Chris Olave has landed the kind of deal that keeps Ohio State’s receiver pipeline looking as strong as ever.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the former Buckeye wideout signed a four-year extension worth up to $132 million, with $90 million guaranteed. It’s the latest big-money payday for an Ohio State receiver, following Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s extension earlier in the spring.
That group keeps growing. Terry McLaurin and Garrett Wilson have also signed major extensions with their teams over the last couple of seasons, reinforcing the same point over and over: if you come to Ohio State as a receiver, the NFL is going to notice, and it’s going to pay.
Olave has earned this one. He’s coming off the best season of his career, putting up 100 catches for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago while missing only one game. That came after a rough 2024 season in which he missed nine games because of several concussions that led some to suggest he should retire.
Instead, Olave returned and looked better than ever. Having a competent quarterback throwing to him for the first time in his career clearly helped, and Tyler Shough appears to be the quarterback of the future. Olave, as the story goes, is his favorite target.
The Saints are locking in a player who has become their most explosive offensive weapon since being taken 11th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. For Ohio State, it’s another reminder that its receiver room keeps producing stars at the highest level. Carnell Tate was taken fourth overall in April, and Jeremiah Smith is expected to continue that tradition next year.
That production only strengthens Ryan Day and his staff on the recruiting trail, even after missing out on Monshun Sales. Another massive contract like Olave’s makes it harder for elite receivers to turn down the Buckeyes when they know what the path can look like on the other side.
Olave also leaves behind plenty of memories in Columbus. He was a Michigan killer and always seemed to show up big against TTUN, starting back in 2018 when he scored two touchdowns and blocked a punt.
Now he’s doing it at the next level, and the Saints are paying him like the difference-maker he’s become.
In Other News...
Jeremiah Smith Just Put Serious Weight Behind One Buckeyes Freshman
Big Ten Media Days usually bring the usual summer polish, but Jeremiah Smith gave Ohio State a little more than a canned answer when the conversation turned to freshman receiver Brock Boyd. Smith made it clear he has noticed Boyds playmaking already, and the praise carried extra weight coming from the Buckeyes top returning wideout, who knows what it looks like when a young receiver starts earning trust quickly.
Boyds path into the lineup is part of a broader competition that is still taking shape, with five receivers battling for three steady spots behind Smith. Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuin, Kyle Parker and Chris Henry Jr. are all in that mix, and Boyds emergence only adds another layer to a group that is trying to sort itself out before the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Just Hinted At An Ohio State Line Shakeup
Ohio States offensive line is still in the middle of a reset after last seasons uneven play, and Ryan Day made it clear the staff is not treating the coming weeks as a formality. With four starters back and a vacancy at right guard after Tegra Tshabolas departure, the Buckeyes are trying to sort out a group that can give the offense more stability and help quarterback Julian Sayin settle in with a cleaner picture up front.
Day pointed to Phillip Daniels as one of the players whose practice work could help determine the best five, and that kind of flexibility matters because the staff is still weighing how the pieces fit. The right guard competition is part of it, but so is the broader question of whether Ohio State can lock in a lineup early enough to avoid another season of shuffling, especially with Day saying this is the deepest the line has been since he took over. [Read more 🡒]
National Buzz Is Building Around Ohio States Next Receiver Threat
National attention is starting to follow Chris Henry Jr., and for good reason. Pete Nakos recently put the Ohio State freshman on his list of true freshmen who could make an immediate impact this season, a sign that the buzz around the receiver room is already reaching beyond Columbus. With Jeremiah Smith established as the headliner, the Buckeyes are still sorting out who else can step into meaningful snaps, and Henry Jr. has the kind of talent that keeps him in that conversation.
The opportunity is real because the depth chart behind Smith is still unsettled, leaving several young receivers to battle for limited spots. If Henry Jr. keeps flashing in camp, he could put himself in position to matter right away, which is exactly why his name is drawing so much interest before the season even starts. For Ohio State, the appeal is obvious: another high-end receiver threat emerging early would only deepen a room that already carries plenty of intrigue. [Read more 🡒]