Marcus Williamson personifies Ohio State football’s roster friction — and proves it makes the Buckeyes better - cleveland.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Marcus Williamson imagined a very different trajectory for his final Ohio State football season.

The Westerville native started all eight games for 2020′s national championship runner-up. He transitioned from overlooked role player to every down fixture. He came back for a fifth season as a “super senior” to play, and lead.

Then Williamson did not play a defensive snap in the season opener at Minnesota. Lathan Ransom, who impressed late last season as a true freshman, took the cover safety job during preseason camp. When Ransom needed to shift back to free safety to help offset the loss of Josh Proctor, sophomore Cameron Martinez became the starting cover safety.

Williamson confronted a new identity, and made a decision.

“This season didn’t go how I have personally envisioned for myself,” Williamson said. “But I’ve always since Pee Wee I’ve considered myself a team player. Sometimes you’ve got to just put your ego aside, put the distractions aside — people in your ear, people in the community back home, whatever it may be — and just kind of put your best foot forward focus and on the team.

“And that’s what I decided to do.”

Williamson’s circumstance is not unique on the Ohio State defense. Veterans who expected bigger roles have been displaced over the course of preseason camp and the first five games.

Two senior linebackers left the program — in the case of K’Vaughan Pope, quite publicly. Other veterans have seen first and second-year players establish themselves among the best 11 options on a defense that needed an infusion of certainty, regardless of experience.

So why was Williamson at the podium for Tuesday’s pre-Maryland press conference? Despite not starting against Rutgers in what quickly evolved into a 52-13 blowout, he noticeably played well, recording two tackles and breaking up a pass.

Leading up to that game, Ohio State coach Ryan Day noticed Williamson having “his best week of preparation.”

“His energy level was off the charts. His attitude was off the charts,” Day said. “And then lo and behold, he plays probably one of his better games.

“I thought it was a great example of when you get focused, and you dedicate yourself to the team, and you don’t listen to all the noise how that can affect your performance.

Ohio State’s coaches hinted at the advancement of these young defenders during preseason camp. This secondary, they said, was certain to be deeper. It sure seemed like they were talking about young guys filling in behind veterans in a way that the team never experienced last season.

Now, between Martinez, freshman defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, sophomore linebacker Cody Simon and freshman cornerback Denzel Burke, first and second-year players are filling up the starting lineup. (Ransom has not started at free safety but is essentially sharing snaps with junior Bryson Shaw.)

The plain truth is higher-upside players broke through to the top of the depth chart, turning potentially adequate starters into unquestionably strong second-stringers.

To put it another way, the defense went and found some Master Teague III’s of its own.

Teague might be the best backup running back in the Big Ten. On several teams he would be more than the backup. He runs hard, carries himself with class and personifies dependability.

He does not, though, fit Ohio State’s ideal for the lead back on a national championship contender. TreVeyon Henderson, who five games into his career averages nearly a first down per handoff, does resemble that definition.

Teague and Miyan Williams handling the bulk of the carries gave the Buckeyes a chance to be productive. Those two handling carries when Henderson needs a break gives the Buckeyes a chance to be special.

Williamson did not like his version of that reality at first. Who can blame him? Eventually he recognized how much control he still held over his week-to-week impact.

“It might be human nature to think, ‘I’m the guy,’ ” Williamson said. “But for a lot of guys, it doesn’t go that way. There’s 100-something guys on the team. Everybody has to find their role, find their niche, find what they’re different at, find what they’re good at, and then find their limitations and figure out where you fall in from there.

“When you understand that role, I think it allows you to go that much harder and see how far you can get.”

Williamson answered several questions about this same topic at Tuesday’s press conference. He was candid and composed and sincere while explaining how a competitor can be dissatisfied without being disgruntled.

“The word that’s been dodging me this whole interview — I guess it just comes down to humility, taking that servant mindset,” Williamson said. “I think there’s a lot of power no matter what that guy’s role may be.”

As Ohio State’s defense keeps improving, he may be proven correct.

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Marcus Williamson personifies Ohio State football’s roster friction — and proves it makes the Buckeyes better - cleveland.com
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