Parris Campbell is bringing potential first-round talent to the field

“Campbell is another one of those guys. He thrived in the slot at Ohio State and shares a lot of the same traits as someone like JuJu.”

-Alex Kozora, Steelers Depot

As one of the fastest players on the team during his time at Ohio State, there’s little doubt that wide receiver Parris Campbell could have a significant upside as a receiver in the NFL. Having played mainly a slot receiver role in college, Campbell’s size and speed make him an asset on offense. And while quarterback Dwayne Haskins has been getting most of the attention when it comes to NFL Draft circles, there is potential for Campbell, who opted to return to Columbus for his final season of eligibility this past year, to be a late first-round pick.

Despite his specialized role in the slot, Campbell actually brings a lot to the table in terms of his playmaking ability. A running back in high school, Campbell cut his teeth on special teams at Ohio State, showing off his speed and making a name for himself during his early collegiate seasons. This season, Campbell stood out in a literal crowd of receivers as the most experienced and most likely to succeed at the NFL level--although Terry McLaurin is finally getting some love after his performance in the Senior Bowl.

Among Campbell’s biggest strengths are his speed, obviously and blocking ability. While Campbell led his team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns (nearly a quarter of all production from Ohio State receivers last season), he, like the rest of his receiver cohort, still played a major role in blocking for teammates. Campbell has also proven to be elusive and hard to tackle, especially once he gets into the open field and turns on the jets.

As the draft nears, NFL teams will surely note that Campbell has had some issues catching the ball, but that is something that has gotten better over time. He’ll surely be an excellent addition wherever he lands.

The second-ranked Ohio State wrestling team got back on track Sunday with a win over No. 9 Northwestern in Evanston. The Buckeyes won six of their 10 bouts for a 27-15 win. More impressive was that Ohio State managed the win despite trailing 11-9 at the break, winning four of the final five matches. Myles Martin (184-pound) and Kollin Moore (197-pound) continued their winning ways and remain unbeaten on the season. And Te’Shan Campbell won his first match at the 165-pound level since the NCAA Tournament last season, having wrestled at 174 pounds up to this point on the year.

It was a busy weekend for the Buckeyes, as the team faced off against No. 12 Illinois on the road Friday, taking the match 23-14. The Buckeyes took 6-of-10 bouts against the Illini, including wins in both matchups of nationally-ranked wrestlers (No. 7 Ke-Shawn Hayes, 157-pounds, No. 1 Martin, 184-pounds). A number of wrestlers not competing in the dual matches over the weekend instead battled at the Edinboro Open, with four Buckeyes, all freshmen, named champions at their respective weight classes.

It would have been easy for the Buckeyes to look ahead heading into this weekend or to be less-than-completely focused on the task at hand. Ohio State was coming off its only loss of the season: A stinging, 19-17 defeat on the road against Michigan last week. Moving forward, the Buckeyes face top-ranked and reigning national champion Penn State at St. John Arena Friday. It’s the biggest dual match of the season not just for the teams involved, but for the NCAA wrestling landscape as a whole. Penn State boasts the top wrestler in the nation in four weight classes, and two matchups (184-pounds and 197-pounds) will feature a No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions. The battle will likely be a preview for what’s to come in the NCAA wrestling championships next month.

“The best way to get an Ohio State offer during Urban Meyer’s time in Columbus? Play defense. He signed 33 defensive backs and 30 defensive linemen, more than any other position.”

-Marcus Hartman, Dayton Daily News

With National Signing Day coming up this week, it’s hard not to begin the early comparison of Ryan Day’s nascent recruiting practices with the well-oiled machine that was Urban Meyer’s recruiting engine. A major factor in what made Meyer so successful was the pipeline of recruits he managed to pull to Ohio State through the direct practice of building NFL-caliber talent. The sheer number of first-round draft picks, combined with their continued success in the NFL, continued to feed the beast, and Meyer and company put together top-tier class after top-tier class.

Now, it’s up to Day to come up with his own mantra.

It seems natural that some things will shift when it comes to recruiting under the new regime. For instance, while Meyer tended to favor defensive players (and highly-successful ones at that), Day’s legacy on the offensive side of the ball, and his current connections with offensive players, will surely translate into a higher proportion of offensive players than Ohio State had under Meyer. Does that mean that the recent history of outstanding defensive backs and defensive linemen will be no more? Probably not. Those players recruited by Meyer on the defensive side of the ball have gone on to the NFL and established themselves as superstars (e.g., much of the Saints’ defense). Ohio State’s reputation as a program producing outstanding defensive players should continue--especially since Meyer participated in so much of the recruiting process for this year’s class.

Things could shift geographically as well heading into the new era. While Meyer naturally had Florida connections which he continued to rely on while at Ohio State, Day’s roots are more northeastern in nature. Hailing from New Hampshire, all Day’s previous roles, prior to him becoming quarterbacks coach in San Francisco, were on or near the East Coast.

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