Five things to know about Ohio State Buckeyes offense

Offensive coordinator Ed Warinner sees a group of young players who are hungry, fast and athletic. They need to pick up the system, he said, and sustain their energy throughout this month.

However, Warinner knows, “as it goes right now, they’re gonna start to hit the wall sooner than later and then we’ll find out who can push through that and play fast, but it’s exciting because we are very deep and skilled out there.

The offense has two of the most experienced players on the team: redshirt junior quarterback J.T. Barrett and fifth-year senior center Pat Elflein. The rest of the unit is full of potential and highly-ranked recruits, but it has a lot to prove this season. Here are five things to know about the offense in the first week of camp:

1. Heisman candidate: Barrett has 12-1 odds of winning the Heisman Trophy, according to the Bovada Sportsbook. He trails LSU running back Leonard Fournette (4-1), Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson (9-2) and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey (11-2).

In 2014, his last full season as a starter, Barrett threw for 2,834 yards and rushed for 938. He was responsible for 45 touchdowns (passing and rushing). Just like that year, he is surrounded by inexperience.

“Whether you have a veteran team or a young team,” Warinner said, “to have a J.T. Barrett, one of the best quarterbacks in the country, somebody you trust and respect and is a great leader, that’s where it all starts. So it gives you more options. You have more of an ability to run a variety of plays. He’s all-purpose. He can run the ball well, he can throw the ball short and long. It just makes you feel good when you’ve got Pat Elflein at center and J.T. at quarterback, that’s a great starting point.”

2. New position: Elflein is a three-year starter and two-time first-team All-Big Ten performer who is moving from guard to center. He and right guard Billy Price are the two returning starters on the offensive line. Jamarco Jones and Isaiah Prince are expected to start at the tackle spots, and true freshman Michael Jordan is the likely starter at the other guard position.

The coaches will take it easy on Elflein in camp, at least compared to how they treat the younger players.

“(Elflein’s) a five-year guy,” Warinner said. “We know what Pat can do and will do for us so we’re just being real smart with him through early camp. No concerns at all.”

3. Quarterback depth: Redshirt freshman Joe Burrow ended spring practices at the No. 2 quarterback. True freshman Dwayne Haskins could challenge him for that role.

Getting both ready will be important for the Buckeyes. They are practicing fast, which is how they want to plays, and that allows them to get the young quarterbacks more repetitions.

“We might be able to get 20 more reps, so guess whose going to get them?” Warinner said. “It won’t be J.T. It will be those two guys so they can get more work. Some young receivers, young running backs, young lineman, the extra reps we can pick up going at a little faster tempo is going to help our quarterbacks.”

4. New tight end: Ohio State's last two starting tight ends, Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett, are in the NFL. The new starter, junior Marcus Baugh, earned significant playing time last season. When Ohio State started two tight ends in four games, he and Vannett both started.

Now Baugh has the job all to himself. He’s also working to help the backups get ready: redshirt freshman A.J. Alexander, graduate transfer Chase Hounshell and the true freshmen Jake Hausmann, Kierre Hawkins and Luke Farrell.

“I’m right there where they were, trying to do what they did with me and teach the young guys,” Baugh said. “They’re all coming along great. They know more than I did when I was a freshman. I don’t really have to tell them anything, just a few things here and there. I’ve just got to get them to where if something happens and they have to go in that they’ll be ready.”

5. View from above: Warinner moved from the field to the press box at the end of last season, and it paid big dividends in the victories over Michigan and Notre Dame. He will again call plays from above this season.

“The whole thing about being removed like that, elevated, is you can process the information without it being relayed to you,” Warinner said. “Someone doesn’t have to see it and tell it to you then you don’t have to listen to it, process it and make a decision. You can do all that on your own so that transition time is one or two seconds instead of seven or eight seconds and you can go faster, or you have more time to think if you don’t want to go faster. And you can see all the nuances.”