As we get closer and closer to what we hope will be an on-time start to the 2020 Ohio State football season, we continue to see preview pieces hit from preseason rankings, to award hopefuls, and more.
ESPN is no different and continues to publish looks at various angles of the college football season, mainly focusing on its preseason top 25 teams. The latest is an effort to identify each top 25 team’s most unheralded star, and for the Buckeyes, Tom VanHaaren has singled out rising junior wide receiver Chris Olave.
Olave led Ohio State last season in receiving yards (849) and touchdowns caught (12), continuing to separate himself as a big-time playmaker that can stretch the field. There’s a ton of new, extremely talented blood coming into the program at the receiver position, but he should be the steady, smooth, dependable target Fields will continue to look for.
But enough about what we say, what does ESPN say about Olave?
Next … What ESPN says about Chris Olave
Chris Olave, ESPN’s unheralded star for Ohio State
What VanHaaren says about Olave
“Ohio State fans don’t undervalue wide receiver Olave, but it seems he doesn’t get the national recognition he should. He was overshadowed last season by Justin Fields and running back J.K. Dobbins on offense as well as what Chase Young was doing on defense. But all Olave did was lead one of the best offenses in receiving yards and touchdowns. Despite his stats, people are still talking about what sophomore receiver Garrett Wilson can do in his second season and how much of an impact Fields will have in his second go-round. Olave’s production compared to the national talk and attention he gets is lopsided, and if he continues the rise he sees each season, he should start to garner more attention.”
Remember, Olave was a bit of an afterthought when he was signed as a part of the 2017 recruiting class as a 3-star prospect. Ohio State only discovered him while attending games in the San Diego area while recruiting other prospects. He stood out, and the Buckeye staff knew felt good about finding a diamond in the rough. That was clearly the case.
Now, we’ll see if Olave can break the 1,000-yard receiving barrier and become even more a part of the game plan this fall, and perhaps a high NFL draft pick.
