Ohio State held four straight days of practices after opening preseason training camp last week.

While the Buckeyes were off on Monday in order to move into a hotel for the rest of camp, the break in the schedule offered a chance to take stock of some notable performers from the early days.

Reporters, along with ticketed spectators, observed practices from the sidelines of the fields outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Here are five players who flashed their potential.

Will Howard

Much ink has been spilled about the potential impact of Howard’s mobility, and it appeared to be for good reason when the 6-foot-4 quarterback took off running for at least 80 yards in an 11-on-11 period late in Saturday’s practice.

But there are more ways in which Howard’s legs could be an asset for the Buckeyes. He offered a glimpse a day later in the same portion of practice when he stepped up in the pocket, avoiding pass-rushing defensive ends, and checked down to running back Quinshon Judkins to pick up some yards after the play had broken down.

His movement in the pocket is perhaps also a product of his experience. Howard made 27 starts over the last four seasons at Kansas State and has carried a poise to Columbus. He has not thrown an interception through four practices, looking crisp in most passing settings.

Carnell Tate

Tate made one of the more spectacular catches of camp on Sunday with a leaping grab along the sideline, reeling in a pass from freshman quarterback Julian Sayin during a 7-on-7 drill.

A lot of the offseason buzz surrounding Ohio State’s receivers has focused on Jeremiah Smith, the top overall prospect in the last recruiting class who looks poised to become a rare freshman starter at the position, but Tate should not be overlooked in the mix to replace Marvin Harrison Jr. and Julian Fleming out wide.

Tate, who also showed flashes of his potential in practices as a freshman last year, has been a consistent playmaker beyond just the splashy sequences.

Tegra Tshabola

When Carson Hinzman was unavailable at the start of camp due to an illness, it left Tshabola in position to take reps at right guard between the other first-team offensive linemen.

Evaluating linemen before putting on full pads is a bit of a fool’s errand, though any practice setting is revealing of the immense size of Tshabola, who is listed at 6-foot-6 and 327 pounds, standing out to observers.

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day remarked that his grasp of the various blocking assignments and techniques has grown as well since he enrolled at Ohio State two years ago, putting him in the middle of the competition to start at right guard.

“That’s the first level of learning,” Day said. “Do you know what you’re doing? I know that sounds simple, but you have to know your assignments cold. There’s a lot of preparation that goes with that. He’s done that.”

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Mitchell Melton

Knee injuries sidelined Melton in 2022 and 2021. The coronavirus pandemic-shortened season in 2020 limited him to a brief cameo on kickoff return.

But Melton, a versatile defensive end who has shown promise as an edge rusher, began seeing a larger role last fall, one that could further expand this year.

He’s taken a lot of reps in 11-on-11 periods and created havoc in the backfield, including deflecting at least one pass.

Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau will continue to anchor the edges of the defensive line, but Melton could push himself higher up in the rotation with returning defensive ends Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson. Melton saw a handful of first-team reps opposite Sawyer on Sunday after an injury scare with Tuimoloau.

Jermaine Mathews Jr.

The first pass attempted by Sayin in 11-on-11s on Sunday landed in the hands of Mathews.

Mathews jumped a route to pick off the freshman quarterback and returned the interception for a touchdown.

A sophomore cornerback from Cincinnati, he stepped up in a handful of situations last season when Denzel Burke was banged up.

“Jermaine has already shown he can be a gamer,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said.

Mathews has seemingly picked up where he left off and even expanded his role. With Lorenzo Styles Jr. limited as he recovers from a shoulder injury, Mathews has also seen reps at nickel safety.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football: 5 standouts from start of training camp