K.J. Hill found a soft spot in the defense, waited for the pass from J.T. Barrett, reached out and grabbed it near the 30-yard line and cut upfield. One side-step and dart later and Ohio State had 1st-and-goal at the 10-yard line.
Two snaps later, Curtis Samuel scored the eventual game-winning touchdown in the Buckeyes' 24-20 victory over Northwestern. But that wouldn't have happened had it not been for Hill's catch, the second-longest play from scrimmage on the day and easily the most explosive pass on an otherwise boring display from the Ohio State offense against the Wildcats.
“I think that was a game-changer, and he's a really good player,” Urban Meyer said of the play on Monday. “He's earning more and more playing time. Very reliable guy, good blocker, always in the right place, very good hands.”
The play earned Hill a chance to speak to the team after the Buckeyes finished off the Wildcats. He has seen his time in the Ohio State wide receiver rotation increase the last few weeks upon his return from an ankle injury that caused him to miss wins against Rutgers and Indiana. A terrific receiver that runs excellent routes, this doesn't come as a surprise to either Hill or his position coach Zach Smith. The play against Northwestern demonstrated that.
“I felt like it was a spark for the team but I had been hurt so I was trying to get my momentum back going,” Hill said after practice Wednesday. “I think that catch right there against Northwestern helped that.”
“He's been moving up the totem pole. He's as valuable a guy we have right now really.”– Zach Smith on K.J. Hill
“We had high expectations. I expected him to do that,” Smith said. “He's just kind of fulfilled expectations so far I'm excited about where he's going to be.”
Meyer called Hill's progression "typical" for a player of his caliber on Wednesday but pointed out how the redshirt freshman always makes it a point to catch the ball with his hands and not his chest.
“He's coming up the ranks,” Meyer said. “Typical progression of a young person that takes his role pretty seriously. A very nice talent to him.”
Smith called Hill probably the most improved player in his wide receiver room. With a passing game that lacked explosiveness in a loss at Penn State and against Northwestern, Hill could provide it. Even though he has only nine catches in his brief college career that is only seven games old.
“He's playing faster. He's always run real crisp routes,” Smith said. “He's understood the offense and it's just as he's getting experience his game speed and his practice speed is improving.
“He's been moving up the totem pole. He's as valuable a guy we have right now really.”
That is pretty significant considering the Buckeyes have a player in Curtis Samuel with more than 1,100 all-purpose yards and a quarterback in Barrett that represented one of three returning starters before the season began.
But Hill feels it too, because he is making plays when given the opportunity. That is what caught the eye of the head coach, who is even considering using him as a punt returner after Samuel. That is the plan this week, Hill said.
“I feel like with the ball in my hands, my quickness, I can explode with my quickness on the field,” Hill said. “And my vision.”
Hill caught five passes for 66 yards in Ohio State's 62-3 victory against Nebraska last Saturday, the most receptions he had in a game in 2016. But he did score his team's first touchdown of the season against Bowling Green, beating single coverage and reeling in a 47-yard strike from Barrett.
That is something Smith said Hill reminds him and the other receivers of every day. But if Hill continues his trend upward, more plays and other reminders could come along with them.
“Every week he's getting better and better and better and better,” Smith said. “So we're really excited for him.”
