COLUMBUS, Ohio –– Most of the attention on the Ohio State secondary may pertain to who is stepping up to fill the void left by three starters from a season ago, but safeties coach Matt Barnes shed some light Wednesday on the progress of several fresh faces adjusting to their first year in the program.

Barnes let it slip that a couple of freshman cornerbacks have dealt with injuries in the preseason, but that other first-year defensive backs have already impressed him during their transition to the next level.

“Some of those young guys have been really good. Lejond Cavazos, before he got hurt, did a great job. Ryan Watts has been dinged up a little bit,” Barnes said. “Ryan Watts, I think, is gonna be a special player. The guy that I really like to watch, and he’s brand new to playing on the defensive side of the ball, is Cam Martinez.”