By all accounts and measures, 2019 is going to be a year of transition for the Ohio State football program. It’s legendary head coach Urban Meyer has rode off into the sunset, and Ryan Day is tasked with keeping the Buckeyes near the top of the college football mountain.
To do it, he’ll need some returning players to continue to be productive, but he’ll also need some newer players to be the next man up to bridge the gap of some talented ones that have left the program. It’s the cycle of big-time college football, and few programs reload like Ohio State.
But who will those players be? Some you probably know about, others may come off the grid and surprise. Here at Buckeyes Wire, we’re going to do our best to provide you with five breakout players for this fall.
Nicholas Petit-Frere, freshman offensive tackle
Petit-Frere was a big-time get for Ohio State for the 2018 recruiting class. He was one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the country out of Tampa, and the Buckeyes were able to wrestle him away from Michigan in yet another recruiting battle won by the good guys.
He was red-shirted last year to develop and not waste his freshman campaign, and he looks ready to insert himself in an offensive line depleted because of departures to graduation. He’ll most likely slot in at the right tackle spot, but may slide up or down the line to get the best five blockers on the field. You may not hear his name called that often, but that’s a good thing when you’re in the trenches trying to keep things clean for the quarterback and tailbacks.
Binjimen Victor, senior receiver
Of course you know Victor by now. He’s been in the rotation for a couple of years now but has yet to really reach the high ceiling he has. He has an exceptional catch radius, great hands, and an ability to go up and get balls in traffic at their high point because of his height.
With three senior receivers gone, look for Victor to gain a more prominent role, especially in the redzone and possession type of situations when he’s locked against a smaller defensive back in man-to-man situations. We’ve seen him flash at times (Penn State), and this could be the year he makes himself some money for the NFL.
Garrett Wilson, freshman receiver
Perhaps the crown jewel of last year’s recruiting class, Wilson has already shown us what he can do last spring when he used his athleticism to go up and secure a touchdown one-on-one in the Spring Game.
He was wanted by almost every big-time program in college football, but he chose to come to Columbus. There’s still depth at the wide-receiver position on the roster, but it might be impossible to keep such a playmaker off the field. He’ll be inserted, and when he is, he’ll make some unbelievable plays as perhaps the most dynamic threat OSU has in the passing game.
Master Teague, freshman running back
Mike Weber is off to the NFL, now playing for “America’s Team, so that means J.K. Dobbins will be the bell-cow of the running game in 2019. But somebody has to back him up. Demario McCall will be in there somewhere, but Teague provides a physical running style that McCall and others just don’t have.
He’s a big back, yet has underrated speed to get through the hole and into the second level. We like his chances to be used often to spell Dobbins and get some carries in big-time situations. He was a bit underrated when the Buckeyes got him in the 2018 class, and he’s about to break-out.
Justin Fields, sophomore quarterback
Well, duh. There’s no player that is saddled with the responsibility of making or breaking Ohio State’s year more than one of the most physically gifted recruits to ever come to Columbus. There’s a so-called “competition” for the starting spot, but it’ll be his barring injury.
Fields has a live arm, but really sets himself apart with his ability to make dynamic plays with legs when everything else breaks down. It’ll always be pass first in Ryan Day’s offense, but also look for the 6-3, 225 lb. Fields to have more designed runs than Haskins had last year. If has anything near the year expected, there’s a chance the Buckeyes play for some pretty big things this fall. We think he will.
