Deehntr56
03-28-2008, 10:35 PM
Notebook: Six OSU freshmen here early:biggrin: :biggrin:
Notebook: Six OSU freshmen here early
Friday, March 28, 2008
Ohio State has welcomed a handful of freshmen to spring practice from time to time, but the Buckeyes have never had as many as the six who plan to come this year.
Coach Jim Tressel confirmed that offensive lineman Mike Adams and receiver Jake Stoneburner, both of Dublin Coffman, along with linebackers Etienne Sabino of Miami and Andrew Sweat of Washington, Pa., enrolled for spring quarter. Freshman offensive linemen Michael Brewster of Orlando, Fla., and J.B. Shugarts of Klein, Texas, started at OSU in winter quarter.
"The benefit for them is, I guess in their minds and hearts right now they are done with high school, and they have their goals in mind about what's next," Tressel said. "And you have to make sure your mind, and your rear end, and everything is in the same place.
"Their minds are on college and they want to get going. … The benefit is they learn a little more, they get adjusted to college. The negative … I guess there is a little bit of a scare that if you get them early you may lose them early."
He doesn't expect the number to keep rising, because he said the NCAA has increased from 14 to 16 the minimum number of college preparatory core courses an incoming athlete must amass to qualify.
"I think it will be a little bit harder in the future, although we've got a couple of guys (in the upcoming recruiting class) who are telling us that's what they want to do," Tressel said.
'Rocky Top' on tap in 2018
Ohio State announced a two-game, home-and-home series with Tennessee starting in 2018. They would be the first on-campus games for the Buckeyes against an SEC opponent since a 36-33 victory over seventh-ranked LSU on Sept. 24, 1988.
The Buckeyes and Volunteers will open the 2018 season on Sept. 1 in Knoxville, followed by a game in Ohio Stadium on Sept. 7, 2019. The two have met once before, Tennessee winning the Citrus Bowl 20-14 after the 1995 season.
Siciliano steps up
With quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels on the mend from surgery to remove a cancerous kidney, Tressel said Nick Siciliano -- a graduate assistant who serves as the offense's quality control coach -- will fill the void on the field in the early days of spring practice. Daniels hopes to be around more near the end of drills, which culminate with the spring game April 19 in Ohio Stadium.
Rodriguez responds
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez says assertions that he, or his coaches, have compromised Michigan's values are "way off base."
Rodriguez expressed disappointment yesterday about statements that the program's values have eroded since former coach Lloyd Carr retired. Guard Justin Boren, a graduate of Pickerington North, said Wednesday that he was leaving the team because of the decline in "family values" since Rodriguez took over.
Rodriguez would not discuss Boren's situation specifically. But he told The Ann Arbor News that his players and coaches are his family and that he's going to "coach every player like I was coaching my own son."
Notebook: Six OSU freshmen here early
Friday, March 28, 2008
Ohio State has welcomed a handful of freshmen to spring practice from time to time, but the Buckeyes have never had as many as the six who plan to come this year.
Coach Jim Tressel confirmed that offensive lineman Mike Adams and receiver Jake Stoneburner, both of Dublin Coffman, along with linebackers Etienne Sabino of Miami and Andrew Sweat of Washington, Pa., enrolled for spring quarter. Freshman offensive linemen Michael Brewster of Orlando, Fla., and J.B. Shugarts of Klein, Texas, started at OSU in winter quarter.
"The benefit for them is, I guess in their minds and hearts right now they are done with high school, and they have their goals in mind about what's next," Tressel said. "And you have to make sure your mind, and your rear end, and everything is in the same place.
"Their minds are on college and they want to get going. … The benefit is they learn a little more, they get adjusted to college. The negative … I guess there is a little bit of a scare that if you get them early you may lose them early."
He doesn't expect the number to keep rising, because he said the NCAA has increased from 14 to 16 the minimum number of college preparatory core courses an incoming athlete must amass to qualify.
"I think it will be a little bit harder in the future, although we've got a couple of guys (in the upcoming recruiting class) who are telling us that's what they want to do," Tressel said.
'Rocky Top' on tap in 2018
Ohio State announced a two-game, home-and-home series with Tennessee starting in 2018. They would be the first on-campus games for the Buckeyes against an SEC opponent since a 36-33 victory over seventh-ranked LSU on Sept. 24, 1988.
The Buckeyes and Volunteers will open the 2018 season on Sept. 1 in Knoxville, followed by a game in Ohio Stadium on Sept. 7, 2019. The two have met once before, Tennessee winning the Citrus Bowl 20-14 after the 1995 season.
Siciliano steps up
With quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels on the mend from surgery to remove a cancerous kidney, Tressel said Nick Siciliano -- a graduate assistant who serves as the offense's quality control coach -- will fill the void on the field in the early days of spring practice. Daniels hopes to be around more near the end of drills, which culminate with the spring game April 19 in Ohio Stadium.
Rodriguez responds
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez says assertions that he, or his coaches, have compromised Michigan's values are "way off base."
Rodriguez expressed disappointment yesterday about statements that the program's values have eroded since former coach Lloyd Carr retired. Guard Justin Boren, a graduate of Pickerington North, said Wednesday that he was leaving the team because of the decline in "family values" since Rodriguez took over.
Rodriguez would not discuss Boren's situation specifically. But he told The Ann Arbor News that his players and coaches are his family and that he's going to "coach every player like I was coaching my own son."