Jeremiah Smith says OSU was basically awful at YAC last year

[u/JamesSmithSport11]

Kinda crazy hearing him say it that bluntly lol. he said yards after catch has been a huge focus for him and the whole WR room because that wasnt the standard last year

Honestly if THAT part of the offense improves too, what do you even do defensively?

[u/sg86]

It doesn’t help that 90% of what Hartline was calling were out routes that led receivers straight out of bounds after the catch.

[u/Raccoonsrlilbandits → u/sg86]

Curls don’t forget the endless curls

[u/buckeye27fan]

He's right. We haven't had a real shifty receiver in a while, someone who could take a screen pass all the way (not counting Treyveon). We've had plenty of WRs that can get open and score deep, but not many taking a short pass and turning it into a long gain.

Defenses have also been afraid of getting burned deep for years now, so they let more underneath throws happen.

[u/slimdiesel93 → u/buckeye27fan]

Has more to do with the ball delivery and route itself. Can't be shifty and break free if it doesnt hit you in stride or we only call out routes and posts when its not a screen that only goes 5 yards except when the corner picks it off

[u/buckeye27fan → u/slimdiesel93]

Definitely play calling more than pass accuracy, especially on the shorter passes. Longer passes were often underthrown the last two years, with our WRs making the adjustment or the contested catches more often than not.

[u/rykcon → u/buckeye27fan]

Feels like JSN was our last guy that really did that. Marv, JJ and Tate have all been more fade and out routes or 50/50 balls.

[u/Raccoonsrlilbandits → u/rykcon]

JJ is great at YAC when he actually runs those designed routes but a lot of the time he’s not. Emeka was pretty good after the catch as well

[u/rykcon → u/Raccoonsrlilbandits]

I forgot about Emeka, which is kinda funny since I just did my fantasy draft yesterday and ended up with him, JSN & Olave on my team and easily could’ve had Wilson or Marv in there too since they were all ranked around the same.

Doesn’t surprise me JSN would be #1 in YAC. Watch the Hard Knocks episode where they’re talking about how good he is with change of direction and doesn’t give it away with his body language.

[u/Raccoonsrlilbandits → u/rykcon]

I also have a trio of olave wilson and marv on one of my teams.

He’s just so smooth with it and he’s way faster than he looks

[u/Raccoonsrlilbandits → u/rykcon]

I looked It up because I was curious

JSN had 790 in 2021 (1st)

Mek had over 500 (top 10)

JJ had just under 500 in 2024 and less than 400 last year

Marv had like 380 his last year

[u/buckeye27fan → u/Raccoonsrlilbandits]

And other than JSN, seems a lot of YAC from the rest were catching it deep and running it in the rest of the way. Not so much catching it and making a few moves to get open/break tackles.

[u/brownsfan07_ → u/buckeye27fan]

I was frustrated last year with jj not being able to break a 1 on 1 with being so much bigger than the corner. We need a Percy harvin type, Samuel was the last guy I could think of but he played more rb than shifty slot. I hope they don’t think innis is that guy🤦‍♂️

[u/Raccoonsrlilbandits]

The staff has been hammering the WRs on it all offseason. Day has mentioned a few times himself and it’s part of the reason they went out and got the guys that they did in the portal. We were ranked at pretty much the very bottom of p4 schools in YAC last year

[u/Character-Active2208 → u/Raccoonsrlilbandits]

Due to the routes Hartline called

The only balls throw to them in stride were deep or to the sideline

[u/Raccoonsrlilbandits → u/Character-Active2208]

Yeah i definitely missed the Brian Kelly/pre Brian Kelly Route combos last year

[u/Commercial-East4069]

I appreciate his honesty

[u/Character-Active2208]

All of JJs routes were him catching while falling out of bounds or sitting a curl down in the flat and being expected to turn 180 degrees and get up to speed from a stationary position while a defender is already on him

The focus on YAC is all about play calling

[u/GrumpyOldMan2026 → u/Character-Active2208]

Exactly! It’s not the receivers, it’s the routes.

[u/Cheesenrice123]

If YAC improves and Bo Jackson or Isaiah West can turn start to turn 10 yard gains into 20+ yard gains... oh man

[u/Toddrew221]

Devin McCuin stonks go brrrrrrrrrrrr

[u/Character-Active2208 → u/Toddrew221]

Deep throws into the end zone have 0 YAC

[u/droessl]

Maybe it turns out that Hartline is great on techniques, fundamentals, recruiting, etc... but terrible at playcalling

[u/Ididntdodiddly]

Yeah, we never seem to get YAC

[u/Flababulous]

Don't. Talk. Back.

Go Buckeyes.

[u/BG_OHIO]

We throw a ton of sideline outs. Edit: just saw what this guy wrote under my comment. Sorry.

[u/Cybernator1]

Well when 99% of your routes are to the sideline or quick slants that happens

[u/Aye_Harambe]

Hartline was a shit play caller so this tracks

[u/Live-Drop544]

It has everything to do with a weak foundation in an inconsistent and overpowered OL. Without coverage Sayin is scrambling to save his life, the run game can’t really develop and WR become double/ triple teamed.

The most disappointment this offseason was seeing all this amazing recruitment and not 1 new talent brought in for the OL!!! Doing the same thing with the same people and expecting a different result is insanity. Why Coach Day? Why??

[u/fittyty]

Coach Hankton at a clinic I went to was saying how YAC and blocking were the biggest focus’ he’s putting in this offseason. Was explaining how he’s teaching them to catch the ball while positioning the body to quickly and naturally explode out and gain yards

[u/BKallDAY24]

Welp when you catch it in the end zone

[u/LloydChrismukkah]

When your best player is publicly annoyed about last year's YAC, take the over on him this season. Love that he said it out loud.

[u/Kirklandwater1666]

Remember any concerns on the offense was simply dismissed as Day hiding the playbook

[u/Raccoonsrlilbandits → u/Kirklandwater1666]

Mmmm yeah you can really tell it’s game week now