A Leader Off The Field, Brandon Inniss Ready To Lead On The Field As Well

Ohio State wide receiver Brandon Inniss played in 12 games last year as a true freshman, but he only caught one pass. That pass happened to be a 58-yard touchdown, which gives a pretty good indication of the kind of plays he can make when given an opportunity.

Being a five-star recruit, expectations were high for Inniss, but enrolling in June of 2023 put him behind the curve a bit. He saw time on offense in six games, playing a season-high nine snaps in the Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri.

An injured foot early in spring caused him to be shut down for the rest of camp. It may have slowed him down on the field but he didn’t let it slow him down off the field, particularly in the offseason workouts with strength coach Mickey Marotti and his staff.

“Coach Mick does a lot of things to grade guys and give feedback and hold guys accountable,” OSU receivers coach Brian Hartline explained. “So he was a guy that impressed his teammates through the summer. He was a guy that was all gold. He was a guy that the leaders wanted to vote on to the leadership council. So he earned all that without even playing football. So how did he stand out? It was everything of the non-talent issues, everything off the field he stood out in.”

The way Inniss stepped up for himself and for his team wasn’t a surprise to the coaches. It wasn’t that long ago that Inniss was the No. 1 receiver recruit in the nation, yet had no problem moving to quarterback as a junior because his American Heritage High School team was in a bind.

Whatever a team needs, Brandon Inniss is willing to do. And he’ll lead while he’s doing it. Even as a second-year player on a veteran-laded Ohio State football team.

“Yeah, being a leader, it was just instilled in me since I was young,” Inniss said. “When I was young, I wasn’t really a talker but I grew into that role as I got older and more comfortable. And then after the team up north game last year, just watching the film, I was just disgusted with the whole game. And not really certain plays, but it was just, I feel like I could do a lot when I get on the field and bring more intensity to how we’re playing.”

Inniss’ role on this year’s team will require more than just one catch, and his 58-yard average is probably going to take a hit as well. He currently projects as the backup for senior Emeka Egbuka in the slot, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be part of the Buckeyes’ regular rotation.

In fact, he could be a featured aspect of this Ohio State offense.

“Brandon, he came up, played running back for a lot of his life. Played a little quarterback here and there. Now he’s a receiver. He can do a lot of different things,” Egbuka said. “So we just try to put him in a position where he can be the most successful. And the position that makes him the most successful is just the ball in his hand. So we try to do that for him.”

Inniss touts the energy he brings to the team, and he’s not alone in that assessment. But he will be called upon for more than just his energy this year, and he’s ready for the opportunity because nobody has higher expectations for what he can do this season than he does.

“It feels amazing,” Inniss said of his comfort level in year two. “Now it’s like secondhand. I know the plays in and out. I know every position. Whatever the coaches want to ask me to do, whether it’s running back, out wide, inside, whatever it has to do with, now I can do it.”

There is also the possibility that he can help out in the return game. Head coach Ryan Day mentioned Inniss first when talking about possible punt returners for the Buckeyes.

Inniss is all for it.

“Oh, I’m definitely going to score a touchdown,” he said. “I got to.”

And when he was informed that the Buckeyes haven’t had a punt return touchdown since 2014?

“Wow, 10 years?” he said. “Yeah, I’m getting one this year.”