Football Defections

The month of July tends to be the quietest month for college football coaches. They are able to get some time off, take a vacation and basically reinvigorate themselves for the upcoming season. Players, on the other hand, continually work through the summer to reach new levels and impress the staff. But, not everything is peaches and cream in college football.

With a roster of 85 players and 20 or so walk-ons, not everyone is going to be happy with their playing time. Or, on the flipside, the coaches aren't always thrilled with the players and some are politely asked to leave. To that end, the Ohio State football team has seen four players leave in the last month. Gone are:

• DT Juan Garnier
• CB Brandon Underwood
• DE Walter Dublin
• DE Ryan Williams

The reasons behind the moves are varied. Garnier, a recent subject of CBSsportsline's Dennis Dodd, was a talented walk-on looking for a scholarship. It never came. Underwood follows his brothers footsteps in leaving the program. The official reason for Dublin is homesickness but I have heard from more than a few people it's a little more involved than that. Ryan Williams simply never fully recovered from a devastating ACL injury. He will attempt a comeback closer to his hometown.

As you've probably noted, three of the four are defensive linemen which further depletes our already thin group. Underwood may have figured into some nickel situations for the upcoming season.