio State walk-ons. 45 are underclassmen and 67 have scholarships.

A free pass should not be afforded by coaches on a roster so thin. In 2013, a group campaigning locally opposed to redshirting forced the decision to sit 19 players.Coach Meyer vowed not to let this happen again. Seven walk ons will take part in spring drills and in August another 16 will join the team. Ohio State in spring practice will have 67 scholarship players participating and in August that number grows to 82.

Braxton Miller has undergone shoulder surgery. At quarterback there will be a good competition going on. The starter Cardale Jones is not being looked on as the long term solution. The first quarterback signed by Coach Tom Herman was J.T. Barret and the expected idea is for him to spend a year as the understudy to Miller and eventually front a Meyer-Herman offensive. 

The other good news is that running back is shaping up a deep position which works out well when replacing a 1500 yard runner.