Ohio State spring football: Key storylines, players to watch for Buckeyes' spring game

Ohio State is wrapping up the spring practice session this week, hitting the field in Ohio Stadium on Saturday for the annual spring game!

The environment inside the Horseshoe should be a good one for fans and players with Ryan Day announcing the Buckeyes had sold around 50,000 tickets earlier in the week. But, for those unable to attend, they’ll be treated to a special occurrence on the broadcast.

FOX will air the annual spring game on national TV for the first time ever, giving fans everywhere a chance to get their first look at the 2024 version of the Buckeyes. It should be a great afternoon, and there are a number of topics to monitor throughout the action.

Here are some of the key storylines and players to watch for Saturday:

QB battle remains leading storyline

The biggest position battle in Columbus once again centers around the quarterback situation. A year ago, Kyle McCord and Devin Brown struggled to find consistency ahead of the season, and that continued into the year.

Now, after one season leading the Buckeye offense, McCord hit the transfer portal with some key faces arriving.

All offseason, the expectation has been that Will Howard, a veteran from Kansas State, would assume the starting role to begin the season. Howard is looking to build as much stock for the NFL as possible before the 2025 NFL Draft, and a group consisting of Brown and key freshmen Julian Sayin and Air Noland expected to jockey for position on the depth chart.

However, Day revealed earlier this week that Sayin is making a strong impression on coaches and the players. It took just 9 practices for Sayin to shed his black stripe, an indication he has won the respect of his teammates, according to Day.

At this point, it’s hard to tell if Day is just pumping up Sayin after a strong start, or if he has a legitimate shot to compete for starting reps this fall. Saturday’s performance between Howard and Sayin will likely tell a key story on which player has a leg up for QB1 and how big the gap between the 1 and 2-spot on the depth chart is.

TreVeyon Henderson vs. Quinshon Judkins

Of all the transfer moves this offseason, Quinshon Judkins was arguably the most surprising, leaving Ole Miss after a pair of 1,100+ rushing yard seasons to join Ohio State. The presence of TreVeyon Henderson made the transfer even more surprising, though Henderson is looking for his first full season since his freshman year.

Ultimately, this running back battle is likely less about who gets the starting role because both will play extensively this season. Day said at his weekly press conference that the introduction of a 12-team Playoff extends the length of the season where depth will play a larger role than in the past.

Over the past few seasons, injuries to the running back room (including Henderson) have dragged the offense down at times. Now, Judkins provides not just depth but explosive depth, and finding the starter from those two is still worth monitoring.

Does the ground game look different with Chip Kelly onboard?

Ohio State had a wild offseason before eventually landing on Chip Kelly to serve as the offensive coordinator. While Day will undoubtedly remain heavily involved, it will be interesting to see if Kelly has the freedom to add new wrinkles to the scheme, especially in the running game.

With Ohio State working in a new starting QB for a second consecutive season, it would not be surprising to see the Buckeyes lean on a ground game through the early portion of the season. We’ll see if Kelly tries to revamp that overall makeup with Judkins and Henderson at his disposal.

Keep an eye on: Jeremiah Smith

The nation’s No. 1 prospect from the 2024 recruiting class, Smith has already wowed throughout spring practices. He was the first player to remove his black stripe, and everyone from his teammates to wide receivers coach Brian Hartline has raved about his work ethic and generational talent.

Smith has at least one highlight-reel catch to his credit that has made its way on social media, and it’s clear he has the talent to be must-see TV every time he steps on the field. Fans will want to tune in if for no other reason than to see if Smith comes up with another elite grab.

Keep an eye on: Caleb Downs

Fans should be aware of what they are getting in Caleb Downs after a dynamic freshman season for Alabama. The star safety should be a difference-maker for the defense provided he remains healthy, but that doesn’t change the fact fans want to see him in action.

Downs in Jim Knowles’ defense should be a lot of fun to watch, and it’s a combination that will hopefully wreak havoc on the opposition.