Six of Ohio's enrollees are looking to gain experience in preparation for the fall.
Receiver Cameron Odom knew he wanted to be a Bobcat when he watched Ohio’s 2015 spring football game as a recruit.
Now in 2016, he and other early enrollees are preparing to play in Ohio’s spring game Saturday at 2 p.m.
“It’s an exciting experience going into it (spring game),” Odom said.
Odom, a wide receiver from Bedford High School in Bedford, Ohio, is one of six incoming freshmen who are practicing this spring because they graduated from high school early.
Odom said he was attracted to Ohio’s homey campus during his recruitment process, but the culture of the football program is what is important for him in his young career.
As Ohio heads into its last week of spring practice, the younger players have an opportunity to contribute.
Offensive coordinator Tim Albin has praised the growth of the team’s youth, with players such as Odom, Adam Luehrman and Ryan Luehrman — who are twins — growing each practice.
“Today was probably their best day as a whole,” Albin said after practice Tuesday. “They’re going to find themselves with opportunities to play in the fall, and we need them to keep coming.”
In an ideal world, the team would like to have an experienced core of returning juniors.
But with six early enrollees on the roster, experienced players like redshirt senior wide receiver Jordan Reid have to lead.
“They’re really coming along great,” Reid said. “It’s been easy to coach along with them.”
Along with Odom and the Luerhman twins, the Bobcats have three other early enrollees: Adam Notestine, Sean Beadle and Matt Seymour.
The six enrollees are still a work in progress for Ohio's coaching staff, but will be essential to the Bobcats' future.
“I’m not, like, saying they’re 100 percent,” Albin said. “But they have definitely gotten better each practice.”
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Albin said the enrollees — along with the rest of the team — will get snaps in this weekend’s spring game.
“I feel like no one on the team is selfish,” Odom said. “Coming in as an early enrollee, I felt like I was going to get picked on and stuff like that, but everybody was always looking out for me as far as workouts and practice.”
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