Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for the Buckeyes in 2020

4. Chris Olave becomes a first round NFL Draft pick.

Chris Olave broke out in the 2018 game against Michigan catching two touchdowns and blocking a punt that went for a touchdown. He took that performance in 2018 and dazzled as the Buckeyes best receiver in 2019.

He caught 48 passes for 840 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, leading the Buckeyes in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns while being No. 2 in receptions. That is not a shabby sophomore year from the former three-star who was the last scholarship offered by Urban Meyer in the 2018 class.

Now Olave heads into his junior season looking to up his draft stock with a monster season. He is without a doubt the Buckeye’s best receiver in 2020 as K.J. Hill, Benjimin Victor and Austin Mack are all gone to graduation. It will be Olave in the lead of the unit with young Bucks Garrett Wilson and five-star freshman Julian Flemming behind him.

Olave is the right person to be in charge as well as he holds the entire package. He has plenty of speed, is a great route runner, and has about as sure hands as you are going to get from a receiver. He is the best receiver prospect to come out of Ohio State since Michael Thomas, and we all know what he is doing at the next level.

While Thomas was only a second-round pick, it is no secret that NFL teams have been keener to draft Buckeyes earlier in the draft. It will also help that Buckeye receivers have been seeing success in the NFL lately with Thomas becoming the league’s best receiver, and Terry McLaurin having a fantastic season for Washington in 2019.

If Olave can have a 1,000-yard receiving season and catch 15-plus touchdowns, he will be one of the first receivers off the board in the 2021 draft. It helps also, to have a leading Heisman candidate like Justin Fields throwing to you.