In a position group that’s loaded with high-end recruits, a walk-on also made a push for playing time during Ohio State’s spring practices.
Ohio State has 10 wide receivers on scholarship for the 2022 season, and all 10 of them were either four- or five-star recruits. None of them were ranked lower than 151st overall in their respective recruiting classes. Generally, it’s extremely difficult for a walk-on to climb the depth chart in a position group with that much talent.
Based on what Ryan Day and Brian Hartline have had to say about Xavier Johnson this offseason, however, the fifth-year senior walk-on shouldn’t be ruled out as a candidate to earn snaps in this year’s wide receiver rotation.
When Hartline was asked earlier this month to name a player in his position group who made strides this spring, Johnson was the player he named.
“I was really impressed with Xavier Johnson,” Hartline said. “He did a really good job. He really has embodied all the roles he's done and the hats he's worn and I just really think he did a great job in every opportunity he got.”
Both Hartline and Day named Johnson as one of the receivers they feel they can rely on right now along with the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Julian Fleming, Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jayden Ballard.
“I think Emeka’s had a very good spring, Julian's had a very good spring, I think Marvin’s been very strong and Xavier Johnson’s been really good for us as well,” Day said after the spring game when asked which receivers he felt were ready to play this season along with Smith-Njigba. “The rest of the depth is continuing to build and grow.”
Day and Hartline’s words of praise were corroborated in the opportunities reporters and fans had to watch the Buckeyes in action this spring. Johnson was one of several receivers who stood out during Ohio State’s student appreciation day practice, where he put his ability to make difficult catches on full display. He was also a top performer in the spring game, where he led all Buckeyes with 50 receiving yards on just three catches.
Don't sleep on Xavier Johnson... Filthy one-handed catch on the sideline and nice foot work on both of these plays. pic.twitter.com/8ccZ6n9fdP
— Justin Holbrock (@NBC4Justin) April 2, 2022
Johnson physically looks the part of an Ohio State receiver at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, and he lined up as the second-team X receiver behind Harrison this spring, indicating he at least has a chance to earn a spot on the two-deep.
A three-star prospect ranked as the No. 1,138 overall prospect in the recruiting class of 2018, Johnson has always had the potential to be more than the typical walk-on. Johnson received scholarship offers from 10 FBS schools out of high school – including Cincinnati, Iowa State, Western Kentucky and seven MAC teams – but turned those down to play for the Buckeyes instead.
Johnson has changed positions on numerous occasions since arriving at Ohio State. While he was primarily recruited by other schools as a wide receiver, he began his Ohio State career at cornerback. He then switched back and forth between running back and wide receiver multiple times before finally settling in at receiver over the past two years.
That’s the territory that comes with being a walk-on, and Johnson doesn’t fault the coaching staff for moving him around. He believes they were trying to give him the best opportunity to earn playing time. But now that he’s finally had the opportunity to consistently practice at one position for multiple years, he believes he’s ready to make a real impact.
“I've been bouncing back and forth from room to room, and it's a testament of Coach Day, he’s just been trying to put me in the best position and figure out what that actually meant for me personally,” Johnson said this spring. “But being at receiver this offseason, I knew I was gonna be there for spring ball, so I put the work in, got comfortable, so now I feel like I can really play the position at a high level.”
Whether Johnson is realistically in line to play significant snaps at wideout this fall remains uncertain. Smith-Njigba, Harrison, Egbuka and Fleming are projected to see most of the playing time at receiver this season. Fellow top-100 recruits Ballard and Kamryn Babb also drew praise for their performance this spring. Kyion Grayes, Caleb Burton, Kaleb Brown and Kojo Antwi are all true freshmen, but they are talented enough that any one of them could push for immediate playing time.
This offseason isn’t the first time Johnson has been talked up as a potential surprise contributor. He received similar praise from Day and Tony Alford when he was practicing at running back before the 2020 season, only to play six offensive snaps for the entire season.
Regardless of whether Johnson plays a bigger role at wide receiver this year, he’ll be an important player for the Buckeyes on special teams, where he’s already been a regular for several seasons. He played the second-most snaps on special teams of any Buckeye in 2021, when he was a regular on the kickoff, kickoff return, punt and punt return units.
Those contributions on their own are enough to make Johnson as valuable as many of Ohio State’s scholarship players, and his coaches appreciate the selflessness he’s shown throughout his years as a Buckeye.
“He's a guy that had to wear a lot of hats. That can be hard on a player,” Hartline said. “But to me, I think he really had a great spring. He really did a lot of really good things right, and I'm excited to see him carry that into the fall.”
Even after paying his dues for the last four years, Johnson maintains that selfless approach. While earning a spot in the receiver rotation is his objective, he’s aware of how much talent the Buckeyes have at the position and wants to see his teammates succeed, too.
“I would be lying to you if I told you I wasn't coming in with the mindset of I want to crack that rotation,” Johnson said. “But I'm amongst a bunch of amazing receivers, a bunch of great guys, even better people. And we all push each other. That's the reason you come to Ohio State. You don’t come to Ohio State just to gloss by and get over, you come to compete. And this room is the best room in the country.
“Really, the reason I'm the receiver I am today is a testament to each individual in that room and their work ethic. So I would definitely say that my ultimate goal, of course, is to get on the field. That's why I came to Ohio State. But I'm there just to help the room and make the room better.”
