Ohio State Football: WR Chris Olave surprisingly returns to school

Many considered Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave to be a likely first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The junior receiver made many plays for the Buckeyes on the outside and had a great skill-set that seemed likely to set him up for success at the next level. That being said, Olave has decided to return to Ohio State next season, re-joining the Buckeyes for his senior season.

Chris Olave announced his attention via social media on Monday. “There are so many great memories but we are not done yet. I’ll be returning for my senior year at Ohio State,” Olave wrote.

This decision undoubtedly comes as a surprise. The 2021 NFL Draft class is absolutely loaded with talent at the wide receiver position but Olave’s combination of size, speed, deep ball skills route-running ability is impressive and would have undoubtedly caught the attention of NFL scouts. But now, they will have to wait a year.

It was impossible not to think about Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith when Olave announced this decision. Smith was a fringe first-round prospect last year who was coming off of a successful season at Alabama. Smith’s quarterback Tua Tagovailoa moved on to the next level but Smith had confidence in his college program and it paid off for him in a big way.

Smith returned to Alabama and was the best player in college football. He won the Heisman Trophy and is now a possible top-five pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Chris Olave is returning to Ohio State but quarterback Justin Fields is moving on to the next level. Can Olave find some magic like Smith did this season? It is unfair to expect him to win a Heisman Trophy but Olave is clearly betting big on a huge 2021 season.

Guys like Rashod Bateman, Terrace Marshall Jr. and Amon-Ra St. Brown stand out as the wide receivers who will likely benefit most from Olave returning to school. Bateman, Marshall and St. Brown are all gifted wide receiver prospects who are slightly more often than not to be first-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. Olave returning to school will only help their chances.

Will Olave dominate with his new quarterback and drastically improve his NFL stock like Smith did or will this eventually prove to be a poor decision? Only time will tell but it was certainly a surprising decision to make for the Ohio State wide receiver.