The defense was as impressive as expected during the four practices Ohio State opened to media members and paying fans, but our confidence in the Buckeyes’ offense has also grown after seeing Will Howard and the offensive line make strides during the team’s initial practices of August.

Howard was just one of many standouts during Ohio State’s first four practices. Linebackers Sonny Styles, Gabe Powers and Arvell Reese, offensive tackles Josh Simmons and Josh Fryar, cornerbacks Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Calvin Simpson-Hunt, freshman running backs James Peoples and Sam Wiliams-Dixon and the wide receiver trio of Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss were just some of the Buckeyes who caught our eye in the first week of camp.

We share all of our biggest takeaways from the first five days of camp on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.

The rundown for the first RPW of camp:

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:09 Will Howard Showing He Can Be Good Enough as Ohio State’s Starting Quarterback
• 11:22 Sonny Styles Looking Like An Elite Linebacker; What Does That Mean for C.J. Hicks?
• 17:32 Tegra Tshabola Making Move at Right Guard as Rest of Offensive Line Solidifies
• 25:37 Ohio State’s Punter This Season: Nick McLarty or Anthony Venneri (Or Both)?
• 29:36 Will Kacmarek, Jelani Thurman Pushing Gee Scott Jr. at Tight End
• 33:35 Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss All Look Ready for Stardom
• 36:41 Sam Williams-Dixon, James Peoples Looking Ready to Play as Freshmen
• 39:26 Jermaine Mathews Jr., Calvin Simpson-Hunt Showing OSU Has Elite CB Depth
• 41:26 Jaylen McClain Looking Like Potential Answer to Safety Depth Concerns
• 42:12 Mitchell Melton, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. Among Defensive Line Depth Standouts
• 44:21 Arvell Reese, Gabe Powers Making Case for Playing Time at Linebacker
• 45:57 There’s A Lot to Be Optimistic About with Ohio State Right Now