COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State football opens the 2017 season on Aug. 31 at Indiana. We're counting down the top 50 Buckeyes for this season, taking into account talent, past accomplishments, team need and potential.
No. 24: Tracy Sprinkle, Senior, Defensive Tackle
Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 293 pounds.
Hometown: Elyria, Ohio.
Where he was ranked entering last season: Sprinkle was No. 26 a year ago, and, just like he is now, a spot in front of fellow defensive tackle Michael Hill. Sprinkle won the starting job next to Hill a year ago, and now we're expecting he'll win the job over Hill this year, which is why we put Hill at No. 25. But both will play, regardless of who starts.
What he's done: Juniors Sprinkle and Hill were the starting defensive tackles against Bowling Green in the 2016 opener, but Sprinkle went down with a torn patellar tendon that ended his season. Dre'Mont Jones moved into the starting lineup, and now it's Jones who is the sure thing at tackle, with Hill and Sprinkle leading the others battling for playing time. Urban Meyer has wanted more out of the defensive tackles for virtually Sprinkle's entire career. With a year as a backup in 2015, Sprinkle has played in 17 career games entering his final season.
Why Sprinkle is No. 24: He looks like the starter here, and teammates and coaches have been praising him as a leader on the defensive line. So he earns a starter's spot at No. 24, but in reality, the defensive tackles should rotate a lot. Jones is clearly the top guy, while Sprinkle, Hill, Davon Hamilton, Robert Landers and Malik Barrow could all work into a rotation. In addition, the stacked group of defensive ends will slide over and take snaps at tackle at times.
This second tackle spot is as up-in-the-air as any of the 22 starting jobs. Sprinkle may claim it, but no one should really own it.
The top 50 Ohio State football players for 2017:
* If you missed the first half of our list, Nos. 50-26 are here.
No. 25: Michael Hill, DT
No. 24: Tracy Sprinkle, DT
No. 23: Coming Sunday