The Ohio State recruiting class of 2019 hit a milestone today, as its first two summer enrollees said goodbye to their black stripes.
Thursday, offensive lineman Harry Miller and wide receiver Jameson Williams became the first freshmen to go from black to scarlet in fall camp.
Grad transfer OL Jonah Jackson lost his stripe two days earlier. And early enrollees Garrett Wilson and Zach Harrison both lost theirs during the spring.
Miller would have been an odds-on favorite of the summer enrollees to lose his stripe first. He was a 5-star prospect coming out of high school in Georgia, and was already repping at center with the second-team offensive line at practice on Tuesday, while the rest of the freshmen worked in a different area of the field.
Tuesday, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Miller had a chance to play this fall.
“He has the ability. He’s very intelligent. He can process, he can bend, he can do those things. We have a couple guys in there that are candidates to be the backup center, but right now he’s doing a good job. He’s learning quickly, and I think once we get through this week we’ll have a better idea, but so far he’s fit in good,” Day said.
Williams was another highly-touted prospect out of Missouri. However, given the crowded depth chart at wide receiver, and the fact that he came in over the summer, it’s somewhat surprising to see him lose his stripe so early.
Day acknowledged that on Tuesday, while also talking up Williams’ long-term potential.
“Jameson is a little bit behind because he just got here and didn’t have the opportunity to go through the whole spring, but he’s flashed,” Day said.
You can watch both players lose their stripes in the videos below.
?⬛️ STRIPE ALERT‼️ Congrats to center @h_miller76 for getting your stripe off‼️#GoBucks #ToughLove pic.twitter.com/kbiapAZGsn
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 8, 2019
?⬛️ He's been flashing all over the field. @1of1juiceman got his stripe off today‼️#GoBucks #ToughLove #Zone6 pic.twitter.com/GLvSY734HC
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 8, 2019
Black Stripe Chart
OL Harry Miller — August 8
WR Jameson Williams — August 8
Jameson Williams is going to be Ohio State’s best kept secret until he takes the field and ruins defensive secondaries with his ability.