Ohio State Football: Why Chris Olave will be another legend to wear No. 2

The Ohio State football program has had many elite football players wear the number two while at OSU. Now, Chris Olave will continue that tradition.

Wide receiver for the Ohio State football team Chris Olave announced this week that he will no longer be wearing No. 17 as he will switch to No. 2 in 2020. He will now join a long list of legendary Ohio State football players to wear that number.

Just take a look at this list Eleven Warriors made last year of everyone to wear the number since 1934. A lot of big names pop out.

Just last year, the Buckeyes had two legends wear the number. Running back J.K. Dobbins, the second-leading rusher in Ohio State history, wore the number all three seasons of his career, in addition to Chase Young – the all-time single-season sack leader at OSU – who wore it all three years of his career at OSU.

Then if you look a few years back, cornerback Marshon Lattimore wore it from 2014 through 2016, according to Eleven Warriors. He earned first team All-Big Ten in 2016 and was ultimately the 11th overall pick in the NFL Draft before earning two Pro Bowl selections and the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2017.

Ryan Shazier also wore it for the second half of 2013 and was also a first-round pick and has been a two-time Pro Bowler. The electric quarterback Terelle Pryor wore it too from 2008 through 2010, and safety Malcolm Jenkins also wore it from 2005 through 2008. After being a three-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree and an All-American in 2008, Jenkins went on to become a first-round pick and has been a three-time pro bowler in addition to earning Second Team All-Pro honors in 2010.

The most successful guy to wear No. 2 though happened to play the same position as Olave – Cris Carter.

Carter wore the number from 1984 through 1986 at OSU. After being an All-American at OSU in 1986, Carter went on to become an NFL Hall-of-Famer as he was an eight-time pro bowler, the NFL receptions leader in 1994, the three-time receiving touchdowns leader in 1995, 1997, and 1999, and was an All-Pro three times, (twice first team, once second team).

Olave had a great sophomore season on a stacked receiver corps, catching 48 passes for 840 yards and 12 touchdowns, ultimately earning Third Team All-Big Ten honors. That was all while wearing No. 17 though.

Binjimen Victor and K.J. Hill will no longer be in Columbus in 2020. That is over 90 receptions and over 1,100 receiving yards leaving the team due to graduation. Olave had the most receiving yards on the team in 2019 though and was second in receptions. So, if he can take the production he had last year and build on that as – probably – Justin Fields’ No. 1 option, then he can be another legend to wear No. 2 for Ohio State.