Meyer says recovering Miller, Barrett just about at full strength

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No, Ohio State does not yet have a starting quarterback. But there's good news surrounding the competition.

The three-way battle between Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones will likely feature all three QBs operating at full health. Head coach Urban Meyer told reporters Wednesday that Miller and Barrett, who are both working their way back from injuries that ended their respective 2014 campaigns, are nearing full strength.

Meyer, his quotes published over at Cleveland.com, said Miller "is pretty close to full speed" and that Barrett is "close to 95 percent."

That's great news for the college football world, almost every eye of which will be on the Buckeyes' quarterback competition beginning next month. It's, of course, also terrific news for the Buckeyes, who will have three full-strength QBs to choose from. Though it might make Meyer's job a bit more difficult.

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Miller is returning from a second straight shoulder injury, the latest suffered in training camp days before last season began. The first came in Ohio State's loss to Clemson in the Orange Bowl the previous season. Miller was a two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year before he was knocked out of what was to be his senior season before it started.

Barrett took over and quickly found his footing, engineering a remarkable season as a redshirt freshman, a campaign that saw his team win all but one game and claim a Big Ten East Division championship. Along the way, he broke a whole bunch of program and conference records. He injured his ankle in the regular-season finale against Michigan, and though he was knocked out for the postseason, he still earned Big Ten Quarterback of the Year honors and finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy.

Jones' fill-in performance was perhaps just as impressive, if not more so. Taking over for the injured Barrett, he was sensational in three postseason wins: the Big Ten title game over Wisconsin, the Sugar Bowl over Alabama and the College Football Playoff national championship game over Oregon. Jones threw for a combined 742 yards and five touchdowns in those three wins, running for another 90 yards and a touchdown, as he helped guide Ohio State to the eighth national championship in school history.

The Buckeyes figure to be in good hands regardless of who wins the job. All three QBs are viewed not only as capable but excellent, and whoever wins the competition will likely be among the favorites for many of college football's individual awards, including the Heisman Trophy.

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