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Ohio State DC Kerry Coombs says Buckeye DBs need to be prepared to play multiple spots

Published: Nov 4, 2020 · 10:18 AM EST

The cornerback position was already shaky with depth for Ohio State. Now that Cameron Brown is out for the rest of the season due to an Achilles tendon injury, the Buckeyes are dealt another blow at the position.

Brown sustained the injury in Saturday’s victory at Penn State. Brown served as a critical backup during the first two games of the season, seeing action at outside cornerback and slot cornerback.

Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs says that the unit will need to adjust to the loss of Brown and rise to the occasion. Coombs emphasized that the defensive backs will need to be prepared to play multiple spots in the secondary.

“The whole next man up thing is no joke, and especially this year, I think we’ve been training our guys from June for the possibility of having to be able to play in a game suddenly,” Coombs said in a quote transcribed by Eleven Warriors. “And so in the secondary room right now, that’s what everybody, it’s all hands on deck. Everybody has to understand that their role may change slightly for this week’s game, it may change for the next five weeks’ games, and you better be prepared to play more than one position in the back end. Because there’s gonna be moving parts as we go through a season like this.”

Tyreke Johnson is an intriguing option to step in and fill the void of Brown. Johnson, in his third year at Ohio State, was a five-star recruit coming out of high school.

Beyond Johnson, it’s a bunch of freshmen, such as Ryan Watts, Cameron Martinez, and Josh Proctor.

Coombs cites the challenges of getting the defensive backs acclimated after the lack of practice time in the offseason due to COVID-19.

Yet, he has strong belief the group will rally and acquit themselves well.

“The disappointing thing of course is not having had spring ball or really training camp with those guys, makes it a little bit more challenging for them, so their learning curve gets accelerated another notch beyond just being a freshman at Ohio State. But I love those kids, they’re working hard,” Coombs said in a quote transcribed by Eleven Warriors. “As I’ve explained to all of them, they are gonna be needed during the course of the season. And so they’re preparing as if they’re going to play every day, because they are. And so we’re getting them ready.”

Ohio State hosts Rutgers on Saturday (6:30 p.m. CST/BTN).

Rolando Rosa

Rolando Rosa brings his experience covering college football to Saturday Tradition. Follow him on Twitter @RolandoRosa3.