Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State

Ohio State Overview: Parris Campbell is a fourth-year player in the program who enters the 2017 season with junior eligibility … a veteran of 21 games and 12 starting assignments, Campbell is one of the key receivers on the roster and is being counted on to provide plays and big plays … he was one of the most talked-about players coming out of spring drills because of his fine play throughout … he has 13 career receptions for 121 yards and a 9.3 yards per reception average with all of those stats coming during the 2016 season … he is also a fine return specialist and led the Big Ten in 2016 in kickoff returns … he is a high school teammate of Buckeye linebacker Dante Booker … is majoring in sociology.

Notable: Campbell started three times as a red-shirt freshman in 2015 on a team that had three players – Michael Thomas, Braxton Miller and Jalin Marshall – play in the NFL in 2016 and two more receivers –Curtis Samuel and Noah Brown – who were 2017 NFL Draft picks this past May.

Honors & Awards
2016: Third-team All-Big Ten return specialist (coaches)

2016 Season (Sophomore): Campbell started nine games and played in all 13 games for the 11-2 Buckeyes … he was one of eight on the team with double figure receptions and more than 100 receiving yards, finishing with 13 for 121, respectively … he led the Big Ten Conference and ranked 11th nationally in kickoff returns with a 27.8 yards-per-return average, a figure that ranks seventh all-time for a single season at Ohio State … his 584 return yards rank third in Ohio State history, as do his 149 return yards vs. Indiana.

More on Parris: Campbell was considered one of the elite players in the Ohio State class of 2014 … a consensus four-star prospect, he was rated as a Top 25 player regardless of offensive position with rankings as high as the No. 14 running back (Scout), No. 15 athlete (Rivals), No. 19 wide receiver (247Sports) and No. 22 athlete (ESPN) … one of 10 Buckeye recruits on the Scout 100 (No. 85) … Associated Press Division III all-state in 2013 after rushing for 1,584 yards and 22 touchdowns and helping lead St. Vincent-St. Mary, coached by Dan Boarman, to a repeat state championship with a 15-0 record … SVSM was 2012 state champion with a 13-2 record when Campbell rushed for 1,353 yards and scored 28 touchdowns, including a long touchdown of 94 yards … teammate of 2014 Buckeye recruit Dante Booker … attended The Opening in Oregon in Summer 2013 and was among the fastest players at the camp, making the three-man final in the 40-yard dash … outstanding on a track, Campbell powered SVSM to the 2013 Ohio State outdoor track and field championship by anchoring victorious 4×100 and 4×200-meter relays and taking second in the 100 … set personal bests of 10.77 in the 100 and 22.09 in the 200 (meters) during the 2013 outdoor season …broke Ohio state record in the 60-meter dash at 2014 indoor state championships (6.85) … is the son of Shelly Woodruff and Parris Campbell Sr.

Campbell will be one of the Buckeyes’ top offensive weapons this season, especially for quarterback J.T. Barrett.

He led the Big Ten Conference and ranked 11th nationally in kickoff returns with a 27.8 yards-per-return average, and this year we will see the emergence of Campbell as the teams No.1 receiver.

Athletically, he is on par with any of the top prospects available next year. Campbell’s biggest task will be refining his route running skills and being able to advance his techniques to the receiver position.