Alabi draws raves on offensive line

The Ohio State offense appears to have worked out a lend-lease program with the defense this spring as the Buckeyes look to add explosiveness to the passing game and solidity to the offensive line.

It already was known that Eric Glover-Williams, a special teams fixture and backup cornerback last year, switched to receiver. Then came word after practice Thursday that Joshua Alabi, a redshirt freshman, has flipped from the defensive line to the offensive line.

“Josh Alabi is killing it right now,” said senior captain Billy Price, who has moved from guard to center. “When we switched him over to the offensive line from the defensive line, the kid’s just going, he’s playing hard.”

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Alabi is being tried at tackle, and had been getting reps at left tackle. Defensive end and captain Tyquan Lewis sees the potential.

“D-linemen, you have to be capable of moving fast in short areas,” Lewis said. “O-linemen, they’re all on this rhythm, and Josh is like quicktwitching. … Pass sets, it’s just like they came natural to him. He’s doing very good at it.”

Knox bouncing back

the Fiesta Bowl in relief of left guard Michael Jordan, who was injured. But Knox had been cleared to practice just two weeks before that as he came off an injury.

In the two months since the bowl, Price said, Knox, a fourth-year junior, has stepped up his game, and took the field with the first team line in Price’s old spot at right guard this week.

“He and I have been very close over the past three, four years since he’s been here — to see his transformation, it’s just absolutely incredible,” Price said. “But that’s the fun part, I guess, about coaching.”

Up on the big screen

Jeffrey Okudah, freshman cornerback and an early enrollee from the 2017 recruiting class, already had his picture up on the big video screen at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

It was recognition for being clocked at 23.2 mph during practice Tuesday, which made him the fastest player in the session, the data coming from the monitors the players wear every day.

It also was evidence, defensive coordinator Greg Schiano said, that Okudah and the three other early enrollee cornerbacks — Shaun Wade, Marcus Williamson and junior college transfer Kendall Sheffield — have the chance to be special.

“It’s early, it’s real early, but those are some special players,” Schiano said. “They’re just very athletic, fast. I’ll say it again — athletic.”