Ohio State 2021 Spring Game: The Players Who Starred

Spring is a beautiful time of year, the weather is warming up, the days get longer and college football teams hold fifteen practices usually culminating with some form of spring game. That spring game is often the first chance fans have to see their team in action. Sure, the rules vary depending on the team, players rotate in and out, and some of the big stars don’t play much, but it’s still the first look at the team. It’s dangerous to read too much into spring game performances, but that won’t stop us from highlighting a few players who impressed in Ohio State‘s spring game.

Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson

Olave and Wilson are both proven stars and the two top ranked receivers in our 2021 rankings, so their excellent performance should not come as a surprise. The talented duo showcased their diverse talents whenever they were on the field, making big plays on deep contested catches, toe tapping to complete the catch on the sideline and getting open with their sharp route running. They were both difficult to cover and made several great catches. Olave and Wilson will lead a talented receiver room in 2021 that will make the new starting quarterback’s job a lot easier. Both players picked up where they left off at the end of the season and shined during the spring game.

Jack Sawyer

Sawyer used the spring game to announce his arrival as Ohio State’s next great defensive end. He was impossible to block during the game and made several “sacks” on the afternoon. He also knocked the ball loose on a pass attempt and was disruptive on the edge against run plays. Sawyer showed his quickness off the ball, strength, athleticism and an advanced ability to use his hands. He regularly forced offensive linemen off balance and disengaged blocks to finish the play. Ohio State has plenty of depth and talent on the defensive line, but it will be difficult to keep Sawyer off the field this fall.

Emeka Egbuka

The top receiver recruit in the 2021 recruiting class, Emeka Egbuka, was also phenomenal in his first spring game for the Buckeyes. He showed the athleticism and skill that made him such a sought after recruit. Egbuka was a mismatch in the middle of the field, creating separation effectively and catching the ball comfortably, even in difficult circumstances. After the catch, he showed off his fluid athleticism picking up yards after the catch and probably could have made a few bigger runs if the Buckeyes were tackling in the game. Ohio State has a crowded receiver room with plenty of talented options, but Egbuka will earn his share of opportunities this fall.

CJ Stroud

Ryan Day is overseeing a three way competition to succeed Justin Fields as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. Stroud was clearly the most impressive of the three quarterbacks during the spring game. He was in control of the offense, throwing two touchdowns on his three scoring drives. Stroud was accurate and made good decisions, finding open receivers and favorable match-ups in the secondary but also throwing the ball away when there was nothing there. He has a good arm and can throw the ball with velocity to fit it into tight windows, but also knows when to throw with touch to drop the ball in to his receivers. He showed good athleticism on sprint outs and threw the ball pretty well on the move. The starting quarterback spot may not be decided until this fall, but Stroud had the best spring game of the three.

Cody Simon

It’s difficult for linebackers to shine when the team is not tackling, but Simon flashed several times during the spring game. He has excellent athleticism at the linebacker position and is able to pursue the play sideline to sideline. He was also effective sifting through traffic to find the ball carrier and made plays between the tackles. Simon’s skill set is well suited to play in coverage and he shows good instincts against the pass. Ohio State lost their top four linebackers from the 2020 team and after watching him perform in the spring game it would not be a surprise to see Simon win one of the spots this fall.

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The Ohio State spring game 4-15-17 image taken by Paula R. Lively is licensed under CC BY 2.0.