Welcome back to Femme Football, Her Campus Ohio State’s football coverage. While spring hasn’t quite sprung yet, and we’re stuck dreaming of warmer days (like Game Days), football is in full swing. However, it’s not like it once was; with veteran quarterback J.T. Barrett having departed, the question about who will take over as maestro persists.
The competition for the coveted position is already under way at spring practice, and the candidates are Dwayne Haskins, Tate Martell and Joe Burrow. Haskins saw some play last season, and he demonstrated that his style is much different from Barrett’s. Haskins threw four touchdowns and one interception, notably filling in for Barrett during Ohio State’s win over That Team Up North.
Joe Burrow, on the other hand, is a redshirt junior who has waited three years to step up. He’s had less high-pressure game experience than Haskins, a red-shirt sophomore, but when he has performed, he’s essentially neck-and-neck with Haskins. In fact, last season Burrow was set to be Barrett’s back-up until he broke his hand.
Let’s not forget about Tate Martell, either. Martell is a redshirt freshman who hasn’t had a chance to suit up for the Buckeyes, but he was recruited based off a stellar high school performance. People have compared him to Johnny Manziel (if you’re a Browns fan, cry it out) in terms of his play style, but we haven’t seen that yet. Stay tuned.
The first look we’ll get at the competition to fill Barrett’s shoes will be at the Spring Game. It’s likely that Urban Meyer will try out all three offensive options in front of 100,000 eager fans, and from there we will begin to see how each candidate will click with the offense.
My prediction is that the job will come down to Dwayne Haskins. While this is somewhat premature, his style of play last season contrasted with Barrett enough to throw off the defense. He demonstrated maturity in the position, and he has an arm, whereas Barrett had legs. Burrow hasn’t had much of an opportunity to compete, and I’d like to compare him to Haskins. Martell has some stats to make up for if he wants the starting job.
The bottom line is this: Ohio State’s quarterback depth chart has always been talented. J.T. Barrett was a back-up for Braxton Miller. Cardale Jones was the third-string that same season. No matter who gets the job, we’ll be in good hands. In Urban we trust.