The No. 9 player on this list led the Buckeyes with 56 receptions last season and is a dangerous receiver over the middle of the field and in the flats. Those areas should be increasing in space this year, which should bode well for even more production in 2018.
No. 9 — K.J. Hill, rJr H-Back
As a redshirt sophomore last season, K.J. Hill led the Buckeyes with 56 receptions, but only averaged 9.8 yards per catch.
Only seven of his 56 receptions went for more than 20 yards, and none of them went for more than 30.
And this is after his first ever catch in 2016 went for over 40 yards and a touchdown against Bowling Green.
In 2016 as a redshirt freshman, after that first catch of 47 yards against the Falcons, Hill would break 30 yards on just three more receptions and 40 yards once more in his 18 total catches.
The question this year is whether Hill can take his knack for getting open — which was huge for the Ohio State offense last year — and add in the big-play ability we saw in 2016 (and also against Michigan last season when Dwayne Haskins was in the game).
Statistical History
What He Does Well
Hill gets open and catches the ball. He has a specific role on this team and he performs that role very well.
There hasn’t been much run after the catch of late, which could be because of a variety of factors. Are safeties not dropping far enough back, leaving them to crash down on Hill in the intermediate area of the field — which is also occupied by linebackers?
Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day brought mesh routes to the Ohio State offense last season, which allowed the H-backs to catch 113 passes last year. In those crossing routes, Hill is able to distance himself from defenders, and is also adept at finding the right zones to fill.
K.J. Hill in 2018
As to what we should expect from K.J. Hill in 2018, the example he showed against Michigan with Dwayne Haskins at the helm isn’t a bad thought.
Hill caught two passes for 53 yards — both of which came on crossing routes with no help defense — against the Wolverines. Hill was able to catch the ball in stride and run free. If this passing offense is as explosive down the field as expected, there are going to be more open areas for Hill to not only get open, but stay open after the catch.
Will he lead the Buckeyes in catches again this year? That wouldn’t be a huge surprise. What would be a huge surprise, however, is if his average yards per catch isn’t closer to 12 yards this year than the 9.8 yards per catch last year.
What They Are Saying
“End of April, I’m thinking. I’m going to be out the whole spring. I’m trying to rehab right now. I’m feeling better. The injury happened in the USC game on a punt return. I got the surgery done in January so I’ll be back after spring. Rotator cuff. I’m over there training on my body with all I can do physically. Then mentally I have to go into the receivers room and do film work so I can stay in tune with that and enhance that too. And then come back in the summer and start getting back on the field.” — K.J. Hill this spring on his recovery process
He is too low on the list. I could see him around 5 or 6.
Take him off the return team to leep him healthy. He played with dinged shoulder as a result. He has better hands than Parris and Dixon. He may run the best routes. He just is not the fastest of guys on the team. Still not slow btw!
Most reliable receiver and punt returner on the team. I don’t think he gets enough credit.