The No. 6 player on this list may be the biggest projection of the entire Top 10. If he does what his coaches and teammates say he’s capable of doing, then he may also be severely under ranked.
No. 6 — Binjimen Victor, So. Wide Receiver
This is what we know about Binjimen Victor: he’s big, he’s fast, he’s athletic, he’s talented, and he can leap tall buildings in a single bound.
What we don’t know about Victor, however, is whether he can he do any of the above while also catching a football.
The Buckeyes were going to redshirt Victor last season, but he practiced his way onto the field. He saw time against Rutgers, Indiana, Nebraska, Maryland, and Clemson. While the first four games saw him involved in blowouts, the plan heading into the playoff game against Clemson was to get him on the field throughout. He was in the rotation against the Tigers and caught one pass for 21 yards.
Victor spent the offseason getting stronger, which also allowed him to get faster and more explosive. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, he has a frame that can add more weight. As he showed in the spring game, he needs to continue to get stronger in order to come down with 50/50 balls that were getting knocked away. Still, he has the body control and timing to be there for the ball. Now he just has to bring it down. Quarterback J.T. Barrett could help him more in that regard this season as well.
Statistical History
| YEAR | G-GS | REC | YDS | AVG. | TD | LG |
| 2016 | 5-0 | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 1 | 25 |
| Tot. | 5-0 | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 1 | 25 |
What He Does Well
Binjimen Victor is tall and has long arms, so he provides his quarterback with a large target area. He is becoming a more explosive route runner, which will help him on more than just deep routes. He is also getting faster, which will increase his ability to separate from cornerbacks. In both fall practice and this past spring, he was an effective red zone target, frequently snatching touchdowns over top of smaller defenders.
Binjimen Victor in 2017
J.T. Barrett needs to put that large target area to the test this season and almost try to overthrow Victor when he is on the sidelines or the end zone. Don’t let the ball get near the defender. Let Victor go up and get it all by his lonesome.
There is still plenty of mystery surrounding Victor’s all-around game, but his coaches and teammates haven’t really backed down on their expectations for him this season.
More than anything else, however, is the fact that Victor is more comfortable than he has ever been. Heading into the bowl game last year, he was a different player than he was during the regular season. The same held true from the bowl game to the spring, and will continue from the spring into the fall. Progression is happening, so let’s see what it leads to in 2017. It might be something special.
What They Are Saying
“Just the go-hard, knowledge of the offense, he just wasn’t a go-hard player all the time. He really grew up and he’s a great young man. He’s fine, a very good player. Just that typical freshman stuff.” — Zach Smith on what held Victor back last year.
“Anything he wants. That’s how good he is. That’s how talented he is. He’s not good yet, but that’s how talented he is.” — Zach Smith on what Victor is capable of doing.
“It’s more what can’t he do in my mind. He’s kind of like a little brother to me. He roomed with me in camp, so I’ve seen him when he first came in to now and it’s just maturation. The biggest thing he needs to keep working on is the ebs and flows of practice, the ebs and flows of a game. You can’t get too high, you can’t get too low. Just take it play by play, step by step. But his future is very bright and I’m excited for him to take that next step.” — Terry McLaurin
“Ben is a freak. He’s 6-4, 190 or 200 pounds, can run, so he’s a freak. You’re going to see Ben going deep, you’re going to see him coming back just like he came on at the end of the year last year. I expect a big year out of Ben.” — K.J. Hill
“Ben Victor, he’s as talented as any I’ve ever coached.” — Urban Meyer
He’ll probably not be asked to slant over the middle. May be a bit brittle.