After seemingly 19 years with J.T. Barrett standing in the shotgun, Ohio State will break in a new quarterback this year. And whoever it is -- most likely rising junior Dwayne Haskins or redshirt freshman Tate Martell -- already has one advantage: Parris Campell is coming back.
Campbell made the announcement on Thursday through a Twitter video.
After a lot of thinking and praying... Buckeye Nation... pic.twitter.com/fKqik8MPOH
— Parris Campbell (@PCampbell21) January 11, 2018
After catching zero passes as a redshirt freshman in 2015 and 13 in ’16, Campbell lead the club this season, hauling in 40 passes for 584 yards and three touchdowns. He began the season with six grabs for 136 yards and a touchdown in a 49-21 win over Indiana, and also hauled in a 57-yard touchdown grab in the Big Ten Championship win over Wisconsin. Campbell also rushed 10 times for 132 yards and a touchdown. Campbell was named a Third Team All-Big Ten performer and selected as a team captain in 2017.
Campbell also started the season as the Buckeyes’ kickoff return man before head injuries forced him out of that role. He still finished the year as the team’s leader, averaging 36.6 yards in nine returns.
With Campbell’s return, Ohio State is set to return all but one player -- senior tight end Marcus Baugh (28 grabs) being the exception -- who caught a pass in the Buckeyes’ Big Ten and Cotton Bowl championship-winning season.