COLUMBUS -- The impact at Ohio State is not always going to be instant.

No matter how hard a player might work, no matter how much time is invested by the coaching staff or how high the potential might be, the development path is not the same for everybody on the Buckeyes roster.

Yes, there are plenty of examples of ready-made contributors showing up on campus and zipping through the learning curve. But there are also dozens of others that reflect how difficult it can be even for highly-touted recruits to blossom into stars at Ohio State -- which is why the program so rarely attaches make-or-break stakes to spring camps before that becomes absolutely necessary.

"I think there are people who like labeling people on like: When their time is," Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline said. "I don't understand that concept.

"I mean, as far as I'm concerned, a guy can be here for six years if he wants to. Then he's just halfway through his time."

That, then, still leaves plenty of room on the other side for the Buckeyes to maximize the ability of guys who were obviously recruited for a reason. And even if it didn't happen as quickly as everybody might prefer, that journey for veterans can still end in the place Ohio State expected it would -- even if it does take several years to get there.

So, with that in mind, Dotting The Eyes is continuing the post-spring analysis of the Buckeyes with a closer look at some veterans who delivered a string of strong practices and could be in line for key roles.

After being shuffled around to essentially every spot in the secondary, dealing with a couple high-profile growing pains on the field last year and then having Ohio State add a portal safety in the offseason, it would have been pretty easy to write off the chances of Cameron Martinez ever playing a key role for the program.

Then he showed up to spring camp and delivered one of the most productive sets of practices of anybody on the roster.

Perhaps the work is not fully done yet for Martinez, and nabbing a hat trick of interceptions for touchdowns during March and April certainly won't guarantee anything in the fall. But Martinez worked with the first-string defense from start to finish during open practices in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, and with a chance to fully commit to the nickel position, his dynamic athleticism might finally get unleashed on defense. One way or another, Martinez offered a reminder that he's squarely in the mix for the Silver Bullets.

For all of the understandable uncertainty swirling around the offensive line heading into the summer, Ohio State left camp having largely validated the buzz around Josh Fryar.

Whether he's ideally suited to play on the left or right side may well be up for some debate, though Fryar has taken that conversation somewhat personally and used it to fuel an already raging competitive fire. Either way, though, he's poised to lock down a full-time gig in his fourth year with the program after serving as a bonus tight end and coming off the bench for one spot start last season.

The Buckeyes didn't officially designate him as a surefire starter after camp, and there were a few difficult stretches for him in spring while drawing the toughest head-to-head matchups in drills against the likes of J.T. Tuimoloau or Jack Sawyer. But for the. most part, Fryar was able to hold his own and should only benefit from those iron-sharpening reps by the time the season rolls around in September.

Nobody really expected Josh Proctor back for another season at Ohio State -- and the super-senior safety himself would have been at the top of that list.

Given how well he could have tested at an NFL Combine or a Pro Day, the amount of football he's played and the length of time he's been at Ohio State, there was little thought paid to the fact that Proctor could elect to come back for one more season. But he wound up sticking around yet again for the Buckeyes, and it looks like that decision could pay off both for him and the secondary as a whole.

There has never been a doubt at all about Proctor's athleticism, and it's no surprise at all that defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and safeties coach Perry Eliano became enamored with it like plenty of coaches before them. The first year in the new system, though, didn't quite connect for Proctor and he lost his starting job just a couple plays into the season after a missed tackle in the opener last year. But he was back in that role throughout spring camp for the Buckeyes, and now fully immersed in the demands of a safety-driven defense, Proctor turned in the finest set of practices in his lengthy career with the program.

The lofty projections technically no longer even apply to Gee Scott since he's not playing the same position where he once earned acclaim on the recruiting trail.

But there was a second round of hype about how Scott's skills as a big-bodied receiver might translate to tight end when he made that move, although that's also now a couple years in the rearview mirror for him.

There is still time for him to make a mark for the Buckeyes, and it felt like there were clear signs of progress for Scott throughout spring as continued to improve his blocking technique, strengthen his frame and make a handful of hard-nosed catches in traffic. What exactly that will mean for his role at Ohio State is still tricky to figure out in a unit that will feature Cade Stover on top of the depth chart and with Joe Royer appearing to be next in line. But Scott delivered notable work for the Buckeyes, and he's still got a chance to play a long-awaited role on offense.

The Buckeyes aren't looking for any new starters at linebacker. But when both of the top options were on the shelf during camp, there were plenty of first-team snaps available for the next guys in line to make their case for more work in the fall -- or at least to solidify the depth.

Much of the attention in camp went to the younger candidate for playing time, and C.J. Hicks certainly made the most of his opportunities. But that shouldn't overshadow the steady, solid work turned in by Cody Simon, who was perhaps also better off the bench last season than he got credit for when the Buckeyes needed him.

It seems apparent that Ohio State is at least more open to the idea of lightening the load for Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers at linebacker this season, even if those two remain the entrenched regulars for the Silver Bullets. But the Buckeyes wouldn't be considering it as much if not for the reliability of Simon or the upside of Hicks, which certainly bodes well for the overall health of that unit.