Ohio State won’t be without its share of receivers next season

“Those who watched last season’s Michigan game got a good preview of what Olave can do for the Buckeyes.”

-ESPN

The Ohio State Buckeyes have a lot of rebuilding to do come next season, especially when it comes to the offense. Not only is the team losing its starting quarterback, most of the offensive line and one of its running backs, the team is also without a number of its top wide receivers from the 2018 season — all while needing to adjust to a new head coach. Terry McLaurin, Parris Campbell and Johnnie Dixon have all graduated and moved on to the NFL, meaning incoming transfer quarterback Justin Fields will be without three of last season’s top-four receivers when he takes the field in the fall.

However, the team will not be without its share of talent when it comes to the receiving corps. First, K.J. Hill, who had the second-most receiving yards on the team last season with 885, is returning to the team for his final season of eligibility. In addition to Hill’s veteran leadership, Binjimen Victor and Austin Mack are also coming back. While their play was somewhat dwarfed last season by McLaurin, Campbell, Dixon and Hill, the pair combined for nearly 700 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

But the most exciting return come the fall might be a receiver who fans didn’t get to see a lot of last season — at least until the very end. Chris Olave is entering his sophomore season with Ohio State after breaking out against Michigan to close the 2018 regular season. In the matchup, Olave had two receptions for 48 yards and, yes, two touchdowns. Even more impressive, it didn’t take much time at all for those scores to happen. Olave’s first touchdown was the opening score on Ohio State’s opening drive of the game, and his second touchdown positioned the Buckeyes up 14-6. In the Big Ten Championship against Northwestern, Olave added five more receptions and another touchdown.

D’Angelo Russell might have preferred to win an NBA Championship this summer, but he got a nice consolation prize Monday when he was named the winner of GQ’s 2019 NBA Style Showdown. In the bracket-style competition, Russell beat out DeAndre Jordan, James Harden, Kelly Oubre Jr. and, ultimately, LeBron James for the title. Russell’s win over Harden was particularly impressive given Harden was once on the cover of GQ himself.

While he was not as outright flashy as many of the other candidates in the competition, Russell was recognized for his ability in “mixing up designer gear, slick suiting, and a solid dose of super-2000s throwbacks.” In particular, Russell has been known for his sneaker choice of Jordan 11s which he’s flashed throughout the season. From buttoned up looks featuring vests and ties to stylishly-fashioned sweatpants and sweatshirts, Russell has become an icon for his fashion this season as much as his play.

This past NBA season has been a good one for Russell, who helped the Brooklyn Nets to a 42-40 record and an NBA Playoff berth on his way to his first All-Star appearance. He averaged greater than 21 points per game during the regular season in his first year with the Nets, and is a nominee for the NBA’s Most Improved Award.

Others in the running included Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, Ben Simmons, Russell Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo. James was the winner of last season’s inaugural competition.

“Ohio State will head back to Columbus with six new personal bests and three new school records.”

-The Ohio State University

In a strong performance from the Ohio State track and field team, sprinters, distance runners and throwers competed in the NCAA Championships in Austin over the weekend to close out the 2019 outdoor season. A total of 15 athletes from Ohio State had qualified in the outdoor east preliminaries in Jacksonville for spots in the championships.

The Ohio State women took 24th place overall with 11 points and were the top finisher among Big Ten programs. It was a nice wrap-up of the season for the women’s team, which swept the Big Ten indoor and outdoor championships this year on their way to the NCAAs. The men’s squad, though sending athletes to the championships, did not place. Ultimately, Arkansas took home the women’s title, while Texas Tech brought back the men’s.

Two athletes broke three Ohio State program records with their performances in the championships. First, senior runner Julia Rizk, an indoor national champion herself, finished her collegiate career with a time of 4:13.70 in the 1,500-meter run qualifiers to earn a spot in the finals. Meanwhile, thrower Sade Olatoye, also a national champion, broke her own shot put and hammer throw school records. Olatoye’s performance was enough to earn her a fourth-place finish in the championships, giving the Buckeyes their 11 points on the day. In total, Olatoye finishes the season as holder of four school records.

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