Johnnie Dixon’s freshman season came to a screeching halt after the Kent State game, when Urban Meyer announced the West Palm Beach, FL, product would need surgery due to tendonitis in his knees.
While it's probably premature to compare Dixon to Amari Cooper, the frosh did manage to get on the field very early. He played in one game, against Kent State, and managed four carries for 20 yards, but did not register a reception. But additional pass catching was honestly not needed against the Golden Flashes in a game the Buckeyes won 66-0.
The fact that the 5-foot-11, 198-pound wide receiver worked his way far enough up the depth chart to warrant playing time in just the third game of the season is noteworthy. He was battling at a deep position that included seniors Devin Smith and Evan Spencer, as well as guys who had been in the program like Michael Thomas and transfers like Jeff Greene and Corey Smith (Juco), not to mention fellow freshmen like Noah Brown.
Now Dixon faces perhaps a more daunting task. He must not only show that he’s growing as a player, but also that his knee issues are behind him. Many promising Buckeyes have arrived on campus only to succumb to chronic or nagging afflictions.
For proof of that Dixon need look no further than within his own position group, where fellow Floridian James Clark got on the field early and has disappeared since an ankle injury in a 76-0 win over Florida A&M in the fourth game of 2013. If you’ve heard Clark’s name since then, it was likely preceded by “whatever happened to” in the sentence.
Sometimes just shaking the stigma of being “an injured guy” can be tough in the game of football. Bill Parcells notoriously avoided signing players who had a history of injury trouble.
If Dixon can get on the field, prove he hasn’t been slowed by his knee surgery and avoid recurring problems with the tendonitis, he’ll have an opportunity to show the talent that enabled him to make 17 catches for 366 yards and six touchdowns in helping Dwyer High School’s five-game run to the Florida Class 7A state championship in 2013.
The 19th member of the 2014 class, Dixon was also one of its most promising. He was a consensus four-star recruit and was ranked among the very best at his position by ESPN (No. 5), Rivals (No. 15) and Scout (No. 30). He has the build and the ball skills to become the next great Ohio State receiver.
The looming question is whether he can cash in that potential for production. That journey is both a physical and mental one in many respects. Physically, he’ll have to prove it on the field and stay healthy. Mentally, he’ll have to overcome the adversity he’s sustained thus far and develop the understanding of the system required by Urban Meyer, Ed Warinner and Tim Beck in order to get his opportunity.
Becoming a standout on special teams would be a good first step. Hopefully, it would be the first step of many on the football field for Dixon at Ohio State.
