Ohio State has to find new starters at all three wide receiver spots before opening its 2016 season against Bowling Green on September 3, and while there’s a shortage of experience, the Buckeyes have loads of talent on the perimeter.
But even with that brimming potential, finding successors for Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall and Braxton Miller—who led Ohio State in receiving yards and touchdowns in 2015—will be one of the biggest challenges for Urban Meyer and the coaching staff during spring and fall camp.
So who will be J.T. Barrett’s top targets this fall?
The Comeback Kids
Ohio State was supposed to get big contributions from Noah Brown and Corey Smith in 2015, but both saw their seasons cut short after suffering broken legs.
Brown’s injury came during fall camp, which was a huge blow to the wide receiver corps. The 6’2″, 222-pound sophomore was breaking out in practice and primed for a huge season, and the Buckeyes were relying on him to bring his aggressive perimeter blocking and crisp routes to an already explosive offense.
Smith went down in the first conference game of the year, when the Buckeyes hit the road for a matchup against Indiana in Week 5. He was struggling to find his way in an uninspired passing attack, catching just five passes for 62 yards before his season ended, but that was more a result of poor quarterback play than anything he failed to bring to the field.
Thanks to the NCAA granting Smith a medical redshirt to return…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Football: Looking Ahead to the Buckeyes’ Rebuilt Wide Receiver Corps
