There may be no Ohio State position group facing more pressure this spring than the Buckeye cornerbacks.

After an up-and-down 2020 in which Ryan Day’s secondary was picked apart on multiple occasions, All-American Shaun Wade officially declared for the NFL Draft, leaving Sevyn Banks as the lone returning outside corner to receive consistent playing time last fall.

Marcus Williamson is back to shoulder the load in the slot and Cam Brown is inching his way towards a return from a season-ending Achilles injury, but massive question marks remain on the outside for a unit that allowed the most passing yards per game in the Big Ten last fall.

“[Secondary Coach] Matt Barnes has jumped into this thing with two feet, and he’s got a lot of help over there now,” Day said Monday of the status of the cornerback room. “I feel really good about what we have going on with the staff, really excited about what I’ve seen so far back there.”

Beyond Banks and Brown, Day said the outside cover depth is wide open as spring practice begins, naming a number of returning players with chances to secure snaps in the fall.

“That corner position, Sevyn and Cam will be coming back, but to me, it’s a big spring for Lejond Cavazos and Ryan Watts,” Day said “These are two guys, now, who have been in the program, and this is gonna be a big spring for them.

“They gotta really step up. They’re gonna have a great opportunity to compete, so they’re gonna have to stay healthy and perform.”

Cavazos, a former three-star recruit out of IMG Academy in the class of 2020, never touched the field his freshman year, even after Day mentioned his name as an option following Brown’s season-ending injury in November.

His first-year counterpart, Watts, saw 28 snaps over three games last season. A graduate of Little Elm High School in Texas, Watts was a four-star recruit in the same recruiting class as Cavazos.

Neither Cavazos nor Watts have been through a “normal” spring practice (or regular season, for that matter), but both have had a full season to learn from Wade on the outside, and both will be expected to make an impact come August.

Day also mentioned the value of Cam Martinez in the secondary, saying the redshirt freshman will bring important versatility to the defensive backfield with his ability to shift between positions.

However, the Buckeye head man saved most of his early cornerback praise for the youngest of the bunch: Denzel Burke, one of Ohio State’s early enrollees in the class of 2021.

Burke has already shown plenty of potential early, including picking off a pass in impressive fashion during an opening-day round of 7-on-7 play.

“It’ll be fun to watch Denzel Burke,” Day said. “He’s kinda coming off of a shoulder, so he’s non-contact right now. But he’s a young guy that actually made a play early in practice, day one, that kinda flashed. That was exciting to see.”

With Burke already flexing his talents and Cavazos, Martinez, and Watts ready to step onto the big stage, Ohio State has no shortage of options to take over where Wade left off.

It all comes down to finding the right group to put on the field at the right time.

That process has already begun.

“The depth will be kinda built up as we head toward the season, but they’re gonna be young,” Day said. “So, very, very important spring for the corners.”