Some days, second-year cornerbacks Ian Wells and Larenzo Fisher aren’t woken up by their respective alarm clocks, but by a phone call from one another.
For the better part of a year, Fisher and Wells have been workout partners and close friends away from the field. But this season they’ve added another layer to their friendship: starting in Ohio’s secondary.
In the absence of sidelined cornerbacks Travis Carrie and Jamil Shaw, who is listed as questionable for this week’s game against Marshall, the duo has stepped into the first-string cornerback slot for the Bobcats.
The upped ante means a number of early-morning phone calls, most of which result in a hint of exhaustion before classes and practice that day.
It is during their extra workout sessions that Fisher and Wells run, practice route coverage, prepare for Ohio’s upcoming opponent and learn to mesh and coordinate with one another.
“We’ve been working together, so I know his tendencies,” Fisher said. “Certain things, when we’re working together, he can do that I might not be good at and can learn from him.”
There’s still plenty to learn, though. In Ohio’s season-opener, both admitted to having a shaky first half, and New Mexico State sophomore wide receiver Austin Franklin burned them for a 42-yard touchdown reception in Saturday’s win.
Ohio coach Frank Solich said he has seen improvement from both players, whom he called “somewhat still inexperienced.”
“We ask an awful lot of them,” Solich said after Saturday’s win. “I think they did a good job.”
Ohio’s cornerback crew, which also features redshirt freshman Devin Bass, has been considered a question mark by some this season. The secondary will have plenty on its plate this week against Marshall, which has averaged 43 points and 421.5 passing yards per game this season.
Ohio’s first two opponents collectively average only 64 more passing yards yards than the Thundering Herd.
Marshall quarterback Rakeem Cato has completed 73 percent of his passes this season, and the Thundering Herd’s receiving corps has had no trouble marching down the field, averaging more than 11 yards per completion.
Of course, the learning curve is steep for Fisher and Wells. The former, a true sophomore, has more in-game experience than Wells, a redshirt freshman.
Wells had shoulder surgery in 2011, which kept him away from game action.
“Both guys are glass half-full guys who want to learn,” said Ohio defensive backs coach Fred Reed. “They’re like sponges — they want to absorb a lot of information — and are very enthusiastic and want to be good players.”
Establishing consistency early in players’ careers bodes well for the Bobcats’ future, and the fact that Fisher and Wells have taken reps side-by-side since pretty much day one is only a positive for the program.
And although Carrie is stuck on the sidelines, Reed said the injured captain has been a tremendous help in bringing the young Bobcats’ secondary up to speed, despite being unable to help in a typical, hands-on sense.
“(Carrie) does a great job communicating what we’re trying to get accomplished, and he gives it to them from a player’s perspective,” Reed said. “So they’re getting (the message) two times, once from the coach and then they’re also getting it from a guy that’s been around for four years and knows what’s going on.”
As Solich said, the duo is relatively young and inexperienced. But more so than improving their past performances, Fisher and Wells are anticipating their future as players.
“I think we can be great,” Wells said. “I think we can be the best cornerback tandem to come through here. We just have to keep working.”
jr992810@ohiou.edu
