Olave hoping to lead young Ohio State receiver room
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BVM) — After an impressive sophomore season, Ohio State University wide receiver, Chris Olave, will step into a leadership position for the Buckeyes when they return to playing football this fall. Olave will also look to take the next step as the go-to-target for quarterback Justin Fields.
Olave led the team in receiving yards last season, hauling in 49 passes for 849 yards to go along with 12 touchdowns.
One big source of motivation for Olave in his junior season will be the way last season ended. After a fourth quarter touchdown, a miscommunication between him and Fields led to a game-clinching interception for the Clemson Tigers in the Fiesta Bowl.
“Chris is the ultimate competitor, I love Chris Olave,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said in a press conference in January. “I’m not sure he ate solid for three or four days after that game; he was crushed, but that wasn’t the reason we lost that game.”
With three of the top five receivers leaving from last season, Olave will step into a leadership role for a young Buckeye receiving group. With only Olave and sophomore Garrett Wilson returning as major contributors, the Buckeyes will count on the wideout to help groom four highly touted freshman receivers.
“Nobody cares more than Chris and I know he’s going to come back even more hungry, and I think he’s going to be a leader in that room,” Day continued in his press conference.
Great speed and route running ability along with a tireless work ethic have turned the former three-star recruit into a star for the Buckeyes.
“And now, not that he wasn’t working very hard already, he has the chance to enhance himself and be that much better,” Ohio State receiver coach Brian Hartline said in a press conference. “He is very motivated to be the best player in the country and he goes at it from that perspective. He is our most experienced wide receiver by far and we’re expecting big things out of him. And he’s expecting big things out of himself.”
Olave flew under the radar as a three-star recruit at Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, Calif. As the 399th ranked player overall in the Class of 2018, not much was expected from Olave in his freshman season. But the Buckeye receiver made an immediate impression on then offensive coordinator Ryan Day, and pushed for playing time in a loaded wide receiver group.
“We knew when he got here he was special. He has great speed, athleticism and hands,” Day said in Olave’s freshman year. “He didn’t play his junior year of high school, but we watched him play his senior year and fell in love with him.”
Olave had his breakout game against Michigan in his freshman season, catching two touchdowns and blocking a punt. He continued the next weekend in the Big Ten Championship game against Northwestern, catching five passes for 79 yards and a touchdown.
After his standout sophomore season, Olave was named third team All-Big Ten. Multiple two-touchdown games and a 139-yard performance against Rutgers were the highlights of the season.
Olave had strong performances at the end of the season once again as well, including going for 68 yards and a touchdown against rival Michigan. He also had five catches for 94 yards in the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin.
With the Big Ten announcing that the conference will play an eight-game season starting on Oct. 23, Olave — who is changing his number from No. 17 to No. 2 this season — will have the chance to become a superstar in what should be a potent Ohio State offense.
