Get excited Ohio State football fans. It’s officially a game week and that means there will be more to discuss aside from predicting what things might look like for the 2023 season. We’ll soon have real, live, games to react to and analyze, and that’s what we’re all here for.
But before that, we’ll still be looking ahead until Ohio State and Indiana kick things off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. In fact, we thought we’d dust off our Buckeye Battle Cry roundtable discussion to kick things off for the week.
There are some known commodities on this Buckeye squad, but there’s always a player or two — or more — that really shine and make a name for themselves and become household names to Buckeye Nation.
So, that’s what we’re throwing out for discussion this week. The question our five writers will opine upon is: Who will be the biggest breakout player of this 2023 season?
We’ll let one of our seasoned veterans, Mark Russell, kick things off for us.
Mark Russell, Featured Writer
Follow: @MarkRussell1975
It feels like the list of guys we could pick from is a mile long. With the recruiting classes that have been coming to Columbus, there really is no shortage of players who could burst onto the scene this season. However, my pick for a player who is going to breakout this season is Sonny Styles.
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has already said that Styles has earned a starting position. Even though he’s big enough to play linebacker, Styles fits more of a hybrid role because he can do so many things well.
Maybe this pick isn’t going out on a limb too far considering that Styles was a five-star recruit and the No. 2 safety prospect in the country. Although, let’s not forget that the young man reclassified and enrolled a year early. Styles just turned 18 years of age and should be a true freshman. Even so, I’m looking for big things to happen when No. 6 is on the field.
Josh Keatley, Featured Writer
Follow: @JoshKeatley16
That’s a good one Mark. In fact, there are so many great candidates to consider for a breakout year, but my mind immediately goes to guys who have been sidelined by injuries on the defensive side of the ball like Jordan Hancock or Cody Simon.
Those guys have been touted by everyone and seem too easy to pick. Someone nobody is talking about, but has shown flashes throughout their career, is Tyleik Williams. There is a ton of hype surrounding Michael Hall and incoming transfer, Tywone Malone, but Williams has shown flashes as a potential difference-maker as a pass rusher on the interior.
Michael Chen, Featured Writer
Follow: @MikeFChen
Ok, I’m going to be a bit of cheating and pick one player from offense and defense. They’re both pretty easy picks for me, but let’s start off on defense. There was one player Ryan Day singled out at Big Ten media days that had not played much, defensive end Kenyatta Jackson. His head coach said that the second-year player already looked like he has an NFL body and he is going to get plenty of run and at being the next in line at the position.
On offense it’s Carnell Tate. The earliest Buckeye to ever get his black stripe removed, who also happens to be vying for reps in the deepest room on the team and potentially the nation. Having known Tate since his freshman year in high school, he has a knack for making adjustments extremely quickly. He’s grown leap and bounds since his arrival on campus and if Marvin Harrison Jr. is saying Tate is ahead of where he was now, the true freshman is going to blow up this fall.
Evan Bachman, Featured Writer
Follow: @evanbach
Two good ones there Michael, but I’m going to go in an even different direction. My choice for a breakout player comes from the defensive side of the ball and is someone Buckeyes fans should be excited for the future of. It is extremely rare that a true freshman starts at Ohio State, but Malik Hartford is currently in consideration for just that.
Many of the starting positions that were up in the air in the offseason have been locked down, but the starting free safety position is still being competed for between Hartford, Ja’Had Carter, and Josh Proctor all being in consideration and expected to play Week 1.
Regardless of whether or not Hartford is the day one starter at free safety this season, the fact he’s even in consideration for a starting role brings excitement for his future and suggests that he’ll play his way into a pivotal role on the defense by the end of this season.
Phil Harrison, Publisher/Editor and Featured Writer
Follow: @PhilHarrisonBW
Yeah, it’s low-hanging fruit, but I too have to agree with Mark and go with safety Sonny Styles. A lot of times you can listen to the buzz from the players and coaches to figure out who’s really breaking out in camp, and that was by far the talented 18-year old, Styles.
You aren’t going to find too many guys in all of college football who are more versatile or more athletic than the Pickerington native. He’s big and fast and can play multiple roles, but has settled into the nickel safety spot seemingly as a starter, and it’s going to be really fun watching him clean things up on the back-end.
But, what the responses from our roundtable should tell you is that there’s a lot of young talent on this Ohio State squad meaning the future is still bright.
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