Ohio State Freshmen L'Christian “Blue” Smith, Xavier Johnson Lose Black Stripes

By Dan Hope on October 4, 2018 at 9:02 am
L'Christian "Blue" Smith
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Two more true freshmen "officially" became members of the Ohio State football team at practice on Wednesday, when wide receiver L'Christian "Blue" Smith and cornerback Xavier Johnson had their black stripes removed.

Smith, a four-star recruit out of Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio, becomes the 20th of 25 scholarship players in the Buckeyes' 2018 recruiting class to shed his black stripe. He has appeared in one game this season, playing four snaps against Tulane, but looks to be a likely candidate for a redshirt – though the removal of his black stripe signifies that he could be ready for a bit more playing time.

Johnson, a walk-on who was rated as a three-star recruit out of Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati and actually turned down scholarship offers from several smaller Football Bowl Subdivision schools to become a Buckeye, has not yet appeared in a game but was praised by Ohio State director of player development Ryan Stamper in his black stripe video for how he has performed in practice.

2018 Black Stripe Big Board
NAME POSITION YEAR DATE OF REMOVAL
AARON COX DL SO MARCH 30
DE'SHAWN WHITE WR SO MARCH 30
TOMMY TOGIAI DL FR APRIL 11
DALLAS GANT LB FR AUG. 8
TERADJA MITCHELL LB FR AUG. 9
TATE DUARTE TE SR AUG. 9
TARON VINCENT DT FR AUG. 11
BRIAN SNEAD RB FR AUG. 11
KORY CURTIS QB SO AUG. 11
CHRIS OLAVE WR FR AUG. 13
AMARI MCMAHON RB JR AUG. 15
TYREKE SMITH DE FR AUG. 18
MASTER TEAGUE  RB FR AUG. 18
JEREMY RUCKERT TE FR AUG. 18
TYREKE JOHNSON CB FR AUG. 20
TYLER FRIDAY DE FR AUG. 27
SEVYN BANKS CB FR AUG. 27
JAVONTAE JEAN-BAPTISTE DE FR AUG. 27
K'VAUGHAN POPE LB FR AUG. 29
CAMERON BROWN CB FR AUG. 29
JOSH PROCTOR S FR SEPT. 5
JAELEN GILL H-B FR SEPT. 5
SAM WIGLUSZ WR FR SEPT. 5
NICHOLAS PETIT-FRERE OT FR SEPT. 18
JACK JAMIESON OL FR SEPT. 18
MATT JONES OL FR SEPT. 25
L'CHRISTIAN "BLUE" SMITH WR FR OCT. 3
XAVIER JOHNSON CB FR OCT. 3
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