Written by Dan Wismar

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There is general agreement among OSU football observers that the Buckeyes' chances for a championship season in 2010 depend to a large extent on Terrelle Pryor's continued improvement as a passer. The return of his top two wide receivers from last year should make that goal more attainable, and the influx of young talent into the receiver corps promises a strong pass-catching unit at Ohio State well into the future.

DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher were on the receiving end of 96 of Pryor's 167 completions in 2009, and 14 of his 18 touchdown passes. Those two will again be the mainstays of an OSU passing attack that figures to spread the ball around a bit more this year. Tailback Brandon Saine was third on the team in receiving last year with 17 grabs, including two TD's, and overall, 75% of Pryor's completions and 17 of his 18 touchdown passes went to players who return for 2010.

Best of the Rest

Seniors Taurian Washington and Grant Schwartz and redshirt freshman Chris Fields are in line to be the next three receivers on the field for the Buckeyes this fall. Despite their tenure, Washington and Schwartz haven't seen much action as Buckeyes. Washington had three catches as a freshman in 2007, but none since, and Schwartz is still looking for his first career reception after switching positions from safety midway through his OSU career. Both have had excellent spring and summer sessions though, and are expected to make the most of their final seasons in Columbus.

Including Fields, six of the ten scholarship receivers on the OSU roster still have four years of eligibility beginning this fall. So however talented they may be, they remain untested under fire, and the 2010 season will be the proving ground for starting receiver spots in 2011 and beyond. Fields and James Jackson arrived last year and took redshirt seasons in '09, and they are joined in that first-year group this fall by four true freshman that are collectively one of the best crops of wide receivers in the country for the class of 2010.

Just to take the word of one talent evaluator, Phil Steele had Corey Brown (#18), James Louis (#32) and Tyrone Williams (#60) all ranked among the best freshman wideouts in the nation. The fourth freshman is Columbus native Verlon Reed, a dynamic overall athlete who starred at quarterback and defensive back as a prep player, and will start out at OSU in a new position at receiver.

Just as true freshman Duron Carter won the #3 wide receiver job last year, one or more of the youngsters could step up as the season progresses to claim that role in the offense. Carter's 13 receptions from 2009 should be replaceable without too much trouble, given the assembled talent and the enviable opportunity. Ray Small's contribution of 15 receptions is the only other production lost from the 2009 team at receiver.


Seriously This Time

It has become something of a running joke in the media to report before each and every season that Jim Tressel's Buckeyes will try to do more to incorporate the tight end into the passing attack.  Good intentions and annual discussions by the coaching staff aside, it simply hasn't happened in recent years. Last year, starting tight end Jake Ballard had 14 receptions for a 10.7 yard average, and no touchdowns. To spare you the high math, that's about one completion per game. Considering the track record, you couldn't be blamed for doubting what comes next.

The difference in 2010 is that there has been considerable evidence in the spring and now the fall practices that they are committed to getting the ball to starting tight end Jake Stoneburner early and often... and for that matter, throwing to the running backs and fullbacks a lot more as well.

Part of the change in strategy has to do with Stoneburner's ability as a downfield receiving threat, more so than as an in-line blocker, an area where he still needs to improve. And it's also a function of Pryor's ongoing development. With experience has come more comfort in the pocket, the patience to check down to his third or fourth read on a passing play, and the ability to deliver the ball to the tight end or to an outlet running back instead of just taking off on a scramble.

And third, as a group the running backs (and Boren at fullback) are also showing greater aptitude as receivers than did some RB groups in recent years. Last year running backs and fullbacks combined for 34 receptions, and tight ends for 16. Call me crazy, but I expect the catches by running backs to hit at least 50 this year, and Stoneburner should have at least 30 receptions at tight end. No kidding.

Here are some more particulars on the Buckeye wide receivers and tight ends for the coming season...

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Wide Receivers



DeVier Posey - #8 - Junior   6' 2"  200   (Cincinnati, OH)  LaSalle H.S.

Posey did exactly what was expected of him as an OSU sophomore in 2009. He broke out as a legitimate #1 receiver with 60 receptions for 828 yards and eight touchdowns. He saved his best game for last, as the receiving star of the Rose Bowl, with 8 receptions for 101 yards and the game-clinching touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. Playing as the #3 receiver behind Robiskie and Hartline as a freshman in 2008, Posey had 11 catches for 117 yards and one TD, but he had flashed the potential that was then fulfilled in his memorable sophomore season.

As the No. 1 option for Pryor, at times Posey became too predictable a target for his quarterback, but being the focus of the defensive coverage didn't seem to faze him, and as the season progressed, the coaches got more and more creative in their use of Posey as a weapon. That included calling his number on a double reverse pass play that resulted in a touchdown pass to Dane Sanzenbacher against New Mexico State.  After Pryor, Posey is perhaps the most irreplaceable player on the Buckeye offense in 2010. And he's one of a handful of OSU juniors that could opt to leave early after this season for the NFL. OSU fans are hoping he'll be here for two more seasons starring in highlight films like these...

