Ohio State football: Three Buckeye freshmen to watch in 2021
By Coop Ledford
Significant players from the Ohio State football team have moved on and entered their names in the NFL Draft, while a few key players are returning. The Buckeyes also have some great incoming freshman who could see the field in 2021.
Gone to the NFL are Ohio State starters QB Justin Fields, RB Trey Sermon, OG Wyatt Davis, C Josh Myers, K Blake Haubeil, P Drue Chrisman, DT Tommy Togiai, DE Jonathon Cooper, CB Shaun Wade, LB’s Tuf Borland, Justin Hillard, and Baron Browning.
A handful of key players that were considering making a run for the NFL do return to Columbus, however. WR Chris Olave was the biggest surprise, and OL Thayer Munford joins him, as does DE Tyreke Smith, DT Haskell Garrett, CB Sevyn Banks, and TE Jeremy Ruckert.
With the returning talent and the second-ranked recruiting class in the nation, there is much to be excited about in Columbus. Which freshmen could see the most playing time in 2021? Let’s dive into the top options.
Sawyer is a Columbus-area native and could see a significant amount of playing time at defensive end in 2021. With Jonathon Cooper gone, Tyreke Smith will be the frontrunner for a DE job, and Sawyer will compete with Zach Harrison, Tyler Friday, and Javontae Jean-Baptiste for the other DE spot.
Harrison, a former-five star, will have the upper-hand and will be the favorite to win the starting job, but Sawyer, being the #1 Ohio and #4 national recruit, will undoubtedly see playing time. Defensive Line coach Larry Johnson has developed some high-profile DE’s such as Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa, and Chase Young. Jack Sawyer could be the next superstar rush-man to come out of Ohio State.
The #1 WR in the class of 2021 is Emeka Egbuka from Steilacoom, Washington. Egbuka did not commit to Ohio State until December 11 and had offers from Alabama, Clemson, Texas, and Georgia, among others.
The WR room at the Ohio State football program is getting crowded and is loaded with talent. It is certainly a good problem to have if you’re WR Coach Brian Hartline. Two of the best WR’s return in 2021 in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.
Jameson Williams will also be back for his junior year, as will Kamryn Babb. The Buckeyes also have three super-sophomores that are all worthy of playing time; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Gee Scott Jr., and former #1 WR recruit in the class of 2020, Julian Fleming. The Buckeyes will have a total of 10 WR’s that were four or five-star recruits.
Not only do the Buckeyes have the #1 DE and WR in the class of 2021, but they also have the #1 RB. TreVeyon Henderson is from Hopewell, Virginia, and will certainly compete for the starting RB job now that Trey Sermon is gone.
Henderson is 5’11, 195 pounds, and will have to beat out juniors Master Teague and Marcus Crowley, and sophomores Miyan Williams and Steele Chambers for the starting job. Henderson is a superstar in the making and has been compared to Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey. Out of all the incoming freshmen, Henderson likely has the best chance to be a day-one starter for the Buckeyes.
Next. Assessing the roster after draft declarations. dark
Just over a week removed from the National Championship Game, Ryan Day’s Ohio State football team is poised to make yet another title run in 2021. The season will kick off on September 2 in the Twin Cities against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.