Ohio State's K.J. Hill Seeks Record, Top 10 Win vs. Penn State
They aren't unicorns, because they do actually exist, but a fifth-year skill position player of great impact at Ohio State is nevertheless a rare sighting.
You'll see one now and then, usually because an injury has intruded at some point in their career to keep them around the OSU program longer than usual.
That's typically the only tolerable pause button on the eligibility clock of a wide receiver, running back or quarterback with the Buckeyes.
If you haven't been hurt, or you haven't been good enough to get on the field and make a mark in four seasons, you're usually -- ahem -- encouraged to get your degree and depart the premises.
Fifth-year linemen are an asset.
Fifth-year skill guys are simply taking an extended bite from the scholarship apple that could go to some eager four- and five-star Next Big Thing if only the fifth-year geezer -- uh, senior -- would get out of here.
Such is not the case, however, with K.J. Hill, one of seven fifth-year seniors among the 26 OSU seniors who will play their last game Saturday in Ohio Stadium when the second-ranked Buckeyes (10-0) play No. 8 Penn State (9-1).
"As soon as I got here, coach (Ryan) Day and all the other offensive coaches told me K.J. was one of the best receivers here," OSU quarterback Justin Fields said. "I think he's one of the smartest receivers here."
Hill is the rare OSU skill guy who redshirted as a true freshman and has contributed every year since, but never to the degree he wowed NFL scouts enough to project himself into the top two rounds of the draft as an underclassman.
He likely won't get taken that high in April either, but Hill will likely have the designation of Ohio State's career leader in catches on his resume when he enters the league.
With a minimum of four games remaining, and five if OSU makes the College Football Playoff, Hill is just 10 receptions shy of passing David Boston's career mark of 191 catches.
"It's crazy to have my name in the boat with all the great wide receivers that have played here," Hill said. "That's a legacy that I've left here, so I'm proud of that."
He has 38 catches for 423 yards and 6 touchdowns this season, which isn't spectacular, but Hill isn't so much a spectacular player as he is a steady player.
He led OSU in catches with 56 as a sophomore, but averaged only 9.8 yards per-catch and had just three TDs.
His best year statistically was 2018, when his 70 receptions went for 885 yards and six TDs.
By contrast, Boston was an absolute beast as both a sophomore and junior before leaving early for the NFL and being the eighth overall pick in 1999. He caught 27 touchdown passes his last two years, while catching 158 passes for almost 2,500 yards those seasons.
Ohio State didn't have the depth around Boston that it's had around Hill, who's sat out most fourth quarters this season with the Buckeyes defeating every opponent by 24 points or more.
"All I can control is when the ball does come my way...I try to catch everything I can," Hill said. "I try to do the best I can with it. I've always had that mindset. You don't know when it's going to come your way again."
Eleven different Buckeyes have caught at least one touchdown pass this season and five different players have 15 or more catches.
"I think KJ just has a tremendous way of just playing the game," OSU coach Ryan Day said. "He has great body language for a quarterback. Like certain receivers just, they know how to get open and they know how to talk to the quarterback with their body language.
"He understands space. He knows how to get open. He's crafty. He’s been around. He's clutch. When you just think about all the plays he’s made in his career it’s pretty amazing. And the production that he’s had is off the charts.
"KJ’s not, he’s not 4.3 (in the 40). He’s not 6-5. He just has a way — I think Bill Parcells says, 'The best thing about a receiver is he gets open and he catches the ball.' That’s what KJ does."
Penn State needs no convincing of Hill's value, given his history in two epic Buckeyes' comebacks the past two seasons.
He caught a career-high 12 passes for 102 yards in 2017 when OSU rallied from two scores down in the last eight minutes to win, 39-38.
Last season, Hill caught six passes for 59 yards, including the game-winning 27-yard touchdown pass with two minutes left in a 27-26 final.
"He’s a team captain and one of the more decorated receivers in the history of the school," Day said. "His production speaks for itself.
"...some guys are just competitively tough. They understand, again, how space works and how to get open and how to find the open window and how to win against man-to-man and all those things. That’s KJ."
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