Buckeyes Now

Ohio State Wide Receiver Kamryn Babb Named Block “O” Jersey Recipient

Babb becomes the first out-of-state player to wear the No. 0 for the Buckeyes.

Andrew Lind

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Ohio State announced on Saturday afternoon that fifth-year senior wide receiver Kamryn Babb is this year’s recipient of the Block “O” jersey, which is presented in honor of the late Bill Willis.

A former four-star wide receiver from St. Louis Christian Brothers College, Babb is still looking for his first-career catch as he's dealt with ACL injuries that robbed him of his entire freshman, redshirt freshman and redshirt junior seasons, respectively.

Still, Babb has taken on a leadership role on the team, as evidenced by him leading a stadium-wide prayer at the spring game following the death of former quarterback Dwayne Haskins and his recognition as a team captain for the second straight season.

"He's a guy that rubs off on others,” wide receivers coach Brian Hartline said this spring. “What do they say, surround yourself with people you want to become, right? So those that are maybe on the fence from a faith perspective or a positivity perspective or a guidance perspective, Kam’s there to kind of push you over the edge.

"Being around guys like that with great energy, it's really hard to bring bad energy. It would take more effort to fight the type of energy he brings than it would just to go along with it. Kam does a great job rubbing off on guys and really making our room a better room because of who he is. He would be a guy that, when you look back, probably has made more of an impact on others than maybe anybody else around this team. He's a very special young man."

Babb becomes the first out-of-state player to wear the Block "O," as former defensive end Jonathon Cooper (Gahanna) and former offensive lineman Thayer Munford (Cincinnati by way of Massillon) were the first two recipients. The latter wore a patch, as offensive lineman are prevented wearing anything other than No. 50-79, but Babb is in the clear to switch from No. 1.

Ohio State started the tradition after the NCAA made the No. 0 permissible ahead of the 2020 season. The Buckeyes use it as an opportunity to honor Willis, who was an All-American and national champion during his career with the Buckeyes from 1942-44 and has his No. 99 retired by the football program.

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Andrew Lind
ANDREW LIND

Andrew Lind is an Ohio State beat writer and photographer at BuckeyesNow, founder of The Ohio State Uniform Database and the NCAA and NFL writer at SportsLogos.net.

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