BUCKEYES TO BROWNS
Mike Hall Jr. is selected 54th overall in the second round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
The last time an Ohio State football player returned a kickoff for a touchdown, the top movie on the planet that year was about a disabled ex-Marine who explored a virtual world called Pandora, fell in love and eventually crossed over to lead the indigenous race in a fight for survival.
Avatar grossed nearly $2.8 billion ($760 million stateside) in theaters across the globe, hitting the silver screen 70 days after Ray Small scampered 96 yards virtually untouched through the heart of Ohio Stadium and Wisconsin's coverage team.
Yes, the No. 1 movie for 2009 hadn't even been released the last time an Ohio State player sprinted to the end zone after fielding a kickoff. It wasn't even been nine months before Barack Obama swore an oath to the Oval Office and Boston College still held an eight-year winning streak against Notre Dame (the Irish beat the Eagles by four two weeks later for its first Holy War victory in nine tries).
But, you're missing Jordan Hall's kickoff return against Michigan in 2010, dummy!
True, Hall did create magic against the Wolverines as part of a 37-7 drubbing in Rich Rodriguez' final season in Ann Arbor. It happened on the field, but not in the record books because the season was later vacated as part of NCAA sanctions. As a result, it won't be recognized here. Sorry.
Urban Meyer's entire Ohio State tenure has experienced four special teams returns for touchdowns in four seasons. The most recent was Jalin Marshall's punt return and presumptive decimation of Indiana all but saved Ohio State's storybook 2014 national championship season in November. Before Marshall found pay dirt, the Buckeyes trailed the Hoosiers by six late in the third quarter. Bradley Roby took a punt back in 2013 and in 2012, and Corey "Philly" Brown took two back in Meyer's first season.
All of those players are no longer in the program, including Marshall, leaving Meyer's 2016 roster with as many return touchdowns as times he has lost to Michigan at Ohio State.
Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson handled the bulk of the kickoff returns in 2015, though Marshall did do it once against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. His decision to leave two years of eligibility on the table at Ohio State and enter the 2016 NFL Draft means the Buckeyes will need to fill a very significant void at punt returner.
Ezekiel Elliott handled punt return duties in Ohio State's season opener at Virginia Tech Labor Day Night (Marshall was suspended) but a fumble ended that move after just two tries.
In two seasons, Marshall averaged nearly 13 yards per punt return. Marshall was tied for third in the country with seven punt returns of 20 yards or more in 2015, and tied for sixth in the same category the year before.
Here is a look at Meyer's options in the return game for 2016, bookended by Samuel and Wilson.
Curtis Samuel – Junior RB/H-B/WR
What position will Curtis Samuel play in 2016? That is yet to be determined and is currently on hold after he underwent foot surgery Jan. 19 and could miss spring practice. Samuel played wide receiver, H-back and running back throughout the 2015 season, but one constant was his presence on kickoff returns.
Samuel returned nine kickoffs for 207 yards in 2015 and 12 for 246 yards in 2014 as a true freshman. He has outstanding burst once he finds a hole, so the smart money is on him returning to the same spot in 2016 provided he is healthy. The junior from Brooklyn has never returned a punt in his college career, but Meyer could look to him as an option to replace Marshall.
The bulk of Samuel's season rests on the health of his foot, an ailment that could lead to Meyer keeping him out of spring drills entirely. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, as long as he is 100 percent come fall camp. Samuel is bound to be an integral part of the 2016 offense, so it is wise to think he'll get touches in the return game too.
Dontre Wilson – Senior WR/H-B
Wilson battled his own series of foot problems the majority of 2015. He first broke his foot in Ohio State's 49-37 victory at Michigan State in November 2014 and re-injured it this season.
Many expected Wilson to be a heavy contributor when Meyer plucked him out of Oregon's fingertips ahead of the 2013 season, but injuries and lack of size kept that from happening with consistency his first three seasons. Still, Wilson returned seven kickoffs for 167 yards last season and 22 for 528 the year before. In his freshman season, the numbers were nearly identical: 21 returns for 523 yards.
Before his injury in 2014, Wilson was Ohio State's primary punt returner, corralling 14 punts for 136 yards. He then lost his job to Marshall but could win it back this offseason.
Wilson is the only player currently on Ohio State's roster with college experience returning punts, so it is likely Meyer will key on him to be a valued contributor in that area come 2016.
Other Possibilities
Noah Brown, Redshirt Sophomore WR: Brown is a relative unknown because he missed the 2015 season after suffering a broken leg in fall camp. He did return one kickoff for 23 yards in Ohio State's 55-14 thumping of Illinois in November 2014, but that is the extent of his work fielding kicks of any kind.
Meyer and his staff expected Brown to play a huge role in 2015 prior to the injury. Did that include work in the return game? We'll see.
K.J. Hill, Redshirt Freshman WR: Hill didn't play a down in 2015, but has the athleticism and tools necessary as a shifty playmaker that Meyer could experiment with him in the return game.
We haven't seen what Hill can do on the field at the college level yet, so this could either be spot on or way off. Time will tell, but Hill should figure largely into the offensive game plan in 2016.
