Ohio State Buckeyes: 3 competing to replace Josh Myers at center

Head coach Ryan Day said Matt Jones, Luke Wypler and Jakob James are working there early this spring.

Whoever wins the job — and Miller is likely the favorite once he is full-go — Day said he will need to prove to be among the five best linemen on the team.

“That’s for sure,” Day said. “Whatever that looks like, we will try and make that work. We’ve done that in the past.”

Jones is a junior from Brooklyn, N.Y., who filled in for Miller at guard against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl after Miller tested positive for COVID-19. He also started against Michigan State when multiple starters, including Myers, were not available for that game for the same reason.

Wypler and James are redshirt freshmen from New Jersey and Cincinnati, respectively.

“So far I have to give Matt credit: He’s done a really good job in there,” Day said. “He hadn’t done a whole bunch of that coming into the season. Luke’s had a pretty good offseason. He’s gotten stronger. That’s been great. He’s another guy who needs this spring.

“I have to give Jakob a lot of credit. He did a really good job this offseason with growing up and getting stronger. Still long way to go for a lot of these guys, but it’s a step in the right direction and that’s what spring ball is all about.”

Dealing with Injuries

Miller is among multiple players who are returning starters or expected to be vying for starting jobs who are out or limited because of injury.

That is typical of spring ball, but the exact health situation for the team is a little less clear than usual with practices being closed to the media.

That prevents reporters from being able to identify players who are working out on the side or wearing non-contact jerseys.

Those who have been identified in interviews as limited include Miller, cornerback Cam Brown, defensive lineman Haskell Garrett and linebacker Dallas Gant.

While having a sizable number of veterans limited or unavailable in spring ball is not unusual, it is even less fortunate this season since those players are essentially missing two springs in a row.

Last year, the pandemic wiped out the rest of spring ball after two practices.

“It’s a shame, but that’s also football,” Day said. “Whether it’s an injury or COVID, there are just these type of things you have to work through and everybody has their own journey along the way.

“You don’t like it. You hate it. It drives you nuts and it keeps you up at night, but we’re just going to have to push through it. The good news is there are a lot of guys healthy and practicing. The effort has been excellent. In the end, that’s what it will come down to – effort, fundamentals and techniques that you’re building and we keep going from there.

“We will try and get them as healthy as we can as fast as we can and get them into the preseason.”

Freshmen defensive backs Kourt Williams and Denzel Burke are also among the group of players who are not full-go at this point in the spring.

Myers limited at Pro Day

Ohio State was scheduled to hold its annual Pro Day on Tuesday afternoon at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Myers was set to be among members of the 2020 team to work out for NFL scouts and other team personnel, but a team spokesman said he would not take part in all activities.

His father, Brad, confirmed that. Brad Myers told this news organization his son is still recovering from surgery for turf toe, but he is ahead of schedule and doing well.

Also among those expected to work out according to Ohio State were Tuf Borland, Baron Browning, Drue Chrisman, Jonathan Cooper, Wyatt Davis, Luke Farrell, Justin Fields, Blake Haubeil, Jake Hausmann, Justin Hilliard, C.J. Saunders, Trey Sermon, Tommy Togiai and Pete Werner.

Robert “BB” Landers, a defensive tackle from Wayne High School who played for the Buckeyes from 2015-19, told LettermanRow.com he will be among some older players who will work out in hopes of impressing scouts and getting a shot with an NFL team this summer.

All-American cornerback Shaun Wade is scheduled to hold his own workouts at Ohio State on April 14 according to his agent. Michael Perrett of Element Sports posted on Twitter that Wade is also continuing to rehab a turf toe injury that bothered him during the season.