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Ohio State Football: 3 bold predictions for season-opener vs. FAU

By Phil Poling

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 01: J.K. Dobbins #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after a play against the Northwestern Wildcats at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 01: J.K. Dobbins #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after a play against the Northwestern Wildcats at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 01: Shaun Wade #24 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates with his team after intercepting a pass in the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 01: Shaun Wade #24 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates with his team after intercepting a pass in the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

1. Shaun Wade becomes household name

Ohio State’s been a pipeline for defensive backs looking to reach the NFL. Eli Apple, Vonn Bell, Malik Hooker, Kendall Sheffield, Denzel Ward and Damon Webb are all examples of that. Shaun Wade is up next.

Wade, a consensus five-star prospect out of high school, excelled as a redshirt freshman in 2018. He played in all 14 games and tallied three interceptions and seven pass breakups for the Buckeyes. He’ll be one of the top two corners for Ohio State with plenty of opportunities to get his name in the boxscore against a pass-happy coach like Kiffin.

He’ll be aided by the Buckeyes’ pass rush — led by junior Chase Young — which could force the Owls’ quarterbacks to make some bad decisions. At 6-foot-1, Wade has the size to go along with his excellent ball skills and ability to track wide receivers.

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Wade will be a household name by season’s end, and if the Buckeyes have a successful season, it’ll likely be because of his efforts defensively. Nobody’s expecting the Buckeyes’ defense to carry Ohio State, but timely stops and plays matter; Wade will be the player to make them in 2019.

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