Inside Look At Ohio State: Offensive Standouts

A look at the Ohio State offense in advance of its matchup against Notre Dame

Ohio State enters the matchup against Notre Dame with one of the more highly touted offenses in all of college football. With several talented skill position players back, including a Heisman trophy finalist in CJ Stroud under center, expectations are at an all time high for the offense. The development of the offensive line will be key under Justin Frye.

QB CJ STROUD

2021 Stats: 317-441, 71.9 completion percentage, 4,435 passing yards, 44 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 186.56 rating / 32 carries, -20 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns

Stroud wasn’t a Heisman Trophy candidate last season for no reason. He went into the 2021 season as a bit of a question mark due to a lack of experience and left as a bonafide superstar, with an argument as the top signal caller in all of college football.

His confidence improved tremendously over the course of the season. Stroud’s arm strength and accuracy are both plus traits for him. As he became more comfortable with his processing and comfort in the system, Stroud flourished at a whole other level. He has become a cool customer in the pocket for the most part, showing the talent to manipulate the pocket to buy time.

He is still a young signal caller so confidence is everything. If Stroud is able to get in rhythm early on, it could be a long day for Notre Dame. If they are able to rattle him, they could force some uncharacteristic mistakes. How he handles pressure will be the key to the football game.

RB TREYVEON HENDERSON

2021 Stats: 183 carries, 1,248 rushing yards, 6.8 yards per carry, 15 touchdowns, 27 receptions, 312 receiving yards, 11.6 yards per catch, four touchdowns

After a dominant freshman campaign, Henderson has the talent to quickly ascend to the top of the nation's running back list as a sophomore. He was a big play waiting to happen in 2021, and now looks to develop even more consistency in year two.

Boasting a compact frame, Henderson has a nice amount of contact balance to work through contact. His calling card, however, is his ability to create big plays. Henderson is a home run waiting to happen in both the run or pass game. If you take a bad angle of pursuit, Henderson has the type of speed to consistently make you pay.

The Buckeye offense can go as Henderson goes. He seems to get stronger down the stretches of games and is one false step away from a touchdown on every touch. Notre Dame must try to limit his big play ability at all costs.

WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA

2021 Stats: 95 receptions, 1,606 receiving yards, 16.9 yards per reception, 9 touchdowns

Despite sharing targets with first round picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave last season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the Buckeyes leading receiver. That dynamic sophomore campaign was capped off with 347 receiving yards and three touchdowns in their Rose Bowl victory over Utah.

As a player, “JSN” brings a profile that closely resembles current Los Angeles Charger standout Keenan Allen. He isn’t the most dynamic athlete of all time but he is an incredibly advanced route runner. Smith-Njigba has an uncanny feel for space, sporting clean routes and ability to work zones like a veteran. He also has some underrated ability to make plays after the catch.

If the Notre Dame defensive backs aren’t playing with good technique, Smith-Njigba has the play style that could make them look silly. He creates easy separation and will need to be accounted for at all times on the field.

WR MARVIN HARRISON JR.

2021 Stats: 11 receptions, 139 receiving yards, 12.6 yards per catch, 3 touchdowns

The son of the Colts legend, Marvin Harrison Jr. ended the 2021 campaign with a bang in the Rose Bowl, hauling in six passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns. He is one of the many talented wide receivers just waiting to breakout for the Buckeyes and looks poised to bring an interesting skill set to the boundary for the team.

Long and explosive, Harrison Jr. is a nightmare matchup one-on-one, presenting challenges to every type of cornerback. He can easily elevate, making a ton of plays with the football in the air. Harrison Jr. also has a nice compliment of speed to take the top off of a defense.

He will do most of his damage working vertically. The Notre Dame defense will be forced into some man coverage at times and Harrison has the talent to take full advantage.

WR EMEKA EGBUKA

2021 Stats: 9 receptions, 191 receiving yards, 21.2 yards per catch, 0 touchdowns

Yet another five star pass catcher waiting for his opportunity with the program, Egbuka brings a unique play style to the table that is mostly absent on the roster. He is the type of wide receiver who can work all over the formation to create a flurry of mismatch opportunities.

A thick and compact pass catcher, Egbuka brings the highest level of yards after catch opportunities to the table for the Buckeyes. He is a strong and explosive athlete who excels through contact and has a talent for creating chunk plays. Egbuka has an easy ability to break tackles, creating a tremendous challenge in the open field.

