Watching how players move around or change in the shift from the Jim Tressel/Luke Fickell style to the Urban Meyer way should make for an interesting off-season.
View full sizeJunior Reid Fragel had 14 receptions in two seasons as a Buckeyes tight end -- including this two-point conversion against Wisconsin in 2010. But he's eagerly anticipating a move to offensive tackle for the fall of 2012.JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Reid Fragel said it was his idea, but Urban Meyer readily agreed. The junior tight end in 2012 will be a senior offensive tackle.
"I'm looking forward to it, I'm not upset about it," Fragel said of the move. "I talked to Urban and he's all for it, so if he's on board, I am, too."
The move for Fragel, a 6-foot-8, 280-pounder, has been a theory mentioned by some since he arrived on campus. The switch is far from a shock, but watching how players move around or change in the shift from the Jim Tressel/Luke Fickell style to the Urban Meyer way should make for an interesting off-season.
Defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins is among the players who has already mentioned that he expects to be lighter. How will players such as running back Jordan Hall and receiver Corey "Philly" Brown fit into Meyer's style of spread offense, maybe by both being more like running back/receiver hybrids?
Fullback Zach Boren could shift to more of an H-back role, lining up as a lead blocker in the I-formation far less often. Two players who didn't make this trip -- running back Rod Smith and receiver T.Y. Williams -- also have to see what their futures hold. Smith missed the team charter, while Williams, from Shaw High School, was suspended because of a violation of team rules. The OSU offensive line silhouette could be a little lighter and leaner.
Fragel could be ideal. He said he'd like to get to 295 or 300 pounds to play tackle. Expect him to get right into the mix to start. Starting tackles Mike Adams and J.B. Shugarts are graduating. Sophomores Andrew Norwell and Jack Mewhort, the starting guards at the end of the season, both have tackle experience, but the Buckeyes probably need at least one to stay inside.
Line depth is a problem, and Fragel looks like an answer. He didn't catch any passes in Monday's 24-17 Gator Bowl loss, in which he started in the absence of Jake Stoneburner, leaving him with five catches this season and 14 in his career. But he's ready to give up that part of the game.
He thinks that the Buckeyes could use him to help with the offensive line depth, and he believes it's his best chance to make it in the NFL.
"It's something that needs to happen," Fragel said.
The senior non-seniors: Every year it's difficult for the players who redshirted to watch the teammates from their class who did not redshirt move on and graduate.
For the Class of 2008, their experiences will be vastly different. That class, headlined by Terrelle Pryor, came in with a lot of hype and expectations. Now players such as Mike Brewster, Mike Adams, DeVier Posey and Andrew Sweat are going out after this tough season. But eight redshirts should be returning to get one year of Meyer while trying, in some way, to do what this class set out to do.
"When we came in as a class, we wanted to win it all and win Big Ten championships, and this year was just not how we expected it to go," said tight end Jake Stoneburner, one of those redshirt juniors. "You're angry a little bit and disappointed, but we'll learn from it and put all our anger and all that toward next year."
The other seven redshirt juniors expected back are linebacker Etienne Sabino, safety Orhian Johnson, cornerback Travis Howard, defensive lineman Garrett Goebel, punter Ben Buchanan, safety Zach Domicone and defensive end Nathan Williams. Those fourth-year juniors are always the ones who may more likely lean toward an NFL jump if they are ready.
Stoneburner, who missed the Gator Bowl after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee the week after the Michigan game, said he isn't 100 percent certain he'll be back, but expects to be. Stoneburner said he hurt his knee in Ann Arbor, and that an MRI originally showed a torn ACL. But he said an arthroscopic procedure showed that wasn't the case, and his injury required five to six weeks of recovery. He tried to push it this week to be ready in less than four weeks, but he couldn't pull it off.
Williams, out since the season opener against Akron, also confirmed that he will return and hopes to be ready after major knee surgery.
Coaching staff: Only two spots have yet to be officially announced on Meyer's new staff, which could become official Tuesday. According to several reports, both hires are expected to come from Notre Dame, with Tim Hinton coming aboard as the tight ends coach and Ed Warinner with the offensive line.
Warinner was also the run-game coordinator for the Fighting Irish. Meyer had said previously that he planned to add offensive staff with expertise in something other than the spread offense.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2012/01/changes_already_underway_for_b.html
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