By: Doug Lesmerises (online drugs without prescription source article in a new window” href=”http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2009/08/the_top_20_buckeyes_lawrence_w.html” target=”_blank”>Cleveland Plain Dealer) –

Who are the best 20 players on Ohio State’s roster right now?

This is a venture with no right answers, but I think it’s an interesting way to evaluate just how the 2009 Buckeyes are going to come together.

A year ago, this was a much easier list to make. Starting with Beanie Wells, Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis and running through veterans like Marcus Freeman, Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, Donald Washington, Alex Boone, etc., you had a pretty good idea who were the best players in scarlet and gray.

Now? I’m not so sure.

But we’ll take a shot. I’m sure you’ll disagree with some, most or all of these rankings. I may disagree with them minutes after I post them. I do think the top seven Buckeyes might be pretty clear, though.

We’re starting in reverse order, so you’ll have a few days to figure out who you think those top seven are.

My criteria for this? None really. It’s based on some combination of past performance and potential, though I think in the end I weighted what we’ve seen already quite a bit more than what we might see. How important your position is to the team is a factor, but it’s also not a player’s fault if he’s great at what he does and Ohio State doesn’t ask him to do it much. Also, no true freshmen are on this list.

So it’s a tough team to evaluate. By the end of the first week of practice, this list will probably be very different. And by the start of Big Ten play, it would probably look nothing like this.

One example is sophomore receiver DeVier Posey. You’ll find him No. 19 on this list. In a few weeks, he might be No. 4. But for now, with 11 career catches and more to learn about the intricacies of playing receiver, he’s 19th.

We’ll get through the list this week. And remember, it’s a work in progress, just like the Buckeyes.
The top 20 Buckeyes

No. 20: Senior defensive end Lawrence Wilson

Two years ago, Wilson’s season ended with a broken right leg in the season-opener, in a game in which he was looking even more intimidating than Vernon Gholston. Last year, his season ended with a torn left ACL in week seven, though he hadn’t shown quite the burst of the year before.

Wilson rehabbed with the idea of being back for fall camp. He’ll join a defensive line that could go a solid six-deep at the end spot. With what he was before the injuries, Wilson deserves to be on this list. In a group with Thaddeus Gibson and Cam Heyward and Nathan Williams and Solomon Thomas, he could still make a difference if he’s anywhere near healthy.

It’s hard to count on him as a regular, but even on a part-time basis, he has the talent to help. And whether he’s on the field or not, his natural leadership and selflessness off the field helps every one of his teammates on the defensive line and makes Ohio State better.

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