The Ohio State 2014 recruiting class was as shining an example of head coach Urban Meyer’s ability to attract elite high school talent as there was in his three seasons in Columbus at the time. Two of those players, wide receiver Noah Brown and running back Curtis Samuel, are looking to take on an expanded role for the Buckeyes one year after the team set the college football world ablaze with a national title run the likes of which hasn’t been seen before.
Both had varying yet limited roles in last year’s stellar season as true freshmen. Brown was primarily utilized as a blocking receiver on screens and running plays in the games he played in. Samuel had a more of an expanded role in the backfield, especially early on in the season when the Buckeye run game was more multi-pronged. The emergence of Ezekiel Elliott as the feature back down the stretch saw a reduction in Samuel’s carries though.
Noah Brown Poised To Become More Of a Target in 2015
Brown was recruited to Ohio State as an athlete, a distinction usually given to prospects who showcase great versatility and could end up on either side of the ball in college. He was listed at 211 pounds coming out of high school, ballooned a bit into the 240s last season but has since slimmed down. The Sparta, NJ native is down to 222 pounds thanks to a strong offseason strength and conditioning regiment that has Coach Meyer impressed by his dedication and work ethic.
So much so that he expects the true sophomore wideout to get a great deal of touches in this weekend’s spring game. Despite appearing in 11 games in 2014, Brown had a single reception for nine yards. Meyer seems to want him to be more involved in the OSU receiving corps this coming season and Saturday’s big scrimmage could be the start of that.
“Noah Brown’s a name that keeps popping up as a guy that, obviously, we’re going to throw the ball a lot in the spring game,” Meyer said in discussing him. “He’s a guy I’m really in my own heart hoping he does great ’cause he’s had an excellent spring.”
Linebacker Joshua Perry, entering his senior season with the Buckeyes, is similarly impressed by the effort Brown has shown in the spring.
“The way he transformed his body is amazing. The kid lost a ton of weight and now he looks just a lot better out there,” Perry noted about his teammate.
Curtis Samuel and the Rise of the Hybrid Back
There’s an emerging trend, in college football at least, of the running back that can line up in the slot and catch passes. Or is it the wide receiver who can utilize his horizontal speed on sweep plays that attempt to either negate the strengths of an opposing defensive front seven or take advantage of man coverage in the secondary? The hybrid back is a unique skill position in and of itself that Meyer has utilized to great effect.
Samuel came to Columbus as more of a traditional running back. He is going to be transitioning to this more versatile H-back position in 2015 and will be joining Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson who were both highly effective in this capacity over the course of last season.
We’re all familiar with the term dual-threat quarterback and what that entails. I feel that the hybrid back can be looked at similarly. A traditional wide receiver not only has to have good hands, but also possess the exceptional vision that enables a skilled running back to find gaps and break into the secondary. You’re run of the mill running back, on the other hand, needs to evolve his ability to catch the ball and find space near the sidelines that the great wideouts are capable of doing.
Meyer has stated that Samuel will see limited reps on Saturday so fans will likely have to wait until September to see what he’s truly capable of. With Elliott firmly entrenched at running back given what he did in the Big Ten Championship and the two College Football Playoff games, Samuel’s move is a natural evolution of sorts for him. He showed flashes of pass-catching brilliance last year, breaking off a 30-yard reception against Kent State.
Much like Brown, Perry has also been impressed with the progress Samuel has made moving over to H-back.
“He’s been performing very well. He’s got a great skill set and he’s a tough kid too. He’s gonna be a terror,” Perry said regarding Samuel.
To make a long story short, Coach Meyer is highly sold on these two talents and what they can bring in 2015 as the Buckeye program looks to defend its national title.
“Those are two guys, off the top of my head, that Buckeye Nation hasn’t seen much of but they have really, really a lot of potential. They’re gonna be a big part of who we are next year.”
Buckeye Nation will be out in full force Saturday at Ohio Stadium. The crowd, which will likely be among the nation’s best for a spring game this year, will get their first opportunity to get a look at a tandem of players likely to figure prominently for the Buckeyes in 2015.
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