Improving arm strength a top priority for Ohio State QBs this summer

11:54 AM ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio — J.T. Barrett isn’t shy about defending his physical ability, but there is one notable exception.

The Ohio State quarterback has learned to just laugh about the difference between the strength in his right arm and the rocket launcher his buddy and friendly rival Cardale Jones possesses, particularly after it was put on public display one last time on Saturday at the spring game.

In a head-to-head longest toss competition, Barrett was always going to be a huge underdog, even as he wound up with a couple steps to try to squeeze a few extra yards out of his throw. The fact that Jones edged him without much effort as he flicked off a flat-footed bomb on his first attempt to top him made it even easier for Barrett to concede that’s not a battle he’s ever going to win, though it’s obviously not the only tool needed to thrive at the most important position on the field.

J.T. Barrett is no stranger to addressing doubts about his physical abilities to play quarterback at the highest level. AP Photo/Jay LaPrete

“Cardale is something else, man,” Barrett said. “I want you all to recognize that I didn’t put everything in that throw, but I mean, it was about 75 percent into that, honestly. And Cardale just rocked back and launched it, he beat me by two yards and it was like, I wonder what he would have done if he had hopped into it?

“It’s OK, that’s my man and he’s going to talk trash to me later, which is all right. I’ll take …

continue reading in source espn.go.com