Ohio coach Frank Solich will have to switch around some personnel heading into the new season.
With just under a month left to go before Ohio's spring game, coach Frank Solich said there is still a lot of work to be done for the Bobcats.
Here are some news and notes from practice:
- Solich led off practice with a typical coach message to the team, “Do it right, do it hard and do it tough.”
- Day three was the first day of hitting for the Bobcats and although there wasn’t live tackling, the team did hit throughout the morning.
- The team was without quarterback JD Sprague, and may be without him for the entire spring as he heals up from an offseason operation. Sprague suffered from a collarbone and shoulder injury earlier in the season.
- The rest of the quarterbacks split reps throughout the practice, with Connor Krizancic and Greg Windham splitting the majority of the reps.
- The Bobcats have an abundance of running backs in the backfield, with all running backs figuring to see significant snaps and touches next season.
- Solich said after practice that they’ve added formations to the offense involving two-back sets, in order to get more of the running backs in the backfield at the same time.
“We think that will put some of our best personnel on the field,” Solich said.
- Returning starters, AJ Ouelette and Papi White, figure to lead the charge next season in the crowded backfield.
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- Even with the quarterback and running back depth chart cluttered for the time being, there will be a bit of familiarity with the offense as all but one of the quarterbacks and running backs will be returning this season. The exception being graduating Derrius Vick.
- Where there isn’t familiarity, however, is on the offensive line, as the group lost three members of the starting five to graduation.
“They haven’t had a chance to gel yet, because of only the three practices,” Solich said. “It’s not a unit that looks like it’s functioning at a really high-level right now, but that’s generally the case in the spring.”
- Another key loss to graduation falls at the linebacker position. Jovon Johnson will need to be replaced at linebacker.
“We had four linebackers that got a ton of playing time last year,” Solich said. “We can put three on the field that are really experienced, we feel really good about that.”
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