Better Know a Buckeye: Binjimen Victor

Our "Better Know a Buckeye" series continues with its 19th installment. We profile Binjimen Victor, a wide receiver from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Ohio State fans knew Victor as a breakout performer from the Friday Night Lights event in 2014. His week-long stay in Columbus around that event put Ohio State as one of the teams to beat for Victor. However, programs like Florida and Tennessee pushed hard for Victor through 2015. He even looked like he could be a Gator last summer. Persistence from Zach Smith paid off when Victor committed on Jan. 18 of this year.

I retell his recruitment below and what led to his commitment. Thereafter, I provide a scouting report for a long and rangy wide receiver who should excite Ohio State fans when the offense is in the red zone. I close with a projection of a redshirt in 2016 and some highlight film for the reader to watch at the end of the feature.

HIS RECRUITMENT

Ohio State offered Binjimen Victor on May 12, 2014, by which point he already held offers from Clemson, Miami and West Virginia, among others. He later acquired offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Michigan and Tennessee that summer. However, his visit to Ohio State for the Friday Night Lights camp changed the trajectory of a recruitment that otherwise looked like Miami or the SEC during 2014.

That Friday Night Lights camp showcased Binjimen Victor as a rising junior who was interested in Ohio State enough to find his way to Columbus for an extended visit. He was in Columbus for a week, including several days at the hotel and a corollary FBU camp at Dubline Jerome High School. The visit made such an impression that Victor put Ohio State as "really high, really high" on a short list he was preparing.

Victor's recruitment idled a little bit during his junior season. He acquired a major offer from Notre Dame, whose then-assistant coach Tony Alford took the lead in his recruitment for the Irish. He also made some unofficial visits, though they were local. He visited Florida State for its game against Notre Dame and visited nearby Miami for its game against Florida State.

His recruitment gained more steam in the winter and spring with a slew of offers. Florida was most prominent among these new programs courting Victor. He had about 30 scholarship offers before Florida jumped into the fray, but the Gators were the one program outstanding whose offer Victor coveted.

The Florida offer coincided with two major turns in Victor's recruitment. He may have been an Ohio State lean since his Friday Night Lights visit, but Victor was enjoying the recruitment process early into 2015. He noted that no program may have separated itself from the pack in February when the Gators offered. However, he announced that he had a decision date set for June 22 with four finalists (Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, and Tennessee).

Victor scrapped that decision date after an unofficial visit to Ohio State on June 13. It was fortunate for Ohio State fans that he though against a June commitment. He likely would have committed to Florida at that point. Instead, he was flashing his Ohio State gloves to cameras during games in the fall. 

Binjimen Victor, Ohio State's top 2016 wide receiver target, rocks Buckeye gloves in prep season opener. http://t.co/88VsGV15XG

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 29, 2015

His recruitment continued into the fall with several visits. He visited Miami in September for its wild win over Nebraska. He took his first official visit in late September to West Virginia, a program that expressed early interest in Victor after his sophomore year and a program Victor admired when it had players like Steve Slaton and Pat White. He later visited Ohio State for its game against Penn State.

Victor planned for a commitment during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl though he decided to forgo this timetable as well. Several factors influenced this decision. One, Miami's hire of Mark Richt piqued his interest. Victor was a childhood fan of Miami and it's reasonable to wonder if Victor would have been a Miami pledge by that point in this year's recruiting cycle if he were a year younger. Two, Tennessee would not disappear from his radar. Butch Jones' persistence paid dividends amid the uncertainty developing late into Victor's recruitment.

Zach Smith visited Victor on Jan. 14. Victor visited Tennessee the next day. He planned an official visit to Gainesville thereafter, but it never materialized.

HIS COMMITMENT

Binjimen Victor committed to Ohio State on Jan. 18 as the 19th member of its 2016 recruiting class.

Blessed pic.twitter.com/BMg0tK9gJY

— BVIC (@BinjimenVictor) January 18, 2016

Victor acknowledged several factors that influenced his decision. Importantly, this recruiting win goes to Zach Smith. Ohio State fans may remember Smith having a rough first two years on the campaign trail and on the field as Ohio State's wide receivers coach, but he's been fantastic in both aspects of late. Binjimen Victor is both his future player and was his priority to get to Columbus.

Further, Ohio State is reaping dividends from its past investment in South Florida. Victor is familiar with Nick Bosa and he knew Damon Arnette, Johnnie Dixon, and Torrance Gibson. It made the decision to leave Florida that much easier.

WHERE HE EXCELS

Victor has the size and ball skills that could make him a special receiver for Ohio State and a handful for opposing cornerbacks.

His size might be the first thing fans will notice. Listed at 6-4, he will cast a long shadow over every defensive back he encounters. His height as superlative is not a trivial attribute either. It's an important feature that Ohio State's coaches saw and liked in him. He might be the first "big" pure wide receiver Ohio State has signed under Urban Meyer.

He uses his natural length to his advantage. Watch Victor high-point footballs. An ability to out-jump defensive backs and high-point footballs will make a 6-4 receiver difficult to cover and almost impossible to cover in the red zone.

MUST WORK ON

Victor is long but he is slim. He is still a willing blocker but his lack of strength is a major concern for immediate playing time. He will need to make the most of his time in the weight room this summer.

He is also not much of a route-runner at the moment. Few high school wide receivers are, but this will be a major point of emphasis for Victor his first few years on campus.

REDSHIRT?

Binjimen Victor has the skill set that would make him an intriguing candidate to play as a true freshman if he had enrolled in January. That would have allowed him time to get ahead on strength and conditioning. Right now, I think he redshirts.

HIGHLIGHTS

Here are senior highlights of Binjimen Victor.