via www1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

Because this guy is coming to town, and soon

The 2009 Ohio State recruiting class was particularly heavy in one key area: the defensive backfield. The class was made with the imminent departure of Malcolm Jenkins at the forefront of the staff's mind, as well as possible defections from Kurt Coleman and Donald Washington lingering possibilities. Fortunately, only Washington bolted early for the NFL - a perplexing move considering his limited playing time in 2008, but one that worked out in the end for the junior former starter; he was selected in the fourth round by the Kansas City Chiefs. Neverthless, the defensive back haul in this class is large, and that's a good thing. The secondary looked a little, uh, subpar on Saturday. I know half of the equation was Pryor's newfound Howitzer, but nobody stood out. The safeties were solid in the typical soft zone approach Heacock takes; when asked to make a tackle, they did. But it became obvious as the game went along that the backfield is a little thin. Chekwa, Amos, Russell and Coleman are your starters heading into the fall, but the amply talented class may induce a bit of a rotation come the fall if the play of the secondary doesn't improve. The overview is after the jump.

Corey Brown - Hailing from the same high school as Dorian Bell, Brown commited to Ohio State on June 23rd, 2008. A 4-star prospect to Scout and a 5-star to Rivals, Brown boasted offers from Penn State, Tennessee, Michigan, Notre Dame, and a smattering of mid- and upper-tier ACC programs. Rivals doesn't list a 40 time, and Scout lists a suprisingly-honest 4.58. Brown is probably another DB in the Jenkins mold; large, physical, but not a burner. Like Jenkins, he'll excel in zone coverage but just be very good in man-to-man, where quicker WRs may have a bit of an edge on him, if they can get past the jams and bump at the line of scrimmage without altering their routes too much.

Prognostication - I anticipate Brown will see playing time this fall in nickel packages; barring much improvement from Torrence, he may even be the nickelback at season's end. Amos is a senior, so Brown will probably be groomed to take his spot if this is the case.

CJ Barnett -  Another large DB timing in roughly the 4.5 range in the forty, Barnett is a 4-star to both Rivals and Scout. Barnett is considered to the more physical of the two; Scout lauds him as essentially a linebacker in a defensive back's body. This too, is not unlike the dearly departed Malcolm Jenkins, who was one of the best run stuffing corners in the nation in his time at Ohio State. Barnett's offer list is sparse; he committed early to Ohio State (2/10/2008) and apparently told teams to back off. Cincinnati and Stanford both showed interest, but Barnett's commitment never faltered.

Prognostication - Depending on the development of Devon Torrence, Barnett will probably be the next guy off the bench after Brown. I do not anticipate significant playing time for him should he fall behind both of them, but he will be needed on the field at certain times, since there just isn't enough depth in the secondary. He won't redshirt, but this year probably won't give us a good indicator of his abilities unless he lights up fall camp.

Dominic Clarke - The smallest and fastest of the three cornerbacks, Clarke is a four-star prospect to both Rivals and Scout. Probably the speedster the Buckeyes need in the secondary, Clarke is a little more raw of a prospect and his size may make some Buckeye partisans a little edgy. Clarke is more in the Antoine Winfield mold than the others in terms of size, but not physicality.

Prognostication - Rumor has it that Clarke needs to work on his jamming ability and that he may play a little soft on most receivers. The ability to jam is critical in Ohio State's coverage schemes, so Clarke won't be seeing the field much until he sews up this one issue in his game. If anyone gets redshirted, it's probably him

Jamie Wood - Local boy done good. From Pickerington, Wood is also a four star to both services. He plays a big position of need for the Buckeyes, with the imminent departures of Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell in mind. Wood's offers included Penn State, Illinois and Kentucky, so of course he chose the Buckeyes.  Wood is 6'2" and 190 pounds, nearly ideal size for a safety, and like all the other defensive backs in this class, he has good closing speed. Solid tackling is a must for Ohio State safeties, and Scout tells me he has it, so what can I say? I like the grab.

Prognostication - He, Barnett and Brown stand the best chance of making an immediate impact at fall, but Wood needs no real attrition to see playing time; he figures to be either Coleman or Russel's back-up, and his only real competition is Aaron Gant, a senior, and Zach Domicone, a redshirt freshman who was essentially an afterthought in the 2008 class. I expect him to see significant time this fall.