The Ohio State Buckeyes' wide receivers are focused on one thing and one thing only during Spring ball.
Allegedly, the Ohio State Buckeyes' wide receivers were "one of the worst" groups last year in terms of yards after catch.
Whether that's true or not can be debated, but regardless, that is what is being preached in the program during this year's Spring Ball session. More importantly, that is what the Buckeyes wide receivers are focused on changing going into next year.
For the first time in a very long time, the Buckeyes' wide receiver room will not be the main strength of their team. Yes, even with the best player in college football, Jeremiah Smith, the wide receiver room will absolutely take a step back in 2026.
For the first time in five years, they don't have at least two first-round draft picks in that group, and they will have to make up for it.
To do that, they are preaching yards after the catch.
For guys such as Smith and his now former teammate Carnell Tate, that came easy. For one, they are simply are just tough to tackle. Smith is basically a linebacker with the skill of a defensive back so he is impossible to bring down. Tate was a tough tackle because he always had five yards of separation when he caught the football.
This year for Ohio State, the task is getting guys like Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuin, Kyle Parker, and Chris Henry Jr. to catch the football and create a play after the catch.
After Saturday's Spring Practice session, both Smith and new wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton both echoed the same message.
Hankton's message is about turning a six-yard catch into a first down or a 15-yard catch into a 20-yard gain. No, the goal for the Buckeyes wide receivers is to turn a slant into a touchdown or a comeback into a touchdown. It is not about incremental yards; it's about making big plays in the passing game after the ball is caught.
Smith was a little more direct. He said that none of the receivers had any "juice" after they caught the football in 2025. I would have to disagree with him there, but if Jeremiah thinks that he can get even more juice to his game, they sign me up.
The 2026 Ohio State wide receiver room isn't going to look as easy as it has in the past 10 seasons. They are going to have to work for it a little bit harder, and being explosive after the catch is a good way to do it.
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