Questions abound for Ohio State as spring practice approaches

A new-look Ohio State football team will begin spring practice on Monday. But if many of the names are unfamiliar to casual fans, the high bar that always exists for the Buckeyes has not been lowered.

“Our expectations don’t change,” coach Ryan Day said. “Whether it was last year, the year before, this year, none of that stuff is ever going to change.”

That doesn’t mean the “natty or bust” mantra that motivated the Buckeyes is as realistic as it was in 2024. That team had almost unprecedented urgency. Several seniors delayed their NFL pursuits for a final chance at a national championship.

The Buckeyes are a program that reloads instead of rebuilds. But no program can lose Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimolaou, Will Howard, TreVeyon Henderson, Cody Simon, Donovan Jackson and so many others without having a massive void.

“When you look at our biggest concerns, it’s replacing the guys that walked out the door,” Day said. “Obviously, that’s the biggest key, and the guys who are returning, they’re in a different situation. We certainly have holes that we need to fill.”

But nobody expects or would accept a regression like Michigan endured last year when it went 8-5, albeit with a certain stunning victory in late November, after winning its national title in 2023. Ohio State remains loaded with talent. Any team that has wide receiver Jeremiah Smith on offense and safety Caleb Downs on defense has an enviable foundation.

But this will be a pivotal spring for most other players as they fight for starting or at least rotational roles.

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Publish date : 2025-03-14 10:02:00

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