2015 Ohio State Football Depth Chart for Rutgers

DEPTH CHART: J.T. BARRETT LISTED AS SOLE STARTER AT QUARTERBACK FOR OHIO STATE AHEAD OF RUTGERS ROAD GAME

By Eric Seger on October 20, 2015 

When Ohio State heads to Rutgers for the first time in program history Saturday night, the Buckeyes will have a different starter at quarterback than the first seven weeks of the season.

As Urban Meyer said Tuesday on the Big Ten teleconference, J.T. Barrett's "earned the right" to start at quarterback ahead of Cardale Jones against the Scarlet Knights.

There weren't many other changes on the team's depth chart, released Tuesday afternoon.

Notes:

•  Obviously, the biggest change from last week is at quarterback where Barrett and Jones' names have switched. After scoring four touchdowns against Penn State, Barrett gets the nod this week, but Meyer said Jones will still have a role.
•  Tommy Schutt's name is absent from this week's depth chart, after it was announced Monday the senior defensive tackle had surgery to repair a broken wrist. Schutt is replace by Joel Hale and Michael Hill, both listed as co-starters at defensive tackle. Freshman Robert Landers finds his name on the depth chart for the first time this season.
•  Parris Campbell is still listed as Michael Thomas' backup at wide receiver. Campbell missed last week's game with a knee sprain despite being listed on the depth chart last Tuesday.
•  The battle at placekicker rages on between Jack Willoughby and Sean Nuernberger. Willoughby nailed a 39-yard field goal against the Nittany Lions Saturday.

OFFENSE								DEFENSE
LT		68	TAYLOR DECKER	6-8	315	SR		DE		59	TYQUAN LEWIS	6-3	260	SO
		74	JAMARCO JONES	6-5	310	SO				10	JALYN HOLMES	6-5	265	SO
LG		54	BILLY PRICE	6-4	315	SO		DT		92	ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON	6-4	290	SR
		78	DEMETRIUS KNOX	6-4	305	FR				52	DONOVAN MUNGER	6-4	300	SO
									OR	93	TRACY SPRINKLE	6-3	290	SO
C		50	JACOBY BOREN	6-2	285	SR		DT		51	JOEL HALE	6-4	295	SR
		79	BRADY TAYLOR	6-5	300	FR			OR	77	MICHAEL HILL	6-2	305	SO
										57	ROBERT LANDERS	6-1	290	FR
RG		65	PAT ELFLEIN	6-3	300	JR		DE		97	JOEY BOSA	6-6	275	JR
		75	EVAN LISLE	6-7	305	SO				6	SAM HUBBARD	6-5	265	FR
RT		57	CHASE FARRIS	6-5	310	SR		SLB		43	DARRON LEE	6-2	235	SO
		59	ISAIAH PRINCE	6-7	305	FR				35	CHRIS WORLEY	6-2	225	SO
TE		81	NICK VANNETT	6-6	260	SR		MLB		5	RAEKWON McMILLAN	6-2	240	SO
		85	MARCUS BAUGH	6-5	255	SO				55	CAM WILLIAMS	6-1	225	SR
WR		3	MICHAEL THOMAS	6-3	210	JR		WLB		37	JOSHUA PERRY	6-4	254	SR
		21	PARRIS CAMPBELL	6-1	205	FR				33	DANTE BOOKER	6-2	233	SO
		89	JEFF GREENE	6-5	220	SR
QB		16	J.T. BARRETT	6-2	225	SO		CB		13	ELI APPLE	6-1	200	SO
		12	CARDALE JONES	6-5	250	JR				12	DENZEL WARD	5-11	180	FR
RB		15	EZEKIEL ELLIOTT	6-0	225	JR
		25	BRI'ONTE DUNN	6-0	215	JR		SAF		23	TYVIS POWELL	6-3	210	JR
		28	WARREN BALL	6-1	225	JR				24	MALIK HOOKER	6-2	205	FR
H-B		1	BRAXTON MILLER	6-2	215	SR		SAF		11	VONN BELL	5-11	205	JR
		2	DONTRE WILSON	5-10	195	JR				26	JARROD BARNES	5-11	193	JR
WR		4	CURTIS SAMUEL	5-11	200	SO		CB		8	GAREON CONLEY	6-0	195	SO
		82	JAMES CLARK	5-10	185	SO				2	MARSHON LATTIMORE	6-0	195	FR
WR		17	JALIN MARSHALL	5-11	205	SO
		5	JOHNNIE DIXON	5-11	194	FR
		83	TERRY MCLAURIN	6-1	200	FR
SPECIAL TEAMS
K		98	JACK WILLOUGHBY	6-2	210	SR		H		95	CAMERON JOHNSTON	6-0	195	JR
	OR	96	SEAN NUERNBERGER	6-1	220	SO
P		95	CAMERON JOHNSTON	6-0	195	JR		PR		17	JALIN MARSHALL	5-11	205	SO
KO		98	JACK WILLOUGHBY	6-2	210	SR				2	DONTRE WILSON	5-10	195	JR
		96	SEAN NUERNBERGER	6-1	220	SO
LS		41	BRYCE HAYNES	6-4	220	SR		KR		2	DONTRE WILSON	5-10	195	JR
		49	LIAM MCCULLOUGH	6-2	210	FR				4	CURTIS SAMUEL	5-11	200	SO

