Position battles at LB, DB are looming
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
There are some very interesting tidbits amongst OSU’s pre-spring depth chart.
Plenty of position changes and lots of new faces.
Here’s a closer look, position by position. Let’s move on to the defense where there will likely be plenty of competition for starting spots at linebacker and cornerback:
Ugo Chinasa could be a key to OSU's 2010 defensive success
Defensive End
Junior Jamie Blatnick and senior Ugo Chinasa return at defensive end. Chinasa really came on late last season in Bill Young’s defensive system and Blatnick is a very solid performer at the other end spot. Junior Richetti Jones backs up Blatnick and should see significant time while senior Darius Hart was another player who seemed to get better and better as the season came to a close a year ago.
Defensive tackle
Senior Chris Donaldson was a very good – and overlooked– performer in 2009. He’s listed as a starter heading into spring. Senior Shane Jarka returns as the other starter. Redshirt freshman Anthony Rogers is Jarka’s backup and will likely be a key member of the rotation this fall. Rogers excelled on the scout team last fall. Sophomore Nigel Nicholas backs up Donaldson and he has proven to be a solid interior pass rusher.
Linebacker
The Pokes must replace three starters but they have a very talented group of linebacker signees. Junior James Thomas, senior Tolu Moala and senior Justin Gent are listed as the starters headed into spring but senior Orie Lemon (who is coming off a knee injury), incoming freshman Shaun Lewis and several other newcomers will have their say in the starting spots before opener against Washington State.
Joe Mitchell, a spring enrollee, is listed behind Thomas at Andre Sexton’s former spot. Kenny Alexander is listed behind Moala but will have to hold off spring enrollee Caleb Lavey, who has all the skills to make a immediate impact. LeRon Furr, one of the stars of the scout team, is Gent’s backup. Expect Furr to see plenty of action this fall.
Don't mess with Markelle Martin
Cornerback
Sophomores Andrae May and Brodrick Brown are listed as the starters at cornerback. May, who switched numbers from No. 18 to No. 16, was pulled out of a redshirt season and impressed late last year, Brown held up very well after stepping in for the suspended Perrish Cox in the Cotton Bowl. Sophomore Malcolm Murray, a junior college transfer, will wear No. 1 and back up May. Freshman Devin Hedgepeth, a spring enrollee, is Brown’s backup. The Cowboys are fairly thin at corner this spring with Andrew McGee’s status still unclear and several talented signees at defensive back preparing for their senior prom instead of spring football.
Safety
Markelle Martin is a stud, so let’s move on. Johnny Thomas is the other starter and Daytawion Lowe is listed as Thomas’ backup. Those are three solid safeties and don’t forget Victor Johnson, who injured his knee but will likely return in the fall. Senior Mathies Long is Martin’s backup, he was a special teams’ contributor a year ago. Several 2010 signees will have the chance to come in and compete for time here also.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
The only reason Victor Johnson and Orie Lemon aren’t on the 2 deep is because they won’t be participating in spring drills. I expect both of them to be starters in the fall.