With the 2008 season officially in the books, the next important date for Buckeye fans is February 4, 2009. This date is the National Signing Day for high school athletes across the nation. Of course, as we all learned last year with Terrelle Pryor, committing to a university does not always happen on this date.

Regardless, the 2009 Ohio State recruiting class should be wrapped up within the next month.

Now that the members of the senior class have finished their careers as Buckeyes, I feel it is time to take an EARLY look at the players we have coming back for next season as well as the players we have (and might have) coming in to fill the many holes in our roster left by the departure of the large senior class.

I will start off by looking at the quarterbacks and receivers:

At Quarterback:

Terrelle Pryor, SO – Given an offseason to work on his throwing mechanics and learn the playbook inside and out, Pryor should be much improved by the start of next season. Though he struggled at times this past season, he didn’t turn the ball over like many freshmen.

Joe Bauserman, SO-RS – Bauserman will turn twenty-four next season, but this former minor league baseball pitcher has not seen significant playing time in a football game since his senior year of high school six years ago.

Ross Oltorik, FR-RS – Ross is a dual-threat quarterback that came to Ohio State on a baseball scholarship. His skills and our lack of depth at the position might earn Ross some playing time at some point next season.

**Tajh Boyd – Boyd is a five star dual-threat quarterback recruit who has just recently come onto the radar. Boyd earned co-MVP honors at the Army All-American game last Saturday as he tossed three touchdowns (one to Buckeye commit Corey Brown). Boyd is considering Ohio State, Oregon, and Clemson. As of now, it seems Boyd is learning towards Clemson, but we still have a shot at his services. I would say there is a 35% chance we see him on our team next fall.

Position Grade: B-

So we lose sixth-year senior Todd Boeckman, but we all know the quarterback position is Pryor’s to lose. The scary part of this position is the lack of depth we currently have on the roster. If Boyd does commit, he adds much needed depth to the position and I would change the position grade to a B+. But as of now, we are one injury away from wishing Todd Boeckman has another year of eligibility.

At Wide Receiver:

Brian Hartline, SR-RS – Though I’ve included Hartline in the list, I expect him to declare for the draft. It is not likely his stock will rise much given another year in the system. He was a “Boeckman guy” and was one of the more vocal players when Pryor took over as the starter.

Dane Sanzenbacher, JR – Dane came up huge for the team multiple times this past season. I love his strong hands and his “no fear” approach to going across the middle. (Plus, Dane represents the 419-area code.)

Ray Small, SR – Ray is arguably the fastest receiver on this squad and we have all witnessed his abilities as a returner. Recent rumblings make it seem he is a possible candidate to declare early for the NFL Draft. If he decides to go, his loss will not affect a very deep receiving unit.

DeVier Posey, SO – Posey looked strong in limited time this year. He has been praised for his crisp route-running and his natural abilities at the position. He has a strong connection with Pryor, so I expect a breakout season out of young DeVier.

Lamaar Thomas, SO – Lamaar looked very good in last year’s Army All-American Game, but did not stand out his freshman year. He has plenty of speed and elusiveness. It will just be a matter of whether or not he is able to get some playing time at wide out next year at a very deep position.

Grant Schwartz, JR-RS – He has been with the team for a while now, but has not made serious impact on the field. Barring a monster offseason, I don’t expect him to push for serious playing time.

Devon Torrence, JR – (See Grant Schwartz above.) Possible transfer candidate.

Taurian Washington, JR – (See Devon Torrence above.) Possible transfer candidate.

*Duron Carter, FR – Duron (son of Buckeye great Cris Carter) was praised by a number of scouts for his fine play at the UnderArmour All-American Bowl. The scouts all agreed that though he lacks the explosiveness of some of the elite receivers, Duron catches EVERY ball thrown his way and plays well in traffic. They also mention he undoubtedly ran the most crisp, polished routes out of all the receivers at the UnderArmour game.

*James Jackson, FR – Jackson runs a 4.31 second 40-yard dash, but will likely redshirt because of his lack of route-running skills at this point. Expect him to make an impact in 2010, however.

*Chris Fields, FR – Fields is a homegrown, four-star speedster and will probably redshirt as well because of the depth we already have at the position.

**Marlon Brown – Marlon is a top receiver (five-star) still on the board. At 6-5 and 205 pounds, he would provide a HUGE target downfield for Pryor. He had a monster UnderArmour All-American Bowl performance and if he does commit will surely see immediate playing time. In addition to the Buckeyes, he is considering Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. He and his parents love Coach Tressel, but his one complaint about Columbus is “It’s cold up there.” I would put our chances at about 30%.

Position Grade: B+

I know this grade may seem high for such an inexperienced group, but these young receivers are as talented as any in the country. We have plenty of talent at the wide receiver position. Though we lose Robiskie and (likely) Harline, we are replacing them with fast, highly-touted recruits. At this point I couldn’t tell you who the starters will be next year. I expect to see a lot of Dane, DeVier, and Lamaar. Hopefully competition will breed greatness here.

At Tight End:

Jake Ballard, SR – Ballard has been praised by his teammates for his blocking skills. He had a couple impressive catches this season, but was typically used as an extra blocker. He will be a good senior leader on this team.

Jake Stoneburner, FR-RS – Stoneburner could be a “Kellen Winslow” –type of tight end. At 6-5 and 220 pounds, he runs below a 4.5 second 40-yard dash. He was recruited as a wide receiver, but his frame and our depth at receiver make the switch to tight end likely. We never seem to throw to the tight end, but Stoney and Pryor have a strong friendship and this might inspire some passes thrown in that direction.

Nic DiLillo, FR-RS – DiLillo redshirted this past year and was recruited based on his blocking abilities.

*Reid Fragel, FR – Fragel was characterized at the UnderArmour All-American Bowl by one scout as the best blocking tight end he could remember in his eight years of scouting. At 6-7 and 255 pounds, he was a favorite target for his quarterbacks. His frame and quick feet could also allow him to develop into a star at the left tackle position.

Position Grade: B

Yet again, we have another underutilized position for the Buckeyes. The guys we have at tight end will not disappoint, but will not be a large factor in our offense unless the coaching staff decides to work some plays designed to get them the ball.

That wraps up my thoughts on next year’s quarterbacks and receivers. Stay tuned for my next post that will feature the future of the Buckeye running game.

Go Buckeyes!

-Chris