Who'll join Shazier as Buckeyes' linebackers?

Co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell surveyed the candidates but refrained from making any judgments after the Buckeyes' first two practices.

"There's a lot of good-looking players," he said of the early returns. He added, "We hold our opinions until we get in pads and play some football."

Asked after the opening practice on Tuesday what position concerned him the most, Meyer lumped together most of the defense.

"The front seven," he said. "Because there's a bunch of new guys in there."

Ryan Shazier, the one proven commodity at linebacker, is out for at least a couple more weeks while he recovers from surgery for a sports hernia. An All-Big Ten selection last season, he started all 12 games and led the conference in tackles for a loss (17).

"I'm taking my game to the next level," the junior said. "Coach Fickell and I have been talking about plays and what offenses can do. I need to work on staying behind the ball and watching film will help me do that more out on the field."

Behind Shazier, however, are some intriguing possibilities but also some question marks.

Curtis Grant is one of the major enigmas on the team. An acclaimed prep star out of Richmond, Va., he saw action as a freshman and then started at the outset of last year's sterling 12-0 season.

But then he lost the job and sank down the depth chart.

"I got too complacent," said Grant, who started three games last year at middle linebacker. "That's the only thing I can say. I couldn't handle the glory, I guess, of being a starter. I should have kept working harder."

Now he's an upperclassman and is being counted on even more to play up to his lofty blue-chip status in high school.