Football
Fall Camp Produces some Pleasant Surprises
By Brandon Castel

It seems like just yesterday the Buckeyes were reporting to the hotel for a month of fall camp, but alas the start of the 2009 football season is (literally) just around the corner. With the conclusion of fall camp this week, things are finally taking shape for Ohio State as they are set to begin their first official game-week of the season in preparation for the opener against Navy.

With camp now behind us, here are our super seven surprise players of the fall:

7. LB Jonathan Newsome – Had he not come out of Glenville, few people would have known the name Jonathan Newsome heading into fall camp. One of those under-the-radar type prospects, Newsome did not really even have a position when he got to Ohio State this summer. He started off at the LEO spot but quickly moved to Sam linebacker after Tyler Moeller was lost for the season and already he has seen action with the second team in practice. Both coach Tressel and linebacker coach Luke Fickell have raved about Newsome this fall and it looks like he’s going to have a future on the field.

J.B. Shugarts

6. OL J.B. Shugarts – Although we had heard good things all along about Shugarts, no one really knew what to expect from the sophomore offensive tackle this fall. After getting reps with the second team last season, Shugarts missed all of spring practice following off-season shoulder surgery. He opened fall camp as the backup at right tackle, but it didn’t look like the opportunity was going to be there for him to compete for a starting job on the right side of the line. Then came his move to the left side, and all he’s done since then is work his way into a tie for the starting left tackle spot in a matter of two weeks. Whether he wins the job or not, clearly Shugarts is not far off from being an every down starter for the Buckeyes up front.

5. FB Zach Boren – You had to figure Boren would make our list after coach Tressel named the freshman as his No. 1 surprise of fall camp. He doesn’t come in quite that high on our list, no fullback would, but there’s no question Zach Boren has to be on this list. Having not had a chance to see him in the spring because of a knee injury suffered in high school, many still pegged the younger Boren as a throw-in tied to landing older brother Justin. A good football player in his own right at Pickerington Central, Zach originally came to the Buckeyes as a linebacker but never really looked the part. He officially moved to fullback this fall following Jermil Martin’s move to tailback and things couldn’t have gone better for Boren or OSU. Not only did he show the coaching staff he could play the position, he managed to work his way into a rotation for playing time on the first team with Adam Homan and James Georgiades.

Taurian Washington

4. WR Taurian Washington – After watching T-Wash in the spring, it was hardly a surprise to see him making plays in practice this fall, except for that fact that it is actually is fall and not spring. Washington was the star of the spring game a year ago, but he was never to be heard from again in the fall. That has not been the case this year, however, as he finally seems to be putting it all together. After working with the twos in the spring, Washington found himself running with DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzebacher on the first team offense this fall and it looks like he is finally going to get his shot to be a playmaker for the Buckeyes this fall.

3. WR Duron Carter – Everyone knew the bloodlines were there, but the big question for Duron Carter heading into this fall was whether his dad’s name or his own talent had more to do with him landing at Ohio State. It didn’t take long, however, for people to realize that this kid was legit. Every inch of 6-foot-3, Carter seems to have gotten his father’s hands after all, and he quickly used them to work his way up the depth chart during camp. After walking into a situation where the Buckeyes seemed to be set at wide receiver back at the start of camp, Carter found himself repping with the first team this past week when they went to a four-wide look on offense. Outside of that, he spent the majority of his time working with the second group. It looks like Carter is in line for some solid playing time this fall.

2. OL Andrew Miller – It might be surprising to see Miller’s name here considering he battled for the starting left tackle spot in the spring, but if nothing else he makes our list for staying in the hunt as long as he has. If they were being honest, most people would admit they wrote Miller off from day one when it came to winning the starting job, but here he is still battling for that spot on Aug. 29. He was splitting time on the first team with Adams in the spring and Shugarts in the fall, but took nearly every snap with the ones during Wednesday’s practice, and there’s a good chance he might just go out and win the thing. Not bad for a converted tight end. He lacks the big name of a Shugarts or Adams, but Miller was far more consistent as a pass blocker throughout the off-season, and ultimately that could be what seals the deal for the 6-foot-6 junior.

Jordan Hall

1. RB Jordan Hall – When talking about surprises of fall camp, it has to start and end with Jordan Hall. As the third back in the class of 2009, Hall was written off as a certain redshirt before the Buckeyes lost Carlos Hyde to academics. Even after that, few saw Terrelle Pryor’s high school running back getting reps during his first season in Columbus, especially with Jaamal Berry on board to back up Boom Herron and Brandon Saine, but it only took three weeks for Hall to change everyone’s mind. Not even the 5-foot-10 he is listed at, Hall proved himself to be much more than a “scat back” this fall. Not only can he catch passes out of the backfield, but Hall runs with a surprising amount of power for a player his size. He gets astoundingly low to the ground when he runs and he keeps driving his legs until well after the whistle. He has good balance but also excellent speed and a nice wiggle in his step that allows him to create his own running room. It’s unlikely he will take carries away from Herron or Saine this fall, but the notion of him getting carries as the No. 3 back is very real possibility after what we saw in practice. Before we build him up into the next Robert Smith, however, let’s see what he can do against actual competition starting with week one against Navy.

Related Story: Fall Camp Disappointments.