Don't be fooled by his championship rock, Cardale Jones still considers himself a third-string quarterback.
While it's true the Ohio State redshirt junior stepped up to lead his team to a national title after both Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett suffered season-ending injuries, Jones acknowledged his place in the games was more about necessity than anything he earned, according to ESPN's Austin Ward.
"I haven't proven anything yet. I haven't proven anything to myself, my teammates, my coaches to label myself as a starter. That’s my opinion, my personal opinion," Jones said.
"I'm kind of harder on myself than the coaches, but I was thrown into that position. I didn't beat out J.T going into the Michigan game. I didn't beat out Braxton. Unfortunately both guys got hurt, and luckily enough I was prepared to try to take advantage of the situation."
However, Jones is dead set on proving himself during this year's training camp.
"I'm working harder than ever. I understand that I want to be the starting quarterback of this team, but I know I have two guys in front of me who are working just as hard," Jones explained.
Miller suffered a severe injury to his throwing shoulder in preseason practice last year, sidelining him for the entire season. Despite whispers the veteran may seek to play elsewhere with the emergence of Barrett and Jones, head coach Urban Meyer has remained confident Miller will play for the Buckeyes this fall.
Barrett, who stepped in for Miller after his injury, led the team to the Big Ten East title, but saw his record-setting season come to an end against Michigan when the Texas native suffered a right ankle fracture. Barrett was reportedly able to take limited reps in the spring.
Then comes Jones, who may be last in the lineup, but not the least. After proving his ability to lead in the championship, and after taking first-team reps in the spring, he's still looking to improve his leadership and communication with the younger players who joined Ohio State this spring.
Coach Meyer said in April he expects to make the quarterback situation clear by the "middle of training camp."