J.T. Barrett's dad has a definite opinion on the Ohio State quarterback situation -- and it might not be the take you expect.
Joe Barrett, whose son accounted for a Big Ten single-season record 45 touchdowns last season, told The Columbus Dispatch that the starting job should belong to Braxton Miller, who was injured and missed all of last season.
"Of course I would love to see my kid start, but for me it always goes back to who was first," Joe Barrett told the Dispatch. "If Braxton hadn't gotten hurt, I would still be waiting for my baby to get the chance to play. ... Like I have told everybody, I don't want to see my kid take a position because of the misfortune of someone else. In other words, Braxton should get that position back, then everybody else should go try to take it from him."
We doubt J.T. feels the same way, but it does add another layer to the biggest storyline heading into summer camps. Between Barrett, Miller and Cardale Jones, the Buckeyes have an embarrassment of riches at quarterback. At the same time, that embarrassment of riches would seem to mean that the third-stringer among that trio is not going to be happy.
Miller hasn't spoken to the media since last August, when it was announced he would miss the 2014 season because of a shoulder injury. Thus, there has been no official word from Miller on his recovery, though there have been reports that indicate he is progressing well.
Barrett, too, is recovering from an injury. He suffered a broken ankle in Ohio State's win over Michigan in the regular-season finale, and that opened the door for Jones, who had been the third-team quarterback for a time in August before Miller was injured. Jones, of course, led Ohio State to wins in the Big Ten championship game, a national semifinal game and the national championship game.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
