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“It’s been a great year,” Myers said. “We won the Big Ten Championship. I’m incredibly proud of my brothers. They did a great job tonight and all season. My hopes for next year: obviously, the goal is to start and help this team win. Really what’s most important to me is contributing and doing my best for my brothers and the state of Ohio.”
Myers backed up junior Michael Jordan at center. Jordan is one of the Ohio State underclassmen who could decide to enter the NFL draft. That would open up the door for Myers, who competed for the starting job with Brady Taylor last spring before the coaches decided to move Jordan to center.
However, if Jordan returns, he could move back to guard, offensive line coach Greg Studrawa said, because the goal is to get the five best linemen on the field. He said Myers “matured tremendously” this fall and fits best at center.
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“It takes time,” Studrawa said. “It’s no different than Wyatt Davis. Wyatt started tonight for the first time. I think Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers will start the rest of their games here. I don’t think they’ll ever be on the bench again, but it’s just a matter of time maturing until they’re ready to go. I wouldn’t have been afraid to play Josh Myers in a game the past month. As a matter of fact, I was going to move (Jordan) over and put Josh at center if we had some issues at guard tonight with (Demetrius Knox) being out, so that’s how far he’s come and how much confidence I have in him.”
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Myers said he “grew big time” as a player this fall. He played guard in 2017 but was limited by an injury in practice that fall.
“I moved to center after last season,” Myers said. “Spring ball was really my only reps at center since like third grade. It was a rough transition at first, but once I got used to it, I feel like I really got better and just continued to get better throughout the season.”
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
Myers made his college debut in the season opener against Oregon State and played in nine games in the regular season. He spent a lot of time with second-string quarterback Tate Martell, who could inherit the starting job if Dwayne Haskins enters the NFL Draft.
“I’ve gotten really close to him,” Myers said. “It’s been awesome working with him all season. Our relationship’s really grown in the past month or two. He’s going to be an amazing quarterback — just from what you’ve seen early on in the season. We didn’t get a whole lot of chances after the first few games to get out there, but he’s an incredible thrower and runner.”
Myers also had a front-row seat for a record-breaking season by Haskins, who was named MVP of the Big Ten Championship.
“I’m so happy for him,” Myers said. “It’s been awesome to watch him grow even from last season and then the role he had this season.”
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While Myers admitted waiting for his chance to play wasn’t the plan when he arrived at Ohio State as a five-star recruit, he realized early on how difficult it would be to break into the starting lineup.
“We’re not a top-10 team in the country every year for no reason,” Myers said. “There are people everywhere at every position across the field that are just really good at football.”
More players like Myers from the 2017 class will get their chance to play next season. The group has two Big Ten titles in two years and wants more.
“We’re hoping,” Myers said. “A lot of our guys were on the field this year. We’re hoping to carry that torch into next season for sure.”
Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer
Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer
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