Ohio State sophomore wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) lines up at the line of scrimmage during the Ohio State-Rutgers game on Nov. 7. Ohio State won 49-27. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Garrett Wilson is coming into his own as one of quarterback Justin Fields’ favorite targets in the Ohio State passing attack.
The sophomore wideout has already joined elite company in Ohio State history, becoming just the fourth Buckeye receiver to eclipse 100 yards in three straight games. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said that he saw Wilson’s potential early on in their relationship.
“When I watched Garrett play in high school and got to know he and his family, I could tell you that my expectations for him when he got here were about what’s going on right now,” Day said Tuesday. “I always felt like he was very, very talented and had a chance to be very special, so yeah, we kinda saw that early on with him.”
Wilson joins the likes of Cris Carter, Terry Glenn and David Boston — who was able to complete the feat twice in his Buckeye career. Carter was able to extend his streak to five games, the longest in Buckeye history.
Now sitting amongst some of Ohio State’s greats, Wilson said he is honored to be recognized at the same level as those Buckeye legends.
“Those dudes putting up those records, those are people I looked up to growing up. I wasn’t able to watch much of them play just because of my age, but seeing my name along their names, that was super special to me,” Wilson said. “Now I just gotta try to keep it going, and hopefully we can break some records.”
Through three games, Wilson has lit up the stat sheet — he is tied for the most receptions in the Big Ten with 24 and in second for the most yards with 344. Wilson has added two touchdowns to his resume, good for third most on the Buckeyes behind junior wide receiver Chris Olave and junior tight end Jeremy Ruckert.
Although Wilson said he doesn’t know when he obtains more than 100 yards until after the game, he called the 100-yard benchmark something he strives for each time he takes the field.
“As a receiver, you got goals for yourself, you got personal goals. One hundred yards usually is a landmark of a good game for a receiver,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot of other ways to get that done. But 100 yards is a good stat, a good benchmark number.”
Although Wilson has already proven himself capable of being an elite target in the Buckeye offense, Day said that his ceiling is limitless.
Another Buckeye who has gotten off to a historic start is Wilson’s quarterback, Fields — who has thrown as many incompletions as touchdowns over the course of three games.
Wilson said that playing with Fields has made his job much easier in his first two seasons in Columbus.
“Being in this offense and playing with someone like Justin, he’s always going to put it where it needs to be so I mean it’s on me, Chris (Olave), [Jameson Williams] and [Jaxon Smith-Njigba] to make the play at that point,” Wilson said. “I feel like I’ve been put in a lot of good situations to make plays.”
Although the wide receivers boast a lot of depth within their ranks, Wilson shares the bulk of the snaps and targets with Olave.
Wilson said that having the bulk of the responsibilities helps him get into a rhythm on the field, but the depth of position is a major boost when he needs a breather.
“Being on the field, you can definitely feel your groove and once you get going. When you’re in your groove, the only thing that can really take that away is being taken out of the game and cooling back down,” Wilson said. “Also knowing I can count on the backups to come in and take my place and not miss a beat, that’s a big thing for our offense.”
Although he has gotten off to a historic start to his sophomore season, Wilson said he and the Buckeye passing attack needs to stay consistent as the season wears on into the winter.
“Just keeping it up as the schedule goes on,” Wilson said. “The weather is going to get colder, teams are going to get some film. So I think it’s being able to be consistent throughout the season, that’ll be the biggest thing for us.”
