College Football 2018: Biggest question facing every Top 25 team in spring practice

Who will replace J.T. Barrett at quarterback?

The Big Ten East is arguably the toughest division in college football today, and the Ohio State Buckeyes are the early favorites to repeat as champions. Ohio State is consistently one of the top recruiting programs in the country. The Buckeyes have been solid on both the offensive and defensive lines and consistently produce NFL position players. The need to replace a quarterback who made an impact in each of the last four seasons further complicates matters.

J.T. Barrett isn’t likely to become an NFL star, and his career with the Buckeyes had its fair share of bumps, but it’s never easy to replace an experienced and productive signal caller. As Barrett’s backup last season, Dwayne Haskins has the inside track to the position, and he has huge potential. Haskins signed with the Buckeyes as a highly touted four-star prospect, completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 565 yards and four touchdowns with one interception and added 86 rushing yards across eight games. He was excellent against Michigan, going 6-for-7 passing, throwing for 94 yards and running for 24 (including a 22-yarder) against the Wolverines last year. Oddsmakers thought enough of his short performance to list Haskins among the top 10 quarterbacks in their preseason Heisman list.

But despite those lofty expectations, Haskins hasn’t won the job yet. Joe Burrow was great in limited action over the last two years and has 287 passing yards and two touchdowns to his credit. But the biggest challenge is likely to come from redshirt freshman Tate Martell, a dual-threat playmaker who excited teammates and coaches on the scout team in 2017. With Haskins and Martell competing for the job this spring, it’s possible Burrow will look elsewhere for playing time.