Ohio State football: 5 questions the Buckeyes must answer in 2020
2. Ohio State football questions: Olave is great, but what other receivers step up?
When you look at the Buckeyes’ receiving corps, the major positive that stands out is the fact that Chris Olave is back in the fold. The speedy deep threat pass-catcher led the team in receiving yards (840) and receiving touchdowns (12) while averaging an impressive 17.5 yards per reception. Having him back in Ryan Day’s offense is going to be huge for this team.
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The big question, however, is what happens outside of Olave. We know that he’s going to come into the fold and keep taking the top off of defenses moving forward. But with the departures of K.J. Hill and Binjimen Victory, the guys who were No. 2 and 3 in receiving yards and touchdowns, respectively, last season, there is little certainty about how they’ll perform.
Outside of Olave, the Buckeyes’ leading returner in recieving yards is Garrett Wilson, who had only 30 catches for 432 yards, though he did come up with five touchdowns for the season. There are also some raw athletes but no one who is a route-runner and technician like Hill was. That’s somewhat of a concern.
Again, Fields is going to have options in the offense with Olave, Wilson and tight end Jeremy Ruckert, who can be a first-down and red-zone machine. But until we see the pecking order, it’s hard to imagine how things are going to shake out with this group beyond their obvious star.