COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's official spring prospectus said the Buckeyes had seven starters returning on defense.
That's four defensive linemen, two linebackers and a safety. That makes sense. Linebacker Raekwon McMillan, safety Malik Hooker and cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley are about to be drafted into the NFL.
That's four starters gone, seven coming back.
Except...
"I definitely feel like I'm a returning starter," cornerback Denzel Ward said Thursday.
He should be considered one. Ward rotated evenly at corner last year with Lattimore and Conley. Their reps were basically split three ways, their production was viewed as equal by the coaching staff.
Cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs took it a step further when talking about Ward on Thursday.
"He's really good. He's as good as the other two. I played three guys of equal talent and ability," Coombs said.
You read that right. Coombs views Ward in the same light as Lattimore, likely a top-10 pick in this year's NFL Draft, and Conley, who could also go in the first round.
That's not to say they're identical players. Lattimore is big, fast and physical. Ward is a burner -- maybe the fastest player on the team -- but also smaller at just 5-foot-10. Conley is a technician, in some ways a combination of what Lattimore and Ward bring.
But think about what Coombs is saying for a second, and put some stock in it even if it sounds a little crazy. Coombs wouldn't have played Ward alongside Lattimore and Conley had he thought there would be any kind of drop-off.
"Who would do that? Have you met my boss?" Coombs joked.
We have, and Urban Meyer is not prone to hyperbole. His assistants seem to follow suit. So Coombs means what he's saying.
"It's definitely a blessing that the coaches had that belief in me that I could go play with them, and play with the best," Ward said.
Now the comes the difficult part of transitioning to a reality in which Ward is the man in Ohio State's cornerback room, bringing along a young group hoping to match what the successful trio of corners pulled off last year.
Ward, a junior, is the most experienced player in contention for the corner rotation. There's also redshirt sophomore Damon Arnette, junior college transfer Kendall Sheffield (who's never played an FBS snap), sophomore Rodjay Burns and a bunch of freshmen.
"Marshon and Gareon left the room, and guys feel like they gotta step up," Ward said. "I gotta step up into more of a leadership position."
In addition to the talent, Ward has the makeup of a guy who can fill the leadership void left by Lattimore and Conley.
"There's a toughness there that you may not see," Coombs said. "I'm telling you that's a special person. He doesn't have to say anything in that room, the respect for him is incredible. People are attracted to him."