Ohio State's 2015 senior class has a chance to win its 50th game over a four-year period New Year's Day in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame. Before kickoff in their final collegiate game, Eleven Warriors will take a brief look back at each player's time in Columbus.
WHERE HE'S FROM
Nick Vannett didn't travel far to Ohio State. The Westerville Central tight end finished his 2009 junior year with 20 catches for 240 yards and two touchdowns. It was enough to earn a four-star rating and catch Jim Tressel's eye.
Vannett committed to Ohio State on June 30th, 2010. He finished his senior season with with 47 catches, 606 yards and eight touchdowns, good enough for All-Ohio Capital Conference honors, among other things.
Fans hoped Vannett, along with fellow 2011 four-star tight end Jeff Heuerman, would form a potential offensive tandem that, along with fellow 2011 signee Braxton Miller, would befuddle opposing defenses for years to come.
TOP MOMENTS
Vannett played in over 50 games for Ohio State, and his best statistical output (two touchdown catches totaling 28 yards) came against Rutgers in 2008.
Perhaps most noteworthy: Vannett came up big with touchdowns against Michigan and Oregon that year as well.
Barring an unprecedented outburst against Nore Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, Vannett will have posted his best statistical season—19 receptions, 220 yards and five touchdowns—as backup to Jeff Heuerman in 2014. (The statistics are hauntingly similar to the high school junior campaign that earned an offer from Jim Tressel.)
Despite the unforeseen dip in production, Vannett provided key mentorship to the young tight end room he'll leave in his wake.
OVERARCHING CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROGRAM
Despite keeping his commitment firm through Tatgate and its fallout, contributing to a national championship and possibly winning 50 games, Vannett will leave Columbus without a statue.
Still, he's a testament to the power of Ohio State. Vannett played five years, never complained about touches and never got in trouble. He leaves without a statue but with a debt-free Education degree.
Jake Stoneburner and Nick Vannett in 2011.
WHERE HE'S HEADED
Ohio State's offense, for reasons best expounded elsewhere, didn't feature Nick Vannett in 2015. The 2014 offense didn't feature Jeff Heuerman either, but Heuerman, a more polished blocker, was a better NFL prospect.
Still, NFL teams are willing to work with 6'6" catch-first tight ends like Vannett, so there's a possibility he could hear his name called on the second or third day of the draft. He will attend the Senior Bowl in Mobile.
If the NFL isn't in Vannett's cards, he already invested in himself. Vannett earned his Education degree in August.
MORE VANNETT
- Vannett's 2011 high school highlights.
- Nick Vannett commits to Ohio State over Notre Dame, Iowa, Penn State and others.
- Film Study: How Nick Vannett took apart Rutgers' defense.
