Ohio State training news

• imex99

  

  #OhioState freshman DL Joel Hale (R) beats John Simon in drill this morning:
  
  
  http://www.twitvid.com/R5QXS
  
  Sent from my Sprint HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk
• imex99

  

  And then Hale beats Simon in the rematch as well. #OhioState #Buckeyes
  
  
  
  http://www.twitvid.com/TT9OE
  
  Sent from my Sprint HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk
• imex99

  

  Biggest Beast of the 6am workout?
  
  
  http://forums.the-ozone.net/messages/925703.html
  
  
  
  Has to be freshman Joe Hale. The kid should be a senior in high school right now and absolutely dominated both John Simon and Nate Williams in the "band war" drill, which Lichter called his favorite drill.
  
  
  For those not familiar with the drill, two guys enter a circle and they are banded together. One guy has to drag the other guy out of the circle using brute strength.
  
  
  Hale worked Simon twice, went and puked in the trash can then rallied to beat Nate Williams. It was impressive.
  
  
  BTW, Hale talked about possibly staying at defensive end, but there is no way he isn't going to be a tackle. Looks like a tackle right now and hasn't been in OSU's strength program for more than a couple months.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sent from my Sprint HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk
• thedynasty1998

  

  Dude makes Simon look small. I would love for OSU to find two dominant DT's, and I think they may have one in Hankins. Put Hankins next to this kid and they cause teams so many problems.
• sleeper

  

  Wow. I didn't think anyone in the country was stronger than Simon, much less having that guy on the same team.
  
  I guess its really no surprise. This is THE premier athletic(and academic) institution in America and I expect nothing less than winning big games, conference championships, and National Championships.
• Quint

  

  imex99;701864 wrote:Biggest Beast of the 6am workout?
  
  
  http://forums.the-ozone.net/messages/925703.html
  
  
  
  Has to be freshman Joe Hale. The kid should be a senior in high school right now and absolutely dominated both John Simon and Nate Williams in the "band war" drill, which Lichter called his favorite drill.
  
  
  For those not familiar with the drill, two guys enter a circle and they are banded together. One guy has to drag the other guy out of the circle using brute strength.
  
  
  Hale worked Simon twice, went and puked in the trash can then rallied to beat Nate Williams. It was impressive.
  
  
  BTW, Hale talked about possibly staying at defensive end, but there is no way he isn't going to be a tackle. Looks like a tackle right now and hasn't been in OSU's strength program for more than a couple months.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sent from my Sprint HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk

  
  That's freaking awesome.
• imex99

  

  http://a.yfrog.com/img618/8607/msipj.jpg
  
  #OhioState OT Mike Adams at today's 6 a.m. workout:
  
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• imex99

  

  http://blog.dispatch.com/buckeyesblog/
  
  March 7, 2011
  Working hard? Hale, yes!
  There's nothing like putting in 2 hours of work before 8 a.m., eh?
  The Ohio State football team is doing that these days, and reporters were invited in this morning for a peek. So, with a large Starbucks in hand (yes, I speak English, not Grande-Venti-whateveri), off I went.
  Here are some observations:
  -- First things first: QB Terrelle Pryor is still in a walking boot on the right foot that he injured in the Sugar Bowl. He had surgery on it shortly afterward. He has indicated he will be limited to individual drills in spring practice, and I can certainly believe that, considering spring ball starts in 24 days.
  -- The other notable walking wounded: CB Corey Brown, who had knee surgery in October, and DT Jonathan Hankins, who had knee surgery after the bowl game to remove an infected bursa sac. Normally, that's minor surgery, but apparently, everything on "Big Hank" is big, including the bursa sac. Still, he is expected to participate in spring ball.
  -- Safeties C.J. Barnett and Tyler Moeller both were full go in workouts, Barnett coming off knee surgery and Moeller off surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle.
  -- It's always a bit of a jolt, the first time you see the new team, how many strange faces there are. With no jerseys and numbers to identify, I spent much of the time saying things like, "Now is that Bradley Roby or Dionte Allen?"
  -- The receiver position clearly will be young and inexperienced, particularly with DeVier Posey out for awhile under NCAA suspension. Chris Fields is going to have to step up, big-time. T.Y. Williams certainly looks the part -- he looks more like a basketball player.
  -- The offensive linemen as a group looked to be in good shape, particularly Mike Brewster and J.B. Shugarts. I saw walk-on Ivan Blackman for the first time -- he looks more like a defensive tackle -- shorter and incredibly compact.
  -- Finally, it was fun to watch the defensive linemen. John Simon is an absolute beast in workouts. You can tell he is truly in his element. So it was a shock to hear this story from another reporter there (I didn't see this, it's a big facility and you can't be everywhere at once)....it's a drill in which two players play tug-of-war, basically, with what look like very large rubber bands. Freshman Joel Hale challenged Simon and beat him twice, which is pretty amazing.
  Moments later, though, Hale was bent over a trash can, retching loudly. Hey, coaches always say to leave it all out on the field, right?
  Look for a story in tomorrow's Dispatch from my colleague, Tim May. The next media event is pro day on Friday. I'll be there.
  
