This was supposed to be Jaelen Gill’s breakout year.
After redshirting and playing just 15 snaps in two games as a true freshman, Gill looked like a prime candidate to take Parris Campbell’s place in the slot receiver/H-back rotation with K.J. Hill. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said before the season that the Buckeyes wanted to have a six- or seven-man rotation at wide receiver, so seemingly, the plan was for either Gill or C.J. Saunders to rotate regularly with Hill.
That hasn’t happened. With Saunders sidelined all year by knee injuries, the Buckeyes have stuck with a five-man wide receiver rotation in their most competitive games: Binjimen Victor and Garrett Wilson at X, Chris Olave and Austin Mack at Z and Hill taking all the snaps in the slot in three-receiver packages.