Every season brings new breakout stars in college football, which is one of the reasons we all love it so much.
And while the stars get the attention, every team needs different players to step up and fill voids. They aren’t necessarily looking at these players to become stars, they just need them to be reliable and productive.
This year, the Ohio State coaching staff is depending on new starters to step forward and replace departed veterans. They are also hoping quite a few of them become the stars that players like J.K. Dobbins and Jordan Fuller were last season.
You already know their names, and soon we’ll get to see their games.
Here are 12 Buckeyes about to breakout.
Perhaps foolishly there are no true freshmen on this list.
Demario McCall
As a true freshman running back in 2016, we got glimpses of what Demario McCall could do. Last season, he played through injuries and still had enough in him to light up Rutgers. Now that he is healthy (presumably) and at H-back, we’ll see him both on offense and in the return game. He will have opportunities to make plays, and all he has ever needed was a crease and a chance. McCall has 565 all-purpose yards in his career to this point. I would expect him to more than double that number this season.
Jeff Okudah
Few players have come to Ohio State with higher expectations than cornerback Jeff Okudah. He made his way into the rotation last season when Denzel Ward skipped the bowl game and had some good moments and some learning moments. He earned a spot in the starting rotation in the spring, so the confidence is high that he will do what most cornerbacks at Ohio State do. Keep in mind, however, that rarely do those cornerbacks shine as true sophomores.
Chase Young
Tempering expectations for sophomore defensive end Chase Young this season will produce a 404 Not Found error. Young said himself last season that he is expecting around 10 sacks this season. Only seven Buckeyes have ever produced double-digit sacks, so he is speaking of some lofty territory. That doesn’t mean those expectations are unfounded, however, because you won’t hear anybody with doubt in their voice when talking about Chase Young.
Dwayne Haskins
This is obviously a no brainer. If you are the starting quarterback at Ohio State, you will have the spotlight pointed at you every step of the way. Dwayne Haskins has proven himself when it mattered most, but now he will have to prove himself when it matters the longest. One half of football in Ann Arbor doesn’t necessarily equate to 30 halves of football one year later. Still, if Joe Burrow felt like he should leave, that’s a pretty good indicator that Haskins is going to be very productive this season.
Isaiah Pryor
Since the end of last season when he was a true freshman, safety Isaiah Pryor has been planning on being the starter opposite Jordan Fuller this season. He initially expected to step in at free safety and replace Damon Webb, but this spring he was at strong safety and Fuller was at free safety. The deep safety spot that Pryor is at now (presumably) suits his size and athleticism well. Last year, Jordan Fuller stepped into that spot as a true sophomore and did a great job replacing Malik Hooker. Don’t be surprised when Pryor does something similar this year.
Malik Harrison
Throughout all of the questions and concerns regarding the linebackers this spring and summer, it seems the one constant is that junior Malik Harrison will be on the field somewhere. In the spring the outside linebackers moved back and forth between Will and Sam, but he has generally been a Sam over his first two seasons. Even though he only started once last season, Harrison was on the field every week. He finished with 36 tackles, which was the fourth-most among the linebackers. Don’t be surprised if he doubles that number this season.
Luke Farrell
Let’s speak in relative terms here, because a “breakout season” and a “breakout season for an Ohio State tight end” are not the same things. A breakout season for redshirt sophomore Luke Farrell could mean 25 catches and four or five touchdowns. That would be an effective debut as an Ohio State starter and I don’t think there is any reason you can’t expect that this season. Those numbers are basically what Marcus Baugh produced for the Buckeyes the previous two seasons, so if Farrell can pick up right where he left off, that’s a pretty good breakout season. Especially when you consider Farrell had all of two catches in 2017.
Thayer Munford
I’m not sure how a left tackle technically fits under a microscope, but every last one of them somehow manages to get it done. As a true sophomore, Thayer Munford will be no different. Ohio State hasn’t started a true sophomore left tackle since Alex Boone in 2006, so you can see how rare it is, especially lately. If Munford holds up, however, then the Buckeyes now have a sophomore anchor that they can build around.
Branden Bowen
Branden Bowen won the job as the right guard last season as a redshirt sophomore. He broke his leg midway through the season, but is back and healthy. He has spent time in camp at offensive tackle, but if junior Michael Jordan ends up being the Buckeyes’ center this year, we could see Bowen back on the interior. Even if he isn’t, he provides a valuable swing offensive lineman that every team needs. His talent and versatility gives the Buckeyes depth that shouldn’t be ignored.
Jonathon Cooper
When coaches and teammates are asked about Chase Young, they talk about him in very high terms. And then they mention junior defensive end Jonathon Cooper in the same terms. Cooper has patiently waited behind Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis, and Jalyn Holmes, but now the waiting is over and he is going to be in the rotation this season. He spent his first two seasons preparing for this year and while some on the outside might be overlooking him, nobody is making that mistake on the inside.
Malcolm Pridgeon
As a fifth-year senior offensive lineman, this is Malcolm Pridgeon’s final go-round as a Buckeye. He came to Ohio State as a 5-star junior college transfer, but the transition has been a slow one. Injuries didn’t help, of course. Pridgeon has done well at guard for the Buckeyes when given a chance, and if the aforementioned move of Jordan to center happens, then Pridgeon could find himself in the starting lineup in two weeks against Oregon State. Anybody who has ever lined up across from him will tell you that he is a mauler, and his experience as an offensive tackle is also indicative of his abilities as a pass blocker.
Baron Browning
I have never been totally convinced that Baron Browning was going to make a huge mark at middle linebacker this season for the Buckeyes, which is why I initially had him off of this list. After seeing a fall camp clip from OSU of Browning, Tuf Borland, and Malik Harrison on the field together, however, I am ready to put him back on the list because I do think he could succeed quite well on the outside. If Browning is at Will, then he’s at the linebacker spot that has finished first or second on the team in tackles every year since Chris Ash brought his defense to Columbus in 2014.
