Chris Olave is part of one of the best wide receiver units in college football right now, at Ohio State. Today, Ryan Day revealed that he almost didn’t become a Buckeye.
Olave committed to Ohio State late in the recruiting process, on Jan. 28, 2018. He signed with the school less than two weeks later. For all of the star power that OSU adds on an annual basis, Olave was something of a diamond in the rough, a three-star recruit ranked just inside the top 400 in his class by 247Sports.
On Saturday, he and the Buckeyes will take on Indiana and quarterback Jack Tuttle, Olave’s high school QB at Mission Hills. After Olave’s commitment, he had second thoughts, Day told reporters, and silently decommitted from the Buckeyes, considering a flip to a school out west like USC, or Utah, where Tuttle began his college career.
Ultimately, he reaffirmed his commitment to Ohio State, which has really worked out. He may have been a first-round pick last year, had he entered the 2021 NFL Draft, and should contend for those honors in 2022 if he continues to impress this fall.
Tuttle and Olave remain super close, and their high school coach admitted to Eleven Warriorsthat Olave may not have gone on to Ohio State if it wasn’t for Tuttle’s profile as a major recruit in their class. Ryan Day went to California to scout Tuttle for the Buckeyes, but ultimately had his eyes on Olave, his top receiver.
“They were made for each other, because Chris became Chris largely because of Jack’s talents. If we don’t have a Jack Tuttle on our team at that time, then Chris doesn’t have that season that’s so dynamic for us,” Mission Hills coach Chris Hauser told Eleven Warriors. “Jack Tuttle was on the map already. Chris was not on the map. So I think Jack played a huge role in Chris’ evolution through his senior year and getting him to be recognized as that elite player that he was.”
At Ohio State, Chris Olave broke out as a sophomore in 2019, catching 49 passes for 849 yards and 12 touchdowns.
He posted a 50/729/7 statline during last year’s COVID-shortened season. So far this season, he has 30 receptions for 494 yards and seven touchdowns already.