 2015 Ohio State's Depth Chart for Rutgers

Starting Barrett Right Call for OSU

 

By Matt Brown

Cardale Jones has never lost a game as the starting quarterback at Ohio State, but Urban Meyer announced on Tuesday that he was making the switch to J.T. Barrett. And it's the right move.

"J.T has earned the right to start Saturday at Rutgers," Meyer told reporters on Tuesday.The Buckeyes are still ranked No. 1 with a 7-0 record, but it's clear that the offense has operated with better efficiency when Barrett is under center. Barrett, who Ohio State began to use as a red-zone quarterback over the last few weeks, ended up playing much of last Saturday night's game against Penn State. His running ability helped lead the Buckeyes to a 38-10 win after a slow start with Jones behind center.

Barrett, a sophomore, started 12 games last year after Braxton Miller re-injured his shoulder. He proceeded to finish second nationally in passer rating and fifth in the Heisman Trophy vote, and he would have rushed for over 1,000 yards had he not broken his leg against Michigan. Jones replaced him for the Big Ten title game and the College Football Playoff, dazzling with his strong arm and powerful running as he helped lead the Buckeyes to the national title.

Jones was the starting quarterback through the spring with Barrett and Miller still recovering from injuries, and as Miller shifted to receiver, Jones kept the job into the season. As Meyer repeatedly said, Barrett had to beat Jones out, and he didn't quite do it up until now.

The departure of top deep threat Devin Smith has hurt Jones, and Ohio State has struggled to find an identity on offense after losing coordinator Tom Herman. Meyer's offenses have typically leaned heavily on the read-option, but Meyer shifted his philosophy around Jones, whose deep passing can open up space for tailback Ezekiel Elliott and the Buckeyes' other talented athletes. Jones ranks 48th nationally in passer rating, completing 62.4 percent for 1,242 yards (8.3 per attempt) with seven touchdowns and five interceptions, and he has rushed 50 times for 130 yards and a touchdown. Ohio State averaged 10.2 yards per play in the opening win at Virginia Tech, but the offense has been inconsistent since then.

With Jones' raw talent and the talent around him, the offense has worked just fine at times, but only when Barrett is in the game do all the parts seem to fit together. Barrett is the beset point guard for this offense, which is why Ohio State started to turn to him in the red zone, where Jones' downfield passing is a nonfactor. Jones can run, but Barrett is more explosive and a better decision-maker in both the option and passing games.

Over the last two weeks against Maryland, Ohio State has scored touchdowns on 11 of 12 trips to the red zone with one field goal. Barrett has thrown only six passes in those two games, completing all six, as he has been counted on more in the running game. The combination of Barrett, Elliott and Miller, plus an increased tempo, helped lead the Buckeyes to 315 rushing yards against a talented Penn State defensive front. Barrett ran 11 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns, and he also threw a pair of TDs.

"Just sheer production," Meyer said of the decision. "Cardale is going to be a very active part. Hopefully we'll keep him very much involved. It was a difficult decision, but the red-zone production and third-down production were the two areas that made the difference. [Barrett] earned that with the way he played Saturday."

Barrett has completed just 27 of 44 passes for 249 yards with four touchdowns and two picks this year, but he hasn't gotten a chance to be the full-time quarterback. We saw what he is capable of doing last season as a passer, and there's little reason to think that he won't hit his stride again -- even if he still might be looking over his shoulder at Jones, who's not exactly getting benched for good. Last season, Barrett completed 64.6 percent for 2,834 yards with 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while running 171 times for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Starting Barrett won't solve every problem the Buckeyes have immediately, especially if there's still a short leash and roles are uncertain. But based on the way he's played recently, Barrett appears prepared to take the job and run with it. Ohio State will be heavily favored the next three games against Rutgers, Minnesota and Illinois, before a tough finish against Michigan State and Michigan. In other words, there's still some time to put the puzzle together before the season is on the line.

But even though Jones has done a lot of good for this offense, making the decision to go with Barrett now puts Ohio State on the right track to maximizing its potential.

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