Chris Olave is staying at Ohio State for another year.
Ohio State's 2021 receiving corps got a huge boost on Monday when Olave announced he would return to the Buckeyes for his senior season, delaying his entry into the NFL draft until 2022.
One more. pic.twitter.com/fLshkXoAQH
— Chris Olave (@chrisolave_) January 18, 2021
Had Olave opted to go pro, he likely would have been selected in the first or second round of the draft. He decided to stay in Columbus for one more year, though, for the opportunity to earn his degree from Ohio State and take one more shot at trying to lead the Buckeyes to a national championship.
Already the Buckeyes' leading receiver for the past two seasons, Olave is positioned to be one of Ohio State's top team leaders in 2021. He'll almost certainly be in line for captaincy, and will provide an experienced go-to target for whoever ends up being Justin Fields' successor as Ohio State's next starting quarterback.
In his first three seasons at Ohio State, Olave has already caught 111 passes for 1,775 yards and 22 touchdowns. He ranks sixth in Ohio State history in career receiving touchdowns and 16th in both receptions and receiving yards. By returning to Ohio State for one more year, he'll have a chance to continue climbing the record books and leave Columbus as one of Ohio State's best wide receivers ever.
With Olave back in the fold, Ohio State is poised to potentially have college football's best receiving corps in 2021. All five wide receivers who caught passes in 2020 will be back for 2021 – Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jameson Williams, Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba – while other potential contributors at the position next season include fourth-year wideout Kamryn Babb, second-year wideout Gee Scott Jr. and the incoming freshman trio of Jayden Ballard, Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr.
