Ohio State: Breaking Down the Fullbacks

Back in the days of three yards and cloud of dust, fullback played a key role in the Ohio State offense. But Troy Smith's spread formation rarely included a fullback. Senior Stan White Jr. came in for short-yardage plays, but functioned more as H-Back.

With White graduated, the starting job belongs to Dionte Johnson, son of former Buckeye great Pepper. Johnson is senior and will be counted on to pave the way for Chris Wells and protect the new OSU quarterback. The other member of the two deep is Aram Olson, a redshirt freshman from South Carolina. Olson battled injuries last season, but was rated as a top five fullback in the class of 2006.

There are no other players listed as pure fullback on the roster, but that doesn't mean no one else will see action at the position. Two of Ohio State's deep linebacking core could potentially play fullback depending on the situation. There have been rumors that Austin Spitler, a redshirt sophomore from Bellbrook, could move to the offensive side of the ball. And incoming freshman Brian Rolle, a four-star prospect from Florida, was a bruising ball carrier in high school. There's no reason to think he'll move from linebacker, but Tressel likes versatile athletes, so don't be surprised.

Ohio State is not currently targeting any fullbacks in the 2008 class. With limited scholarships and an evolving offense, fullback will not be a priority. However, the Buckeyes could sign another linebacker with the ability to play fullback. Mooney's Mike Zordich, who holds an offer from Ohio State, fits that description. However, he might be difficult to pry away from Penn State, where his Dad starred.