XICHIGAN WEEK
Ohio State blows out Indiana, 38-15. Now, it's time to do the same to That Team Up North.
When Ohio State takes to the field for the Spring Game later today (around 1:45 p.m., after the lacrosse game against Maryland), one of the players to watch will be redshirt freshman Parris Campbell, No. 21 on the Scarlet team.
A star player for the scout team in 2014 as a true freshman, Campbell has been drawing rave reviews by the coaching staff and his fellow Buckeye players for quite a while. While biding his time last year behind a host of skilled players, Campbell was chosen to portray opposing teams’ star players such as Amari Cooper and Melvin Gordon.
But who is this fast-rising Buckeye?
Campbell was discovered by Ohio State while the coaching staff was hot on the trail of fellow Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary’s product Dante Booker at the 2012 D-III Ohio state championship. That day, Campbell ran 14 times for 165 yards and three touchdowns in St. Vincent-St. Mary's state championship win over Bellevue, 42-21.
He was offered by Ohio State and became the fourth Buckeye commitment for the 2014 class in early 2013.
Campbell was mostly used as a running back in high school, where he could best use his blistering pace. Now listed as a wide receiver on the Buckeye roster, the Akron product is a consistent 4.4 runner in the 40 (he was one of the three fastest players at The Opening in summer of 2013). He followed his impressive junior year with 1,584 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior, leading his school to a 15-0 record and a repeat as state champs.
In his second year in the program, Urban Meyer and Tim Beck will look for Campbell to become more involved, and the luxury he brings is that there are many ways to do that. He can run out of the backfield, play the H-Back role if asked, or use his speed on the outside as a receiver. Or, he can be utilized on special teams.
We should get more of an idea how the coaching staff prefers to use him later today. It will be important to note where he lines up and how his Scarlet coaches use him. It will also be noteworthy to watch and see if he builds some chemistry with Scarlet quarterback Stephen Collier, because it might be a glimpse into the future.