Posey 2009 highlight video - Rose Bowl 2010 Posey highlights

Scout page - Rivals page

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Dane Sanzenbacher - #12 - Senior   5' 11"  180    (Toledo, OH) Central Catholic H.S.

In his first game as an OSU freshman in 2007, Sanzenbacher caught a TD pass from Todd Boeckman against Youngstown State for his first career reception, and the senior from Toledo has been catching everything thrown his way ever since. He had 12 receptions as a freshman and then 21 more in 2008 as he moved into the regular rotation as a sophomore. Along the way, Sanzenbacher started building a reputation as for toughness and fearlessness as he repeatedly bounced back from wicked hits after pass receptions. He missed one game with a concussion after one such hit in '08, but more often than not he'd shake it off and play on.

Sanzenbacher became the No. 2 receiver last year and responded with 36 catches and six TD's, and he too had a big game in the Rose Bowl as Pryor was setting career highs for attempts and completions. Dane had 9 catches for 64 yards against Oregon, many of them coming on slants and quick hitters. He had at least one reception in every game but one in 2009, showing off the hands that Tressel turned to when his punt returner Ray Small was out, and is turning to again this year in making Sanzenbacher his holder for placement kicks. Sanzenbacher scored the first Ohio State points of the 2007 and the 2009 seasons. Marshall take note.

Scout page - Rivals page

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Taurian Washington - #5 - Senior   6' 1"  181  (Orchard Lake, MI)  St. Mary Prep

Like Sanzenbacher, Taurian Washington caught a TD pass in that 2007 opener against YSU as a freshman, but their OSU careers have taken radically different paths since. Washington's best days have come in Spring Games instead of on Saturdays in the fall, and now he'll have one last season to leave his mark on OSU football in a positive way. In last year's opener against Navy, he had a couple of drops in the early going, and he never got another chance to make it right, as Carter and Small got most of the reps behind the starters the rest of the way. Everyone has been impressed with the way he has played this spring and summer, and his athleticism and speed have never been in question. A touch of success early in 2010 could do Washington a world of good, and could bode well for the Buckeyes' season overall.

Scout page - Rivals page

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Grant Schwartz - #17 - Senior    6' 0"  210    (Dana Point, CA)  Dana Hills H.S.

Schwartz is a 5th-year senior who is finally in a position to get some significant playing time as a Buckeye, moving into the two-deep with a strong spring and a thorough knowledge of the offense. He was a dual-threat quarterback in high school in California, and worked at safety when he first arrived in Columbus, but has settled in at receiver and shows excellent quickness and great hands to go with his size. The son of a former Buckeye, Grant should have opportunities to contribute on offense this year after getting primarily special teams duty the last two seasons.

Scout page - Rivals page

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Chris Fields - #80 - R-Freshman    6' 0"  185    (Painesville, OH) Riverside H.S.

Another candidate to step into the #3 receiver role vacated by Carter's departure, Fields has impressed receivers coach Darrell Hazell with his effort and improvement from his redshirt freshman season a year ago. This former all-state selection and three-sport star from Painesville will be making his debut as a Buckeye in 2010, and the smooth, sure-handed Fields might be hard to keep off the field once he gets his baptism under fire. The overall athleticism, great leaping ability and long-striding running style of Fields might bring to mind a young Joey Galloway for seasoned OSU fans. Time will tell if they see anything close to similar long term results, but the potential is encouraging.

Scout page - Rivals page -

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James Jackson - #15 - R-Freshman   5' 10"  184    Grand Ledge (MI) H.S.

Jackson is one of the fastest Buckeye players, and he might see the field on kick return teams before he gets significant playing time at receiver. He enrolled early in the spring of 2009 and made a good impression with  three receptions in that year's spring game, but didn't end up using a year of eligibility last season. He'll bring that extra experience into 2010 and try to get a leg up on the true freshmen pushing for playing time behind him. Jackson still holds some high school sprint records in that state up north, and it's that difference-making pure speed that could get him into game action ahead of some of the other contenders in the OSU receiver corps.

Scout page - Rivals page

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James Louis - #6 - Freshman    5' 11"  178   (Delray Beach, FL)  Atlantic H.S.

More than a few recruiting experts were surprised that the Buckeyes were able to get Louis out of the state of Florida, but the four-star receiver stuck with his early OSU commitment even as Florida and other southern schools tried to get him to change his mind. Coach Hazell compares him favorably to Santonio Holmes as a young player, in terms of his explosiveness, his ball skills, and his quickness, while also saying that Louis has more speed than Holmes did. They also like him as a potential kick returner, and say he's probably more advanced as a receiver than the other incoming freshmen. He certainly passed the "look test" upon his arrival on campus this summer, and no one would be surprised to see him making an early splash as a Buckeye.