If Notre Dame’s pass rush makes an impact early, the short to intermediate passing attack should be a big emphasis for Ohio State. Egbuka is the type of wide receiver who can turn a short completion into a big play with the blink of an eye.

TE CADE STOVER

2021 Stats: 5 receptions, 76 receiving yards, 15.2 yards per reception, 0 touchdowns

After Jeremy Ruckert exhausted his eligibility following the 2021 season, Cade Stover moved into his place as the team’s top option at tight end. Stover was a valuable contributor last season and got an early taste of experience after making the transition over from the defensive side of the football.

Long and physical, Stover brings a throwback style to the table. His defensive background is on full display, creating movement in the run game and thriving off of his physicality and effort. Stover is also a pretty smooth athlete who created a couple of big plays last season.

With his duties being mostly in the run game, Stover is a player who could be lost at times as a pass receiver. That brings some opportunities against a defense who will be preoccupied with a plethora of talented pass catchers.

OT PARIS JOHNSON JR.

2021 Stats: Started all 13 games at right guard, second-team all-Big Ten

Johnson Jr. came to Ohio State with some big expectations. After spending his first couple of years inside at guard, he takes over at left tackle for the departed Nicholas Petit-Frere.

From a talent perspective, Johnson has everything that you look for in a blindside protector. He is long, athletic and also plays with some extreme bad intentions as a blocker. There have been moments of dominance in 2021 and he is expected to take the next step as one of the premier lineman in all of college football.

When he’s at his best, Johnson Jr. is asserting himself on opposing defenders with an absurd level of natural strength and physicality. If he's able to get in a groove early on, it could allow for the run game to get going quickly, and the offense overall to be very difficult to stop.

OG MATTHEW JONES

2021 Stats: Started two games at left guard, honorable mention all-Big Ten

Despite only starting two football games in 2021, Jones was a very key contributor to an Ohio State offensive line that underwhelmed at times. He will be moving over to the right side after playing mostly left guard a season ago.

Jones isn’t an incredibly talented offensive lineman, winning more off of premier effort and strength than foot quickness and finesse. He is a rugged interior offensive lineman who is better moving forward than backward. In the run game, Jones has his biggest impact with the ability to move the line of scrimmage in the offense’s favor.

The senior is best when he’s a sound member of a talent unit. If he isn’t noticed much, it’s a good indicator for the quality of football that he is playing.

OC LUKE WYPLER

2021 Stats: Started all 13 games at center, honorable mention all-Big Ten

After not being expected to play much prior to the season, Wypler became a steady force in the middle for an Ohio State offensive line that sorely needed it. He quickly became arguably the most dependable member of the front and heads into 2022 with big expectations.

There is nothing that pops off the screen from a physical perspective. Instead, Wypler wins with a solid all around game and approach. He brings an adequate level of foot quickness and physicality to offer some scheme versatility. His hand position and angles are pretty consistent across the board.

Wypler serves as a stabilizing force. His dependability and consistency can not be understated.

OG DONOVAN JACKSON

2021 Stats: Played in all 13 games

Ohio State fans have been raving about Jackson all off-season after seeing sporadic opportunities as a true freshman last season. There are some that believe that he may have the biggest upside of any one on the unit for the Buckeyes.

Jackson seems to have an all around profile, including a good assortment of power and foot quickness for the position. He remains a mystery at this point with not much to look at outside of his recruiting profile.

You can argue that Jackson may bring the biggest X-factor of any offensive lineman simply from the standpoint that you aren’t really sure what to expect. The level of variance for the sophomore will be interesting to watch.

OT DAWAND JONES

2021 Stats: Started all 13 games at right tackle, third-team All-America (Pro Football Focus), second-team all-Big Ten

In his first year as a starter in 2021, Jones did his best to block everything in his path, including the Sun behind his massive frame. He is one of the biggest players in all of college football, and despite the recruiting ranking, has some intriguing upside at the position.

Jones is the definition of a tone setter. At nearly 6-9 and 360 pounds, he is a massive man with an absurd amount of power and length for the right tackle position. He can be overwhelming at the point of attack, creating some easy movement in the run game. Jones is also a very difficult person to get around in pass protection due to his sheer size.

For as big as Jones is, his foot quickness does leave a lot to be desired. The pass rushers for Notre Dame will have a huge opportunity to take advantage of him in the passing game. If the team gets off to a solid start in the run game, Jones can quickly turn into a dominating force.

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