Hall is 30 pounds lighter, dropping from 325 pounds to 295 during summer workouts, and the Glenville grad is the wild card on the offensive line.
View full sizeMarcus HallCOLUMBUS, Ohio — Marcus Hall did enough as a true freshman at Ohio State to earn playing time, including one start at right tackle last season, backing up J.B. Shugarts. That's not easy for a freshman lineman. Now, Hall is 30 pounds lighter, dropping from 325 pounds to 295 during summer workouts, and the Glenville grad is the wild card on the offensive line.
On one hand, Hall nearly put himself in a bind with some academic problems this summer, admitting he wasn't as focused as he needed to be, which threatened to put his eligibility at risk.
But he worked through that and made it to preseason camp, where he now has a new home.
Instead of working with the second- team offensive line at right tackle, where senior Josh Kerr was taking most of the second-team reps early in camp, Hall said he asked in the spring to be moved to left tackle.
With Shugarts potentially locking down the right side for the next two seasons, entering an open competition on the left side might be the quicker route to consistent playing time.
He's another option behind the Mike Adams-Andrew Miller battle, though he knows he might be a bit of a long shot at this point.
"If I said I couldn't do it, I feel like I'd be cheating myself," Hall said. "It's definitely a tough fight."
Hall said he wasn't looking to drop that much weight but he feels the difference on the field.
"I'm quicker and I don't get tired as easily as I did," Hall said. "I don't feel like I'm getting thrown around because I weigh less. I just feel quicker."