Noah Brown injury another hit to OSU's passing game

The Ohio State Buckeyes, the defending national champions, have a growing concern at the wide receiver position to pair with their undecided starting quarterback spot. A broken leg for promising sophomore Noah Brown adds to the issue.

Already losing seniors Devin Smith and Evan Spencer to the NFL draft, early-season suspensions to three others have limited options in the WR rotation.

Brown saw just 130 snaps as a freshman and logged just one catch for nine yards, but the chance for a greatly expanded role was there. He had been a camp standout and was penciled in alongside returning starter Michael Thomas (who finished with a top-10 receiving grade among Big Ten WRs in 2014) in the mix for significant playing time before being lost for the season with the injury.

What this could mean is more dependence on recent QB-to-WR convert, Braxton Miller. We previously discussed the potential for Miller to carve out a specialized role, but the depleted state of the receiving corps could open the door for the two-time Big Ten Player of the Year to make an even bigger splash at his new position.

As the QB battle remains unsettled, more hits to the Buckeyes’ passing game weapons are not what the team needs.