Ohio State's spring football practices came to an end on Saturday with one clear-cut player standing out as the best breakout player at spring's end: defensive end Noah Spence.
It should come as no surprise that Spence got so many rave reviews during the spring. Spence was the prized gem of Urban Meyer's first recruiting class along with fellow starter Adolphus Washington.
Whether from spending more time in the weight room and getting stronger or taking the lessons of departed starter John Simon to heart, Spence practiced like a man possessed and, by most accounts, was unblockable.
Meyer and the OSU defensive staff couldn't have asked for a better spring for Spence because they need him to be a star right away in his sophomore season.
So Spence needed to respond to give his coaches some confidence that they had a star end to build a defensive line around. That shouldn't take anything away from Washington, though, because he is likely to be a stud himself.
The Buckeyes have had some good defensive ends in the last few years, including Will Smith, Vernon Gholston, Thaddeus Gibson, Cameron Heyward and Simon.
Having coached in the SEC, Meyer understands that an elite defensive line is a common thread among the greatest defenses. Football games, even in this era, can be won or lost in the trenches.
It's critical to have a guy who can get to the quarterback almost every single play and make a big play either with a sack or pressure, possibly forcing a bad throw.
There's no reason it shouldn't because Spence has been consistently dominant over the course of 15 spring practices.
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