Amidst excitement over the Rose Bowl Game and a possible end to the Buckeyes bowl-losing streak, rumors have surfaced that a few players are thinking about transferring out of Ohio State after the game.
Most notable among those players are sophomore wide receiver Lamaar Thomas and junior wide receiver Taurian Washington, who have both seen limited playing time this year.
“I kind of knew what I did and some of the reasons why I wasn’t playing,” Washington said. “I just continued to work hard in practice and stay focused.”
Thomas, who leads the team with 376 yards on 18 kick returns, said that he has been frustrated with the level of opportunity he has had at Ohio State.
“Frustration makes you think about things and want to do things differently than planned,” Thomas said. “I’m not necessarily saying that I’m thinking about transferring, just frustration builds up to a certain point, and you’re upset so you’re speaking out of anger.”
Both receivers said that they hope Friday’s game against Oregon proves to be a chance for them to show their worth as contributors. With receivers Ray Small and Duron Carter suspended for the contest, both are expected to see more action.
Washington, who dropped several passes in OSU’s opening game against Navy, said that he is hoping to make up for that performance.
After the Navy game, Washington saw virtually no playing time after the coaches “said that I didn’t play as hard as I should have and my energy level wasn’t up like it should have been,” Washington said.
Thomas said that his decision will depend little on his performance Friday, although he hopes to do the best he can for his teammates.
“Prior to the bowl season I’ve been thinking about a lot of things and all that. So I don’t think my performance Friday will affect my decision,” Thomas said. “If I have a 10-touchdown game or something, that might [affect my decision] because that’s crazy, but other than that I don’t think so.”
Thomas also said that a lot of the seniors have told him stories about wanting to leave but fought through it, but that in the end he was looking for the best place to showcase his talent.