  
  Sent from my Sprint HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk
• se-alum

  

  Sounds like there's a good chance Hale will be in the 2-deep this spring.
• stroups

  

  I don't imagine Simon is the type of person that would take losing like that well
• thedynasty1998

  

  imex99;701974 wrote:http://a.yfrog.com/img618/8607/msipj.jpg
  
  #OhioState OT Mike Adams at today's 6 a.m. workout:
  
  Sent from my Sprint HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk

  Not sure how the suspension will affect Adams, but I really think he could work himself into a 1st round pick in the NFL draft next year if he's fully committed to getting better.
• Scarlet_Buckeye

  

  Boy do I love hearing how impressive hale looks. Let's hope that this continues into Fall when they put on the pads. Too often guys look like All-Americans in shorts & helmets and never quite transition their "game" over into the pads.
  
  I'm REALLY looking forward to watching young Hale [and Hankins]. I hope these two can be the DT studs we've been lacking for the past couple seasons.
• OneBuckeye

  

  Rod Smith looks like a DE not a RB. Yikes! Good to hear Berry and Hall are looking great as well.
• OneBuckeye

  

  http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=13746
  

  Returning From Injury
  C.J. Barnett had a wrap on his knee but otherwise appeared to be a full participant in all of the drills.
  
  Tyler Moeller was a full participant in all of the drills and didn’t appear to be wearing any medical equipment of any type. Lichter did note that he is still limited in many upper body lifting exercises, particularly anything involving heavy pushing. He did fully participate in the rope drills, however, which involved swinging heavy ropes in front of your body.
  
  Position Notes
  
  Quarterbacks
  I was not able to get a good look at the QBs in any of the drills… and unfortunately I didn’t even catch if Braxton Miller was a participant or not (he is enrolled so I highly doubt he wasn’t there, despite me not seeing him).
  
  Given that there weren’t any passing drills, or even footballs involved this morning, I hope that you can forgive me for my lack of quarterback observations. I know, I know, it will be the position battle this spring. I am sure one of them ran through drills better than the rest and I missed it.
  
  My bad.
  
  Running Backs
  Basically the entire group stood out (with two notable exceptions which I will get to in a second).
  
  I was very impressed by Jordan Hall in all of the drills I witnessed. He looked to be giving maximum effort on every rep. No one worked harder than him this morning.
  
  Hall and Berry are very clearly the quickest running backs on the team, with Hall being just a hair quicker through the drills in my opinion. It looks like Hall is highly motivated this off-season and is in the process of putting in the work needed to earn some extra carries.
  
  Hall stood out, but Berry was not far behind… if he was behind at all. As mentioned, Hall and Berry are both lightning quick and went head-to-head in most of the drills. They push each other which will benefit them both.
  
  Berry has clearly packed on some muscle since he first stepped on campus, but it doesn’t seem like he has lost anything quickness-wise.
  
