Football
Buckeye Receiving Corps is Young but Talented
By John PorentasDarrell Hazell had a little twinkle in his eye on Friday.
Hazell took questions about his wide receiver corps after practice yesterday and try as he might, he couldn't hide it, he likes his crop of receivers despite their youth and lack of experience.
"We're very young but I like how they're working and I like their athletic ability. When you have those things you have a chance to do pretty good," he said guardedly.
The big word when talking about the wide receivers this spring is athletic. Terrelle Pryor talked about the athleticism of the wide receivers and their ability to turn short passes into big plays. Hazell did little to dispel that notion.
"This is an athletic bunch of guys that will help us make some big plays," he said.
One of the members of the receiving corps, Taurian Washington, said much the same thing.
"I think our receiving corps this year is not as big but is more quick and we can make big plays," he said.
Hazell is working with a young group of players, but they are not totally devoid of experience. Ray Small will be the old man of the bunch, the only senior in the group, and Small is a man on a mission. Small was benched several times last year as a result of off-field issues. He admits to having considered a jump to the NFL after the season, but decided to come back if for no other reason than to leave OSU on good terms.
"That's the main reason I came back, to show the world that I can do it. I just didn't want to go out on that note," he said.
"I thought about it (the NFL), but I fought through it. I couldn't leave as the bad guy," said Small.
One of the incidents that brought Small into the headlines last year were remarks made by his father regarding playing time and Small's treatment by Jim Tressel. Small says he had nothing to do with those remarks.
"It was something that I was completely clueless about. He went to the media on his own and he did whatever he did on his own. Me and Tress really should not have changed. Tressel's a good guy. We just sat down and talked it out," he said.
So Small is back, and according to Hazell, he is an improved player.
"He's been playing much more consistent, playing with a great amount of explosion, making the plays and is very consistent catching the ball. He's gotten better at that aspect of the game," said Hazell.
"I think everybody is rooting for him to do it the right way. It's a win/win situation if he does. It's going to help us and it's going to help him. Hopefully he'll keep doing it the right way."
Hazell said that if there were a game tomorrow Small would be in the starting lineup out wide along with Dane Sanzenbacher in the slot and Devier Posey on the weak side of the field, but one of the things that has Hazell smiling is the depth that he has. Backing up both Small and Sanzenbacher is Lamaar Thomas while Taurian Washington is penciled in behind Posey.
"Lamaar has had a really good first 10 days," said Hazell.
"I'm really pleased at his progress and we've needed that. I think he's going to have a lot of promise come fall. Taurian Washington has been very solid and DeVier has been good."
Posey and Washington are playing at the weak side wide receiver spot. It's a position that has the potential to yield big plays, and coaches love to put big-play receivers in it. That's why Posey and Washington are there.
"The weak side receiver is the receiver who is in to the boundary. That's been Robiskie, Santonio Holmes, it's now DeVier Posey," said Hazell.
"It's typically a guy that's a little bigger, and if not a little more physical because he's the guy that's going to get a lot of rolled coverage," Hazell said.
"I think the two top guys in our receiving corp that add that vertical threat are me and DeVier Posey," said Washington.
"I'll go get it and and get under it, but as far as jumping up and getting it I think he has that great aspect of jumping up and getting the ball."
Hazell sees big play potential at every position including in his backup players like Thomas.
"He looks so much more comfortable playing the position right now," said Hazell of Thomas.
"Last year when he came out of high school he was a running back/receiver. He just didn't look comfortable and didn't play fast. He's a very fast guy that didn't play fast. Now he's starting to play fast. Right now he's just a wideout. He's working primarily out of the slot but he can play out wide as well"
He sees the same kind of big play potential in Washington who as a junior is one of the older members of the receiver corps.
"He's definitely gotten better and he's matured," said Hazell.
"He's gotten a little stronger which helps. What a difference a year can make in some guys, so hopefully he can keep getting better. He's not there yet, but I like the direction he's going.
"He's a long ball catcher. He'll help us. If he keeps getting better, he'll help us."
Washington has caught Hazell's eye, but is still behind sophomore DeVier Posey. That's because Hazell is outright impressed with Posey.
"He (Posey) is the upper echelon kind of guy you want. He's got speed, he's got size, he's got quickness. I think he's going to be spectacular when it's all said and done," said Hazell.
Sanzenbacher has missed a couple of practices with an ankle sprain. He has seen playing time since his freshman season and is the second-most experienced receiver on the roster. He has always been smart and reliable. Now he is venturing into a new area. He's getting big.
"Dane is exactly where he needs to be exactly when he needs to be there all the time," said Hazell.
"He can play any of the positions, do it well, he's sneaky fast, he's tough, I really like him as a player. He's put some weight on which is really going to help him.
"He played last year in the mid-70s (around 175), and he's probably 84, 85 (185) right now which will help him immensely," Hazell said.
Sanzenbacher confirmed that he has indeed gotten bigger and that it was at the request of the coaching staff.
"We had a meeting, it was the beginning of the winter, and we set a target weight, to put on a few pounds," said Sanzenbacher.
"If you're going to dig out the linebackers and block them you can't be out there running around at 170. I'm 188 right now.
"My first year, year and a half for me it was about getting comfortable with the system, doing all the little things, understanding what to do first. Now I can focus more on the physical part of it and the technique part of it."
OSU's wideout are deep but it doesn't end there. The tight ends are also more athletic this year beginning with the addition of Jake Stoneburner to the tight end corps. In addition Jake Ballard has changed his body type some too to match the new athletic look among the OSU receivers.
"I'm a little bit leaner. I've dropped some pounds, probably about 10 pounds since Arizona. I feel like I'm more athletic and running faster and running better routes. I feel like in overall better shape," said Ballard.
The numbers are there as is the talent, but for the OSU passing game to improve what needs to happen now is for the receivers to gel with Pryor, something the receivers say is happening every day this spring.
"Me and Terrelle's chemistry isn't quite up to par yet, but I'm going to say it's getting a lot better, a lot better as the spring goes on," said Small.
"In my opinion he's so much better now than he was at the end of last season," agreed Hazell of Pryor's improvement.
"He just keeps getting better and better and better. Once he really gets his feet on the ground we're going to be able to do a lot of things with him."
Washington too is impressed with Pryor's improvement.
"I think since Terrelle came in his passing has gotten a lot better. He's been working every day on his passing. He's been doing very well with that," he said.
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