Kamryn Babb had hoped his return to action March 6 for Ohio State’s first day of spring camp would set the tone as he eyed a spot in the offense’s deep receivers rotation, but a bright outlook on the redshirt freshman’s 2019 season appears to have been clouded.
According to Lettermen Row’s report Monday afternoon, citing confirmation from Ohio State, Babb sustained a knee injury in a non-contact workout during spring camp, putting his second year with the Buckeyes in jeopardy after he missed the entirety of the 2018 campaign with a torn ACL.
Not long after his arrival to campus last June, Babb suffered an ACL tear in his left knee — opposite of the one he tore in August 2017, before he could start his senior year at St. Louis Christian Brothers College — former head coach Urban Meyer revealed July 24 at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago.
The second tear for Babb prematurely ended his strong start to offseason workouts in the summer of 2018 when he impressed team members such as Meyer, Parris Campbell and others along the way.
Five months into his road to recovery, Babb told BSB in OSU’s locker room after the Dec. 1 Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis that he had been “ahead of the curve” on the second ACL injury.
“I’m cutting and doing a lot of stuff I wasn’t doing (this early) my last surgery, so I’m blessed to be where I’m at right now and just taking it all in,” Babb said. “Trying to get to where I want to be, but just leaving it all up to God to get there.”
Babb committed Dec. 12, 2017, to the Buckeyes as a four-star recruit from Christian Brothers College — the 247Sports composite’s No. 73 overall prospect, No. 13 wide receiver and No. 3 player in Missouri for the 2018 class.
With his 2019 season ahead at the time, he credited Johnnie Dixon and Brian Hartline for keeping him grounded along his battle back.
“I’m really excited, man, but just ready to get back on the field,” Babb said. “I haven’t been on the field in a while, so just ready to get on the field with my guys and have fun with it and just do everything I can do to help this team win.”
Head coach Ryan Day met the media after Ohio State’s fifth practice of spring camp Saturday and delved into the wide receivers. Babb’s name, however, was omitted from the position group’s rundown.
The news of Babb is the second development out of the Buckeyes’ receivers room. Redshirt freshman L’Christian “Blue” Smith, who signed with OSU as a four-star recruit from Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne in the 2018 class, left the football program and intends to transfer.
As Day mentioned, Hartline’s position group still has loads of talent projected for 2019. Ohio State’s receivers room return fifth-year senior K.J. Hill, senior Binjimen Victor, senior Austin Mack, fifth-year C.J. Saunders, junior Jaylen Harris and sophomore Chris Olave, among its experience.
Among the newcomers for the 2019 class, freshman Garrett Wilson has competed with the Buckeyes since he arrived in January and got his early enrollment underway as a five-star recruit from Austin (Texas) Lake Travis. St Louis Cardinal Ritter College Prep product and four-star signee Jameson Williams joins OSU for summer enrollment in June.