  The competition between Hall and Berry will be something to watch. The best part: in the end everyone wins. They were two of the most impressive players in all of the drills, they are pushing each other, and they will both get better because of it.
  
  Herron also stood out. He is not far behind in terms of quickness and you can just tell that he packs a lot of power in his stride. Herron was the vocal leader of the running backs, and it looks like the off-field trouble has not slowed him down one bit in terms of conditioning and preparation for the season.
  
  Roderick Smith didn’t stand out so much in terms of the drills, but he is top 5 on the team when it comes to the “look test” without question. Based on the reports from bowl practice and the “look test” this winter, it may be hard to keep him off the field.
  
  Smith is noticeably taller than the rest of the running backs, and is also one of the “biggest” without carrying around an ounce of extra weight.
  
  Carlos Hyde looked to be a bit out of shape and a step slow through most of the drills. He may have “lost his cookies” at the end of practice, but it was across the field and I can’t confirm that it was him for sure.
  
  Zach Boren also looks in need of the conditioning drills.
  
  Receivers
  It was difficult to take much away from the WRs given that they are extremely quick and agile athletes who all did well in the drills that I saw. I did make the following (not exactly groundbreaking) observation which I can share.
  
  T.Y. Williams is at least a head taller than any of the other receivers and is very impressive physically (groundbreaking news that can be gathered from the official roster, I know). If he has the skills to go with his height he could do some very special things.
  
  Tight Ends
  Reid Fragel stood out physically. He has packed on muscle and is probably the tallest player on the team. I felt bad for him during the drill were players had to go through obstacles while staying low under a metal frame. He also had the bad luck of getting the jump rope (which was more like a garden hose) that 5’10″ Philly Brown complained was too short to use.
  
  Jeff Heuerman, one of the freshman early enrollees, was also impressive. He fit right in physically and if you didn’t know you would think he has been in the strength and conditioning program for years. He was another player that impressed me with his consistent effort in all of the drills.
  
  Offensive Line
  Mike Brewster was signaled out as a leader of the team by Lichter and in my opinion is a sure fire captain. Brewster, plus Adams and Shugarts, will make for a well led offensive line this year.
  
  The entire group was impressive from a physical stand point, with Brewster and Adams standing out the most.
  
  Jack Mewhort also stood out physically and from an effort standpoint. He was right with Jordan Hall as the players I noticed working the hardest. He will push for playing time this season.
  
  Marcus Hall appears to have lost weight (not in a bad way).
  
  Defensive Line
  Nathan Williams and Solomon Thomas were the clear leaders of the defensive line, they went first through most of the drills. Thomas was more vocal and Williams led by example.
  
  It goes without saying that John Simon is an absolute beast. Nathan Williams is too.
  
  The biggest surprise to me on the D-Line was David Durham. He was right behind Williams and Thomas through the drills and has probably made the most significant strides physically of anyone on the team. He was another “look test” award winner.
  
  I wouldn’t be surprised to see Durham on the field this season, particularly early during Thomas’ suspension.
  
  Joel Hale was a player that struggled through some of the conditioning drills (although others noted that he dominated in some of the physical drills). He had the most notable trip to a trash can of the morning (longest and loudest). Lichter signaled him out (along with the rest of the freshman) as players that have stood out to him, but Hale can clearly use some more work conditioning wise.
  
  Daryl Baldwin also looked like he needed a little extra work in the conditioning department.
  
  Linebackers
  I thought the linebackers were one of the most impressive groups as a whole, but I may be biased on that one.
  
  Tony Jackson and an unknown player (most likely a walk-on upperclassman) led through most of the drills with Bell and Sabino right behind.
  
  Bell was the most impressive LB in my opinion. He was very quick through the drills and has added bulk. It is unfortunate that he is facing a suspension for team rules violations because he was a stand-out today and looks to be a future star.
  
  Jackson is a former walk-on who I pegged as unlikely to crack the starting line-up. In terms of size and quickness, however, he was right behind Bell as one of the most impressive LBs on the team. I was pleasantly surprised.
  
