As the start of spring football at Ohio State approaches on March 6, we here at Eleven Warriors are taking a position-by-position look at the competitions to come when practices begin in less than two weeks.
While much of the attention surrounding Ohio State’s spring practices will be focused on the quarterback competition, which we previewed in the first installment of our Spring Preview, the potential of the Buckeyes’ passing offense for 2018 also depends on whether their wide receivers can continue to improve and whether playmakers can emerge at tight end.
Ohio State enters this spring with one of the most experienced and deepest groups of wide receivers in the country, but continued development and building rapport with each of Ohio State’s potential new starting quarterbacks will be key to whether they can turn that experience and depth into elite performance. At tight end, meanwhile, Ohio State returns three largely unproven players who will look to prove this spring that they can replace Marcus Baugh and make their position a bigger factor in the Buckeyes’ offense.
What We Know
Spring Position Previews
The Buckeyes return all six of their wide receivers who saw regular playing time last season. When healthy, the six wide receivers all saw relatively equal playing time to one another in 2017: Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor rotated at the ‘X’ position, Terry McLaurin and Johnnie Dixon rotated at the ‘Z’ and Parris Campbell and K.J. Hill rotated in the slot.
Hill led the 2017 Buckeyes in receptions (56), Campbell led the team in receiving yards (584) and Dixon led the way in receiving touchdowns (eight). All six receivers had more than 300 receiving yards, at least two receiving touchdowns and at least 18 catches.
In total, the Buckeyes are set to have 12 scholarship wide receivers on their 2018 roster. Jaylen Harris appeared in three games last season as a true freshman, while Ellijah Gardiner is set for his first playing season after redshirting as a true freshman last year. Kamryn Babb, Cameron Brown, Chris Olave and L’Christian “Blue” Smith are all set to arrive as incoming freshmen this summer. The Buckeyes also have a talented walk-on wide receiver, C.J. Saunders, who had 17 receptions for 221 yards and a touchdown in limited playing time last season.
At tight end, the Buckeyes lost three of their six scholarship players from last season. The Buckeyes’ 2017 starter, Marcus Baugh, exhausted his eligibility, while Kierre Hawkins transferred out of the program and A.J. Alexander was placed on medical scholarship. That leaves the Buckeyes with just three scholarship tight ends on the roster this spring – Rashod Berry, Luke Farrell and Jake Hausmann – though the top-rated tight end in the 2018 recruiting class, Jeremy Ruckert, will arrive this summer.
Berry, a converted defensive end, played the most snaps in 2017 among returning tight ends, catching six passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Farrell appeared in eight games and caught two passes for 19 yards. Hausmann appeared in three games but did not catch a pass.
What We Don't Know
Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith has said that he would expand his rotation beyond six wide receivers if the Buckeyes were to have more than six wide receivers who prove they belong on the field. Is it really practical, though, for the Buckeyes to rotate more than six wide receivers in a meaningful game? 2018 might be the year we find out.
With little question, barring injuries, that Ohio State’s top six receivers will retain their spots on the Buckeyes’ two-deep depth chart, the big question surrounding the wide receivers entering this spring is whether the Buckeyes will find a way to get Saunders, Harris and/or any other wideouts on the field on a regular basis. We might not know the answer to that question until September. How those players perform this spring, though, could go a long way in determining whether the Buckeyes make a real effort to make room for them in the rotation.
The Buckeyes face much greater unknowns at the tight end position, where it remains uncertain whether any of Ohio State’s tight ends can be consistent playmakers in the passing game or consistent blockers in the running game. Berry flashed intriguing playmaking ability last season, but never took on a consistent role in the Buckeye offense – largely disappearing from the game plan down the stretch of the year – while neither Farrell nor Hausmann has had much opportunity to show what they can do in game action.
Players to Watch
Among the top six wide receivers, the players to watch this spring will be Mack and Victor, who are both going into their junior years. While they ranked fifth and sixth on the Buckeyes in receiving yards last season, they are arguably the two most talented downfield receivers on the team. Both have shown flashes of greatness, but neither has become a consistent playmaker yet. That could change in 2018, especially if the offense places a greater emphasis on downfield passing (which could depend on who wins the quarterback competition), but the first step to a breakout fall is a strong spring.
Harris, who offers similar downfield playmaking potential with his size and athleticism, will be another wide receiver to watch this spring. Of all the receivers on the 2018 roster who were not regulars in last year’s Ohio State receiver rotation, Harris could be the toughest to keep off the field. He has to make that tough, though, by showing playmaking ability this spring that proves he deserves to have a role this fall.
Berry, who has the physical attributes to be a star if he can master the finer points of playing the tight end position, will certainly be a potential breakout player to watch this spring, which will be a crucial time for Berry to continue learning the fundamentals that can allow him to take advantage of his freakish size and athleticism.
This spring could be even more crucial, though, for Farrell and Hausmann – both four-star recruits in the class of 2016 – whose best opportunity to prove they belong on the field could be now, before Ruckert arrives on campus this summer.
Luke Farrell will be among the players to watch at the tight end position this spring.
Position Outlook
Given that it is already mostly determined which wide receivers will see the most playing time in 2018, this spring for Smith’s unit will be mostly about whether they can collectively take their game to another level as a group and/or whether any of those receivers can separate themselves from the pack to become a true go-to playmaker. There’s no Michael Thomas, Devin Smith or Curtis Samuel in this group yet, but there’s players within the group that have the potential to play at those levels – this spring is the time to start proving it.
It’s hard to envision any wide receiver from outside last year’s rotation playing a major role in Ohio State’s offense this season, because while the idea of having seven, eight or nine receivers who can all make an impact is nice, it still might not be practical to rotate three-deep at any given receiver spot. Harris, though, is an intriguing player who could make a push. Saunders has shown the playmaking ability to make a real impact in the passing game too, but whether he gets a bigger role in the offense depends largely – as Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has suggested on multiple occasions – on whether he can become physically stronger and an effective blocker.
Berry, as the only returning tight end who appeared in every game for the Buckeyes last season, should be the frontrunner to start at that position if he can show continued improvement this spring. Ruckert should be an immediate candidate to push for a spot on the two-deep once he arrives in fall camp, though, so this spring will be an important time – but also a real opportunity – for all three returning tight ends to state their cases for playing bigger roles in the Ohio State offense this season.
Projected Depth Chart
Wide Receiver (X)
1A. Austin Mack
1B. Binjimen Victor
3. Jaylen Harris
Wide Receiver (Z)
1A. Terry McLaurin
1B. Johnnie Dixon
3. Kamryn Babb (not yet enrolled)
Wide Receiver (Slot/H-Back)
1A. Parris Campbell
1B. K.J. Hill
3. C.J. Saunders
Tight End
1. Rashod Berry
2. Jeremy Ruckert (not yet enrolled)
3. Luke Farrell
