Site icon The-Ozone

Morning Constitutional: Why Was Saturday a Good Day for Ohio State Recruiting?

Tony Gerdeman
Parris Campbell Ohio State Receiver Buckeyes

 

Today’s Topic: Why Was Saturday a Good Day for Ohio State Recruiting?

Saturday was “Ohio State Day” at the NFL Combine.

Not officially, mind you, but essentially.

Quarterback Dwayne Haskins worked out, as did receivers Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, and Johnnie Dixon.

It was also media availability day for defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones.

However, it wasn’t just the fact that the Buckeyes were there, it’s the fact that they performed very well.

For any high school recruits watching — and there were plenty doing so — it was an OSU infomercial and every few minutes, you’d hear, “But wait, there’s more!”

And for those quarterbacks and receivers out there, things could not have gone any better for Ohio State.

Dwayne Haskins had a strong day throwing the ball, and Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, and Johnnie Dixon all ran well and caught the ball well.

Every single one of them looked wholly prepared and none of their performances went unnoticed.

Campbell ran the best 40-yard dash of the Combine so far with a 4.31. McLaurin wasn’t too far behind at 4.35, while Dixon was no slouch with a 4.41.

The concern regarding Campbell would be how well he would catch the ball.

He did just fine.

Here’s what NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks saw from Campbell.

In a draft lacking an abundance of explosive playmakers, Campbell separated himself from the pack with his sensational showing in Indy. The Ohio State star tied for the fastest 40-yard dash of the combine thus far at 4.31 seconds (the same mark as fellow receiver Andy Isabella) and displayed outstanding short-area quickness in position drills. As a home-run hitter with exceptional speed and running skills, Campbell is an intriguing option as a catch-and-run specialist.

He also earned raves from the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah.

“This is speed that translates to the football field,” Jeremiah said. “He caught the ball really well, that was my question. We haven’t seen him run a ton of different routes there in that (Ohio State) offense. Today he did a wonderful job.”

Here’s Johnnie Dixon running the 40.

And here he is in the gauntlet drill.

And getting the toes down.

Here’s a snippet from Terry McLaurin’s day.

This is his 4.35.

Oh, and Dwayne Haskins was also there.

Here’s three minutes of his highlights.

For those high school prospects who watched, they saw Buckeyes prepared for the biggest job interview of their lives. For those who didn’t, they’ll get another opportunity in late April, when the NFL Draft gets here and the hard work pays off.

So yes, on a lazy Saturday afternoon during the NCAA’s mandated quiet period in recruiting, it’s safe to say that Ohio State had a pretty good day.

[Parris Campbell photo courtesy NFL.com. | Ohio State Football]
Exit mobile version