Ohio State Football: 5 potential breakout stars for 2017
By Phil Poling
Shaun Wade is a true freshman from Jacksonville, Fla., but enrolled at Ohio State in January of 2017 after graduating early from high school. One of the top prospects in the nation — and considered the No. 1 corner by many — earned consensus top-25 player status from virtually every recruiting service.
More from Ohio State Buckeyes
- College Football Playoff: Projected top 4 after Week 3
- Ohio State football: 3 takeaways from win over Western Kentucky
- Ohio State football: 3 hot take predictions vs. Western Kentucky in Week 3
- Ohio State football: 3 bold predictions vs. Western Kentucky
- College Football Playoff: Projected top 4 after Week 2
At January’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Wade was named the 2017 Lockheed Martin defensive back of the year. The second national award Wade collected as a senior was the American Family Insurance All-USA Defensive Player of the Year award.
With plenty of attrition in the Buckeyes’ secondary, he has a chance to come in and compete for playing time right away. It’s not rare for young players to star under Urban Meyer, but Wade could be one of the biggest stars since the head coach took the reigns in Columbus.
Wade’s no stranger to winning, either. While at the Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, his team won four consecutive state football championships. You read that right, four in a row. Adding a player of Wade’s caliber to the mix defensively should breed lots of competition, something Ohio State’s desperately searching for after last season’s walk through the finish line.