Ohio State: True Freshmen To Watch in 2020

Every February (and now December) college football teams sign a new class of football players to join their program. It’s exciting to dream about what a prospect can become in the future but come September, some of those freshman will redshirt and wait for their opportunity to shine, while a few will be given the chance to make an immediate impact this season. In this series we will take a team by team look at the true freshman who could be given the opportunity to make a name for themselves in 2020. Today we will look at a few of the Ohio State Buckeyes true freshmen to watch in 2020.

We already featured Julian Fleming in the freshman spotlight so we will not discuss him in this article though we obviously expect him to play in 2020. You can read about him in the freshman spotlight by clicking here.

Paris Johnson Jr – OL

Brandon Bowen was the Buckeyes’ starting right tackle last season but he will not be in Columbus in 2020. Thayer Munford (#9 OT in our rankings) played well at left tackle last season but has battled injuries throughout his career. Ohio State will need a new starter at right tackle and good depth at the tackle position in case Munford is hampered at any point during the season. Nicholas Petit-Frere got playing time as a reserve right tackle last season and should be considered the favorite to win the right tackle job in 2020. He was a highly touted recruit who is entering his third year in the program and will need to shine. Dawand Jones got playing time as a reserve as well last year and the massive lineman had some good moments last year. There are no other tackles who have had substantial experience for the Buckeyes. Johnson will be in the two-deep this season which should lead to plenty of playing time as the Buckeyes should be able to get their reserves into a few games this season.

Paris Johnson Jr was a star on the offensive line for Princeton High School in Ohio. He has an excellent frame for the position and is a well put together prospect. Johnson carries very little bad weight and will continue to get stronger in the Buckeyes strength program. His athleticism is elite for an offensive lineman, he has excellent feet and flexibility. Johnson can match up with any type of pass rusher thanks to his length and athleticism. As a run blocker Johnson is strong at the line of scrimmage and excellent at finding defenders at the second level. He is a competitive athlete who has the drive and demeanor to be a star. Johnson will be in the two deep this season, he is too good not to be, the real question is will he take over at right tackle this season or play as a reserve this year and become a starter next year?

Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Gee Scott Jr – WR

Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson return as the #7 and #15 receivers in our rankings and will lead the receiver rotation in 2020. Olave had an excellent season last year and should be even better in the encore. Wilson showed flashes of his incredible ability and with more consistent playing time should be phenomenal in 2020. Jameson Williams is a speedster who played sparingly last year but will factor into the rotation this season. Another name to watch is Kamryn Babb who is a talented receiver if healthy. The Buckeyes rotate receivers into the game and will continue to develop their depth in blow outs. Fleming will not be the only receiver to play this year, we expect Smith-Njigba and Scott to be in the rotation as well.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba had over 2,100 receiving yards and 35 TDs as a senior for Rockland High School in Texas. He is an exceptional route runner who plays with great balance and pace. Smith-Njigba has good short area quickness and change of direction ability which allows him to create easy separation from defensive backs. He has excellent hands and is very natural catching the ball. He does a good job of tracking the ball and high pointing it in contested situations. Smith-Njigba is as ready as a high school receiver can be for the college game. He will be in the rotation at Ohio State right away and should be a solid contributor as a true freshman.

Gee Scott Jr had over 1,400 receiving yards and 15 TD as a senior for Eastside Catholic High School in Washington. He is a physically imposing receiver who has good height and strength for the position. Scott has good speed and quickness for a big receiver and is a polished route runner in his own right. He has the ability to get deep but excels in 50/50 situations or on jump balls where he is able to overpower the defensive back. Scott is a bigger receiver that will excel as an outside receiver for the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes employ a receiver rotation that features five or six players and Scott will have an opportunity to crack that rotation in 2020, but at the very least will see playing time later in games when the team is in control.

CJ Stroud – QB

There is no doubt that Justin Fields is the Buckeyes quarterback in 2020. He is an exceptional talent and ranks #2 in our quarterback rankings. Behind Fields there is not much proven depth. Gunnar Hoak attempted only 6 passes in 2019 but is a senior and has spent a year in the system. Joining him in the competition for the backup quarterback spot are true freshmen CJ Stroud and Jack Miller. Both are talented prospects and in a perfect world both will play as reserves and the Buckeyes will not have to choose between them until next season. Of course things rarely go as planned and if the Buckeyes need a backup quarterback to win a game for them in 2020 we expect Stroud will get the call.

CJ Stroud threw for over 3,800 yards and 47 TD during his senior season at Rancho Cucamonga High School in California. He needs to gain weight but has good height and an excellent arm. Stroud can make every throw on the field, and he does so with ease. He has a good release and can throw the ball with zip and touch. He is an accurate passer from the pocket and while on the move. Stroud is a decent runner who can make defenses pay for not paying attention to him but is not a scrambling quarterback. He has all the tools to be the next great quarterback at Ohio State. Stroud enrolled early and although spring ball was cut short has had the benefit of some extra prep time this winter. Stroud and Miller will both play in 2020, at the very least when the Buckeyes are ahead and want to protect Fields. If the Buckeyes truly need a second string quarterback to step in expect Stroud to be the one playing significant minutes.

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