Louis highlight video

Scout page - Rivals page

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Corey Brown - #10 - Freshman  5' 11"  175    (Springfield, PA) Cardinal O'Hara H.S.

The versatile and speedy Brown was ranked in the "athlete" category by the recruiting services because he was used in so many different roles as a prep player. He had over 3000 rushing yards and over 1500 receiving yards on the way to scoring 50 touchdowns at Cardinal O'Hara outside of Philadelphia. He has already been dubbed "Philly" Brown in Columbus, as one way to distinguish him from the other Corey Brown from Pennsylvania, the ('09) cornerback from Monroeville. Brown starred in the sprint events as a track athlete, finishing 3rd in the state of PA in the 100-meters, and running a 21.4 in the 200M. He'll face a steeper learning curve at WR than will Louis, but the Bucks are stacking the bottom half of the depth chart with speed and athleticism that's bound to pay off later if not sooner.

Brown highlight video

Scout page - Rivals page -

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T.Y. Williams - #18 - Freshman   6' 5"  218  (E. Cleveland, OH)  Shaw H.S.

When you hear scouts talk about Tyrone Williams, the word "raw" always seems to come up. That's because the lanky receiver from East Cleveland hasn't played very much football yet, but the potential for big things is obvious when you consider his combination of size and athleticism. Wherever his "ceiling" may turn out to be, he's used to being closer to it than anyone else in the room. Listed at 6' 7" in the high school program, he actually measured at 6' 5" when he checked in at OSU, but he plays bigger than that, with a huge wingspan and a long stride. He has made a good early impression in August camp, but it's clear he could benefit from a redshirt year to learn the position and get stronger.

Williams highlight video

Scout page - Rivals page

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Verlon Reed - #14 - Freshman   6' 0"  190   (Columbus, OH)  Marion-Franklin H.S.

Reed's inclusion in the wide receiver group this fall is a bit of a surprise, since he played mostly quarterback and defensive back at Marion-Franklin, and it was assumed he'd be at safety if his preferred opportunity to play QB wasn't in the cards at OSU. Apparently the coaches felt his versatility, open-field running ability and speed would be put to best use as a receiver, even considering the time it would take to get used to a relatively new position. Reed was selected for two post-season all-star games this summer, and was named MVP in both of them for his play at quarterback. He could possibly help the 2010 Buckeyes in some kick returning role. Here's Coach Haynes talking about Reed, with some video highlights.

Big 33 Game highlights - (Reed's 74 yd. TD run at 4:16 mark)

Scout page - Rivals page

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Tight Ends



Jake Stoneburner - #11 - R-Sophomore   6' 5"  250   (Dublin, OH)  Coffman H.S.

The breakout season many of us expected from Jake Stoneburner last year didn't happen for a variety of reasons, but it appears to have simply been delayed until 2010. Playing behind senior Jake Ballard, Stoneburner had just two receptions in 2009, and the coaches' plans to attack the middle of the field more on offense wasn't noticeably effective. But the injury issues affecting Stonebeurner early in his OSU career seem to be behind him now, and his working relationship with Terrelle Pryor should begin bearing fruit this season.

If the Spring Game and early fall practices are good indicators (and outside of player and coach interviews they're all we've got) there is a real focus this year on finding Stoneburner in the passing game, either down the middle, or in the flat as a safety valve. He has legitimate 4.6 speed at 6' 5" and 250 pounds, making him a tough matchup for DB's or linebackers, and Pryor has begun to look for him as a primary receiving threat, not just as a last resort. With the strong OSU rushing attack bringing opposing safeties up into the box, Stoneburner could have lots of big play opportunities in 2010.

Scout page - Rivals page

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Reid Fragel - #88 - Sophomore   6' 8"  260   Grosse Pointe (MI) South H.S.

Fragel played in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2009, mostly on special teams (placement kick units) but also in some two-tight end sets. Some have speculated that his long arms and quick feet might eventually lead to a future at offensive tackle, but for the moment no such move is planned at OSU. One of the reasons Fragel chose Ohio State over MSU and others was the OSU coaches' commitment to let him stay at tight end as a Buckeye. One reception in the Spring Game isn't enough to get a good read on his hands, but the 2010 season should give us a chance to see what he can do in the passing game. We already know he's a capable blocker on the edge.

Scout page - Rivals page

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Other articles in the series of position group previews for the 2010 Buckeyes:

Defensive Backs
Offensive Line
Linebackers
Running Backs


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Photo credits:

Jim Davidson - the-Ozone.net
Dan Harker - the-Ozone.net
Gary Housteau - Bucknuts.com
Scout.com
Rivals.com