  Sabino and Newsome are both cut from the same mold physically. They are taller and not as bulky as the other LBs, but are still well put together. This may be a reach (obviously coaches don’t go by physicality alone), but due to their similarities I wouldn’t be surprised to see them as a 1-2 punch on the strong side… if that is what the coaches are looking for over there.
  
  Storm Klein was impressive from a physical standpoint and Jordan Whiting gave maximum effort through all of the drills.
  
  Scott McVey was only using his left arm in certain drills (most notably the rope swinging one), meaning his right shoulder is still an issue for him.
  
  I didn’t notice Andrew Sweat during any of the drills, but saw him after practice. I’m not sure what happened there.
  
  Defensive Backs
  Orhian Johnson stood out as a vocal leader among the DBs. He is one of the tallest DBs and appears to be in great shape. I will go out on a limb (probably a short one) right now and say he is a lock to be one of the starting safeties.
  
  Jeremy Cash (another freshman early enrollee) also stood out. Physically he is already one of the biggest DBs in terms of muscle mass as well as height. I was very impressed, particularly because he could still be walking the halls of his high school.
  
  Like the WRs, it is difficult to draw much else from the conditioning drills. All of the DBs are good at the drills and appear to be in great shape (or at least in better shape than the big guys).
  
  “Look Test” All Stars
  (In no particular order.)
  
  1.Roderick Smith
  2.David Durham
  3.Jeff Heuerman
  4.John Simon
  5.Nathan Williams
  6.Mike Adams
  7.Mike Brewster
  8.Jack Mewhort
  9.Dorian Bell
  10.Storm Klein
  “Effort” All Stars
  (Also in no particular order.)
  
  1.Jordan Hall
  2.Jack Mewhort
  3.Jeff Heuerman
  4.Jaamal Berry
  5.Boom Herron
  6.Mike Adams
  7.Dorian Bell
  8.David Durham
  9.Jordan Whiting
  10.Ryan Shazier
  11.Nathan Williams
  12.John Simon
  Those were some of the players that I specifically noted. Of course, many others put forth a tremendous effort without me noticing. I only have two eyes, after all.
  
  Overall, it was a great morning that was perfect for amping me up for spring practice (I hope my coverage does the same for you). Stay tuned to tBBC for more as spring practice approaches.
  

• OneBuckeye

  

  http://ohiostate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1197187
  
  Free video
• thedynasty1998

  

  Who is writing these reviews?
• charliehustle14

  Was that Heurman abusing Stoney in the last band match of the video?
• stroups

  

  Jeremy Cash look big for a true freshman
• se-alum

  

  Good to hear about Durham. I really liked him coming out of high school. Hopefully he can make an impact this year.
• stroups

  

  There was no James Jackson today so I'm guessing he will be the next transfer
  
  http://www.the-ozone.net/football/2011/WinterConditioning/notebook_11-03-07.htm
• stroups

  

  Good lord Rod Smith is freaking jacked
  
  
  
  
• charliehustle14

  stroups;702459 wrote:There was no James Jackson today so I'm guessing he will be the next transfer
  
  http://www.the-ozone.net/football/2011/WinterConditioning/notebook_11-03-07.htm

  
  He left a while ago, I thought.
• ytownfootball

  

  Simon may not like it but Dude has him by about 40 pounds and 4". We'll see how shit goes, but one drill doesn't oust Johnny S. quite yet.
• charliehustle14

  ytownfootball;702693 wrote:Simon may not like it but Dude has him by about 40 pounds and 4". We'll see how shit goes, but one drill doesn't oust Johnny S. quite yet.

  
  I don't attend practices or anything but I do know someone who does. He said the reason everyone is impressed with Hale in that video is because Simon usually dominates at that drill all the time....even vs the likes of Larimore, Heyward, Goebel, Williams, etc. So it's kind of mind boggling Hale was able to come in and get the best of Simon twice.
• ytownfootball

  

  I do like that Hale was heaving Tuesday's dinner just before reaching for the band and dominating, lol that is awesome.