3. Rising sophomore Jelani Woods has a breakout year
Jelani Woods had some impressive moments as a redshirt freshman last season, starting seven games before being held out of the last two contests due to injury.
The Georgia-native was actually recruited to OSU out of high school as a quarterback. He stands at 6-foot-7 and 251 pounds, and has enough explosion to make plays downfield. He tallied seven receptions for 120 yards in 2018, including two touchdowns. Averaging 17.1 yards per catch signifies Woods’ potential this season.
Despite departed wideout Tyron Johnson signing with the NFL’s Houston Texans this spring, the OSU wide receiver corps returns most of its production from 2018 — including Biletnikoff Award finalist Tylan Wallace.
The chance for Woods to shine, though, may come from a new offensive system with newcomer Sean Gleeson from Princeton. A player with Woods’ size and abilities can be moved around creatively, especially to highlight a mismatch in the redzone. In addition, a new gunslinger in either Spencer Sanders or Dru Brown could be the answer for Woods.
Whether he’s lining up out wide, as a tight end or as the “Cowboy back”, look for Woods to make more plays in 2019 with more opportunities.