Ohio State Freshman Wide Receiver Kaleb Brown Becomes First Summer Enrollee to Lose Black Stripe in 2022

The freshman wide receiver has impressed the Ohio State coaching staff since his arrival in June, and he was rewarded Wednesday with the removal of his black stripe, becoming the Buckeyes’ first summer enrollee to lose his black stripe this year.

welcome to #Zone6, @ikaleb35 #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/1zqzcRw28h

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 17, 2022

Before coming to Columbus, Brown was a running back and wide receiver for St. Rita High School in Chicago. As a senior, he injured his left leg and missed the regular season but returned for his team's state playoff run, scoring two rushing touchdowns to send his school to the championship. The Mustangs lost that title game, but Brown finished with 11 catches for 189 yards and three touchdowns through the air, adding 14 carries for 54 yards and three scores on the ground.

As the No. 79 overall prospect in the 2022 cycle, Brown is the highest-rated receiver in Ohio State’s freshman class.

Brown’s hybrid skill set might be more valuable than initially thought after Evan Pryor suffered a season-ending knee injury this week, which leaves Ohio State with only three scholarship running backs. While Brown was recruited to play receiver for the Buckeyes, he could potentially be a candidate to also play some snaps at running back if needed. He also has been seen returning punts at practice along with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cameron Martinez and Emeka Egbuka.

Regardless of where Brown lines up, his quick stripe removal – ahead of the three other wide receivers in his recruiting class – suggests he is already making a push for playing time as a true freshman.