Ohio State Football: Offensive captains battled adversity, and won
Each of the offensive captains on the Ohio State football team overcame challenges and earned respect from all for doing so.
The offensive captains on this year’s Ohio State football team are an impressive bunch, and not just because they are so talented. Each has struggled along the way but never let challenges they faced stop them in their pursuit of excellence and other players respect them for it.
Lets first look at the skill position players from the 2014 recruiting class.
Parris Campbell: I have been on Campbell’s bandwagon since I watched him play in the Ohio High School Playoffs his senior year. He struggled early in his Ohio State career though.
Campbell was red-shirted his freshman year and then played wide receiver early on. That didn’t work.
Last year he was moved to H-back, a more natural fit for the former high school running back, and he thrived. He was off to a terrific start until suffering an injury.
He came back quickly though and had a fine season catching 40 passes for 584 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Johnnie Dixon: I couldn’t wait to see the recruit with a reported sub-4.4 in the 40 on the field but I wondered of I ever would. Dixon battled knee problems his first three years and rarely saw the field.
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He was finally healthy last season and Buckeye fans finally saw why Dixon was ranked as a top ten wide receiver coming out of high school. He averaged 23.4 yards per reception and scored touchdowns on 8 of his 18 catches.
The way Dixon has overcome his injury situation makes him an excellent role model for younger players.
Terry McLaurin: Another speedy receiver in the 2014 recruiting class, McLaurin also had to bide his time before making an impact. His sophomore year he only had 11 receptions and averaged 10.4 ypc.
He had a breakout season in 2017 catching 29 passes, averaging 15 ypc and scored 6 touchdowns.
Now for the big guy who has made tremendous strides.
Isaiah Prince: Talk about a guy who made strides in a short period of time.
In 2016, when Prince was a first year starter, opposing defensive coordinators exploited the right tackle’s weaknesses especially during the last half of the season. He bounced back last year and it was a different story as Prince became one of the best tackles in the Big Ten.
Next. Big Ten non-conference schedule too weak. dark
As the Ohio State football team prepares for what could be an outstanding season one thing is for certain. The potent Buckeye offense will have terrific leaders this year with the captains players can look to for advice when they experience bumps in the road.