Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State’s Vonn Bell was a bigger impact player for the Buckeyes last season than most people realize. Then again, that could be said about the whole Ohio State secondary in 2014.
The Buckeyes’ pass defense was sixth in the Big Ten in yards, giving up 201.1 yards per contest. It still gave opposing offenses fits by snagging 25 interceptions, far and away the best in the conference. Some of them came in crucial parts of games, killing drives and swinging momentum in Ohio State’s favor (Alabama’s Blake Sims could tell you horror stories).
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Bell gave opposing quarterbacks a headache in 2014. He intercepted six of the 12 passes he defended last season, tied with Maryland’s William Likely (another potential Thorpe candidate) for best in the Big Ten. The other six passes he broke up. What more could defensive coordinators Chris Ash and Luke Fickell want?
Bell will no doubt be a cornerstone for Ohio State’s defensive backfield in 2015. Ash and Fickell are looking for a replacement for four-year starting cornerback Doran Grant, and until a candidate emerges, Bell will need to cover a little more ground downfield. But that won’t be too big of a problem considering Ohio State has an arsenal of young defensive backs itching to see some playing time.
Should he have an even more impressive 2015 season, Bell would be the third Ohio State defensive back to win the Thorpe Award. The last Ohio State recipient was Malcolm Jenkins in 2008, but Buckeye fans no doubt associate the award with Antoine Winfield, the 1998 recipient. Bell wears the same number Winfield did (11) and is similar in size. If Bell continues to be the shutdown defensive back that he is, No. 11 will be bringing the Thorpe to Columbus once again.
Brooks Hooley is a Junior Big Ten Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @brookshooley.
