Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett poised for career under Kevin Wilson’s watch

After an underwhelming 2016 season, what can we expect from Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett in 2017 with Kevin Wilson as the offensive coordinator?

Watching the final seconds tick off the clock against Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, J.T.Barrett knew he had a big decision to make. Would he let the 19-for-33, 127-yard performance in a 31-0 defeat be his last taste of college football, capping off a so-so junior year?

Ohio State fans were already speculating potential replacements for the dual-threat quarterback, starting with incoming five-star freshman Tate Martell.

However, he announced he is returning to Columbus for his final season, putting his NFL dream on hold. This was the best decision for his future as he may have been a late-round pick given his poor finish to the season. His completion rate and production both decreased as the season progressed and he looked nothing like the quarterback who led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record in 2014 as a redshirt freshman.

Barrett may have struggled with confidence issues and a lack of a proven offensive line. He was throwing off his back foot too often, completing 51 percent of his passes for 337 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions in the final three games of 2016.

Would he keep his starting job in 2017? Some hope was lost around Buckeye Nation following that stretch of games.

Hope was restored on Jan. 10 when Ohio State hired Kevin Wilson to be the offensive coordinator. The former Indiana head coach led the Hoosiers to one of the best offensive runs in school history and produced NFL draft picks, Nate Sudfeld, Tevin Coleman and Jordan Howard, among others.

What makes this hire even more intriguing is that Wilson has a history of producing elite quarterbacks. Sudfeld had a good run in Bloomington and now has a home in the NFL, but it took years to develop the reputation as an offensive power.

Before coaching the Hoosiers, Wilson was the co-offensive coordinator at Oklahoma when Jason White won the Heisman Trophy in 2003 and Sam Bradford won as a sophomore in 2008. Prior to that, he was the quarterback coach for Northwestern and Miami (OH).

Wilson comes to Ohio State with arguably the most talented quarterback he’s ever coached already with three years of starting experience. He helped make Richard Lagow, a quarterback with far less natural ability than Barrett, look like one of the most prolific passers in the conference early in 2016.

When former Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman left for Houston after the Buckeyes won the national championship two years ago, it seemed like Barrett would regress or fail to build on the success he had as a freshman, but even when splitting time with Cardale Jones in 2015, Barrett looked like the same efficient passer and dynamic runner.

Herman’s departure was not the problem in 2016.

What was the problem for Barrett? Look at the situations he was dealt in his freshman and sophomore campaigns. He wasn’t expected to be the starter and he knew poor play would likely result in his being replaced.

Jones left for the NFL last year and Barrett was the only viable option to start for the Buckeyes in 2016. He felt no pressure from behind him on the depth chart, but he also had a less sturdy offensive line in front of him. Couple that with running back Ezekiel Elliott, wide receiver Michael Thomas and tight end Nick Vannett leaving, and that can lead to a lackluster showing.

Don’t get me wrong, Barrett looked great through the first month of the year and really his only mediocre performances were against Indiana and Wisconsin, but he finished the year on a sour note in the loss to Clemson.

Barrett was a Heisman contender entering the year but got too comfortable in an offense that didn’t have much room to remain stagnant. There were too many underclassmen and first-time starters who needed guidance and the weight of being that veteran leader may have affected his play.

By announcing he will be back for his senior year, that shows he’s ready to take the next step in being a true leader and put the 2016 finish behind him. He has the arm, legs and the intangibles to be the best quarterback in the country and now he has the offensive coordinator to lead him to the finish line.

Moreover, Urban Meyer has coached some of the best quarterbacks in college football history such as Alex Smith, Tim Tebow, Braxton Miller and now he has to figure out how to maximize Barrett’s talent like he did two seasons ago.

Is Barrett regressing into an average quarterback? Absolutely not. Did he feel the pressure of the Buckeyes relying on him too much in 2016? Yes, without question.

Meyer has coached Tebow to a Heisman and Wilson has had two quarterbacks win with him as the offensive coordinator. Barrett is in the best position to succeed that he’s ever experienced in his college career and there’s no need to temper expectations for 2017.

In fact, we should be talking about why Barrett might just be among the favorites to win next year’s Heisman Trophy.