COLUMBUS — Ohio State coaches have been careful to quell the hype about quarterback Antonio Henton being the second coming of Troy Smith. But those who have tried to get their hands around the redshirt freshman from Georgia haven't been shy about making those comparisons.

While playing on the scout team last season, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Henton often left pass rushers feeling as if they were trying to tackle an apparition. And he was just as elusive while taking snaps with the first-string offense in a full-tilt scrimmage last week.

"He's quick," junior defensive end Lawrence Wilson said. "He's deceptive. You think you have him, but he jukes and runs outside. You've got to contain him, but it's kind of hard.

"He's like a younger version of Troy. ... He feels the pressure very well."

After sacking Henton once in the scrimmage, sophomore defensive end Doug Worthington was so overjoyed that he engaged in some good-natured jawing afterward.

"He told me, 'I finally got you,' " Henton said. "Yeah, he got me. But I got him with a big play."

Although he made some rookie mistakes, Henton frequently improvised in the backfield to gain more time, once completing a bomb to Brian Robiskie.

He began spring practice third on the depth chart behind junior Todd Boeckman and sophomore Rob Schoenhoft, but the gap may be narrowing.

"It's pretty tight, which is good," OSU quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels said of the competition. "I think Antonio Henton stepped up a little more than I thought he would, which I'm really happy about. His learning curve has really increased, but I figured it was going to be a pretty close deal. They've all got ability."

Henton was such a versatile athlete in high school that he was named the 2005 Georgia offensive player of the year in football and once scored 45 points in a basketball game.

But while Daniels sees glimpses of Troy Smith in Henton, the coach is quick to add: "Troy's arm probably as a youngster was a little more developed than Antonio's."

Henton also sometimes suffers from circuit overload while making his reads as a passer.

"At this point, the game is still just a little bit fast for him," Daniels said. "The ball is snapped, and it's like whoosh, things are going fast. But I've really been pleasantly surprised at how well he's picking up on things in our offense."

Henton gleaned what he could from Troy Smith last season, and the Heisman Trophy winner gave the newcomer some sage advice.

"He just told me when I came last summer to react to what the defensive gives you," Henton recalled. "He said, 'They're going to mess you up sometimes, but be smart. Don't give up the ball. Live for another down.' "

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