COLUMBUS, Ohio Until 2020, one struggled to imagine an 11 on 11 practice period in September being a big deal for Ohio State football.

Long delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and the Big Tens stop-and-go preseason, the Buckeyes finally went offense against defense earlier this week. Protected only by helmets and light pads, this was another non-contact activity to knock the rust off ahead of a season which, at the time, remained hypothetical.

If that sounds like no big deal, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was practically giddy to talk about it Friday.

That was the most fun Ive had in a minute, Fields said.

Those workouts are obviously not about fun, at least not primarily. The Buckeyes are making up for time lost last spring, when the coronavirus pandemic first interrupted their program, and playing catchup to those programs whose seasons have already begun.

Ohio State will not begun full contact practices until the Big Tens program for daily rapid COVID-19 testing goes into effect. The league said that will happen no later than Sept. 30.

In the meantime, the Buckeyes can continue the 7 on 7 drills and other workouts already underway. This is where Fields can work on the connection with his receivers. That includes the veterans with whom he already shares a connection and the four freshmen striving to make an immediate impact.

Julian Fleming, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Gee Scott and Mookie Cooper arrived at Ohio State in January as the countrys most impressive group of freshman receivers at least on paper. The head start they expected to receive by enrolling early ended almost before it began.

Both head coach Ryan Day and receivers coach Brian Hartline expressed concerns about what the truncated spring would mean for that group. Earlier this week, however, Day said all four freshmen had shown out." Fields confirmed that assessment on Friday.

Theyve been phenomenal, Fields said. Just the talent between Jaxon, Julian, Gee, Mookie. I mean, those guys are probably the most polished freshmen Ive seen with my own eyes.

Just seeing what they can do on the field and what plays they can make and how talented they are that of course gets me excited.

Considering how much Ohio State traditionally rotates its receivers, the door remains open for all four to make an impact this fall. They will still need to surpass some talented veterans, and Fields has been working on firming up his connection there as well.

Chris Olave returns to high expectations in his third season. Garrett Wilson moves into the slot a role that tantalized both Day and Hartline back in the spring. Jameson Williams flashed game-breaking abilities in a reserve role last season as a true freshman. Older players such as Jaylen Harris and Kamryn Babb could also push for bigger roles.

Those guys are talented as can be, Fields said on Friday. The thing that theyve shown in practice, I think our chemistry, were getting better each and every day.

No one expressed much concern for Ohio States receiving room last winter even though all-time receptions leader K.J. Hill and fellow seniors Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor all departed. Fields, in his second year as a starter, was supposed to have plenty of time to improve his on-field rapport with the other returning receivers while welcoming the freshmen into the arsenal.

COVID-19 threw some complications into that plan. But the Buckeyes have six weeks prior to the reconfigured start of the season to start clicking again.

After a frustrating and at times discouraging offseason, it sounds like that work is becoming fun again.

New Ohio State face masks for sale: Heres where you can buy Ohio State-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection. A 3-pack is available on Fanatics for $29.99.

Fanatics has released Ohio State Buckeyes Adult Face Coverings. This 3-pack of adult masks, retails for $29.99.

More Buckeyes coverage

Shaun Wade returning to OSU, keeping the Buckeyes' ceiling high

Footballs 2020 season will be weird, and thats the only chance it has to work

OSUs hope for a championship season started with the fight to play at all

Football target Anthony Johnson, 2022 LB, can turn it on when things get physical

Wyatt Davis wants to return to Buckeyes this fall, working now to make it happen

Trey Sermon becomes the first player to lose black stripe in 2020

Big Ten football is back, but is OSU still a national title contender? Buckeye Talk podcast

Shaun Wades decision still a tough one after Big Ten establishes fall season

Donald Trump said he helped bring back Big Ten football. It isnt clear how

What Kevin Warren said about poor communication with players, parents and coaches

Football returns in October, giving Ohio State its national championship opportunity

Big Ten made two reasonable decisions, sandwiched around a month of frustration

How the eight-game fall football season and championship week will work

How coronavirus testing will determine if football can keep playing this fall

Why OSU games will not include fans when Big Ten season begins in October

See the rest here:
Ohio State footballs Justin Fields developing chemistry with Buckeye receivers old and new - cleveland.com