Victor has potential; production is next step

Ohio State’s offense in 2017 is loaded with players whose underwhelming production is matched by their enticing potential.

Binjimen Victor might be at the top of that list. Of all the Buckeyes’ wide receivers, the sophomore from Pompano Beach, Florida, might be the most intriguing.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever had one with as high a ceiling as he has,” receivers coach Zach Smith said. “He is 6-foot-4 with a 7-foot

wingspan (and he) can run. He’s loose. He can get in and out of breaks. He plays physical at times.

“He still needs to grow up and mature. But he’s got a skill set where he does some things sometimes where you go, ‘Whoa!’ ”

When a coach volunteers that a player needs to mature, sometimes it’s a red flag for a problematic attitude. But Smith said Victor’s demeanor is great. “The best,” he said. For Victor, it’s simply a matter of needing to add more strength to his frame and consistency to his game. A year ago, Smith said, Victor would flash his ability at practice, but would be physically exhausted by the end of it.

Victor acknowledges that, like many Ohio State freshmen, he had trouble acclimating to the demands of being a Buckeye.

“Last year I didn’t have any clue what was going on,” he said. “This year, I have an understanding.”

Victor caught only four passes for 64 yards and one touchdown in five games last season. Against Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, he had a 21-yard reception, the Buckeyes’ longest in a 31-0 loss.

He and the other receivers worked hard in the spring and summer with quarterback J.T. Barrett to improve the deep passing game, which was mostly nonexistent in 2016. In Ohio State’s new, quick-tempo scheme, Victor and fellow sophomore Austin Mack are expected to share the X receiver spot most recently played by Michael Thomas and Noah Brown.

“They have to be a major part of the offense,” Smith said.

The challenge will be as much mental as physical.

“He’s 190-191 pounds,” Smith said. “He’s got to be a 200-pound kid. He’s got to be physical. He’s got to play big. He’s got to play like a dominant receiver. He still doesn’t have the self-confidence to play to his ability level.

“He has to experience success, win small victories, keep getting coached and grinded to the point where he feels he’s a dominant guy. When he does, he’s going to be a dominant guy.”

So far, there has been encouraging progress. Junior receiver Terry McLaurin said that Victor’s mentality has changed since last year.

“When you have a guy who’s physically gifted like that, you come to college and think you can just jump over and run by people,” McLaurin said. “That’s not the case. You have to use more technique.

“Just from the spring and these first practices we’ve had, I’ve seen a big jump in him. He’s more physical. His mentality is there. I’m expecting big things from him, and Austin, too. He has really picked up the slack, too.”

Victor believes he is ready to take the jump. He compares the way he feels now to a year ago.

“Around this time, fall camp, it was very discouraging,” Victor said. “I was down on myself. I didn’t know what to do. I was just hoping to get through practice.

“Now it’s a different mentality for me. I know I have to step up and make plays for my team.”