Ranking The Opposing Pass Catchers On The Buckeyes’ 2024 Schedule

We continue our positional rankings of Ohio State’s 2024 opponents with a look at the receiver and tight end rooms that will be facing the Buckeyes this year. There are just two 1,000-yard receivers on the OSU schedule this year, and only one of those receivers did it while facing a Power 5 schedule.

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1. Oregon [Game 6, Oct. 12 – at Oregon]
Tez Johnson caught 86 passes for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. Traeshon Holden and Gary Bryant both posted better than 400 yards receiving last year. The Ducks also added Evan Stewart from Texas A&M, who was the top receiver in the portal. Senior tight end Terrance Ferguson caught 42 passes last year. He has 13 career touchdown receptions.

2. Indiana [Game 11, Nov. 23 – Indiana]
New head coach Curt Cignetti went into the portal and landed four receivers who have combined for over 450 career receptions and over 5,500 yards. Elijah Sarratt (82-1,191-8) came over from James Madison where he starred. Donaven McCulley led the Hoosiers last year with 48 receptions for 644 yards and six TDs. Tight end Zach Horton (27-275-6) came from James Madison as well.

3. Penn State [Game 8, Nov. 2 – at Penn State]
Even with some losses from last year, this group should be better than last year’s corps. Harrison Wallace caught 19 passes last year while dealing with injuries. Former Ohio State receiver Julian Fleming transferred in for his fifth year. He caught 34 passes for 533 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2022. No tight end in the Big Ten caught more touchdowns than Tyler Warren (34-422-7) last year.

4. Michigan [Game 12, Nov. 30 – Michigan]
The Wolverines lost their top two wide receivers, so some young players will need to step up. Semaj Morgan (22-204-2) and Tyler Morris (13-197-1) each played in all 15 games last year. Fredrick Moore is another young receiver who has played quite a bit. Tight end Colston Loveland (45-649-4) will be a security blanket for a new quarterback, but opposing defenses know that as well.

5. Michigan State [Game 4, Sept. 28 – at Michigan State]
Second-Team All-Pac 12 tight end Jack Velling (29-438-8) has come over from Oregon State with new head coach Jonathan Smith. Leading receiver Montorie Foster (43-576-3) is back after starting every game last year. Expectations are growing for redshirt sophomore Jaron Glover (14-261), who started five of the eight games he played in. True freshman Nick Marsh had a very good spring.

6. Nebraska [Game 7, Oct. 26 – Nebraska]
Wake Forest transfer Jahmal Banks (6-4 205) has 101 receptions over the past two seasons, posting 600+ yards each season. Texas transfer Isaiah Neyor only caught one pass last year for the Longhorns, but went big (88-878-12) at Wyoming in 2021. Slot Jaylen Lloyd averaged 39.5 yards per catch on his six catches last year as a freshman. Starting TE Thomas Fidone (25-260-4) returns.

7. Northwestern [Game 10, Nov. 16 – at Northwestern]
Fifth-year senior AJ Henning (45-418-4) is a versatile offensive player but must do better than his 9.3 yards per catch last year. Fifth-year senior Bryce Kirtz (49-701–5) is also back. Last year was by far his best as a Wildcat. Frank Covey had his season halted due to injury last year but had a strong spring. Returning tight ends Marshall Lang and Thomas Gordon combined for 24 catches last year.

8. Iowa [Game 5, Oct. 5 – Iowa]
There is not a lot of depth here but with a new offensive coordinator in Tim Lester, production should increase due to simple mathematics. Former Buckeye Kaleb Brown (22-215-1) needs to do more this year. Seth Anderson is likely the other starter (11-150-1). They combined for four receptions of 20+ yards last year. Luke Lachey is one of the Big Ten’s best tight ends.

9. Purdue [Game 9, Nov. 9 – Purdue]
Florida Atlantic transfer Jahmal Edrine was expected to be a starter last year after posting 39 catches for 570 yards and six touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2022, but he was lost for the year due to an injury in camp. Third-year Georgia transfer CJ Smith brings expectations but little production so far. Redshirt sophomore TE Max Klare caught 22 passes in five games last year.

10. Marshall [Game 11, Sept. 21 – Marshall]
Marshall went into the transfer portal to add Bralon Brown (3 career recs) from Ole Miss, Carl Chester (22-401-1) from Tulsa, Ty Perkins (redshirt freshman, no stats) from Cincinnati, Tychaun Chapman (7-135-1) from North Carolina, and Elijah Metcalf (54-634-5) from Middle Tennessee. Starting tight end Cade Conley (23-215-1) returns. This is a group that has potential.

11. Western Michigan [Game 2, Sept. 7 – Western Michigan]
All-MAC receiver Kenneth Womack returns after posting 76 receptions last season. Those 76 receptions, however, only went for 691 yards and one touchdown. Anthony Sambucci (21-318-5) is back as well. A couple of transfers will attempt to fill the room out even more. North Carolina State TE transfer Chris Toudle posted 30 total receptions in 2021 and 2022 but none last year.

12. Akron [Game 1, Aug. 31 – Akron]
Former LSU transfer Alex Adams had a strong 2022 season (63-855-9) but struggled with injuries last season (22-188-2). Bobby Golden was a utility player last year (17-144). The Zips have gone into the junior college ranks looking for immediate help as well. Tight end Jacob Newell transferred in last year from Arizona State and posted 13 catches for 124 yards as a redshirt freshman.

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Ranking the 12 best pass catchers on the Ohio State schedule this season.

1. WR Tez Johnson, Oregon
2. TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
3. WR Evan Stewart, Oregon
4. WR Traeshon Holden, Oregon
5. WR Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
6. TE Terrance Ferguson, Oregon
7. WR Donaven McCulley, Indiana
8. WR Jahmal Banks, Nebraska
9. WR Gary Bryant, Oregon
10. TE Tyler Warren, Penn State
11. TE Luke Lachey, Iowa
12. WR Julian Fleming, Penn State

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