Ohio State graduate wide receiver Kamryn Babb suffered an injury setback during fall camp, but is expected to return to the field this season.
“He had a setback, but not a setback that is going to cost the whole year. He’s out for a little while, but we’re hoping to get him back in a couple of weeks,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said on Monday. “His situation is very unique because of his background and his history. We’re just going to trust the doctors on it and see where that goes.”
Babb was held out of his first two seasons in the program due to two separate ACL tears in both of his knees. He saw his first action during the 2020 season, playing in seven of the Buckeyes’ eight games. However, he sustained another torn ACL during the lead up to the 2021 season — forcing him to miss all 13 contests. Babb has undergone four knee surgeries since his senior year of high school.
Despite his injury history, Babb’s impact in the Ohio State locker room is undisputed. The St. Louis native was named a team captain for the second-consecutive season on Aug. 14. He also earned the honor of donning the Buckeyes’ ‘Block O’ jersey this season, which is bestowed upon the player that most exemplifies the program’s values of toughness and resilience.
“The last five years have been a long journey,” Babb said in a statement about earning the ‘Block O’ distinction on Sunday. “There were times when I was down and had a lot of questions. But God put people in my life who wouldn’t let me give up and it’s been a blessing. I couldn’t have done this without them.”
“I’ve learned that you can’t get through tough times all by yourself,” he added. “You have to grab on to someone. I hope everyone sees that. I love this team and I can’t wait to go on this journey that’s ahead of us.”
Babb is expected to be a depth piece at wide receiver for the Buckeyes upon his return, pushing for snaps in a room with juniors Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming and sophomores Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Jayden Ballard.
With Babb sidelined, the Buckeyes may need to dip into their quartet of freshmen receivers for depth during the first few weeks of the season as Caleb Burton, Kyion Grayes, Kaleb Brown and Kojo Antwi are all competing in their first fall camp in Columbus.