Will Ohio State football’s fourth receiver again outproduce its backfield in the air? Hey, Nathan!

By Nathan Baird, cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — For as much running and receiving talent as Ohio State football returns this fall, exactly what this offense will look like remains unclear.
The only through line from J.T. Barrett to Dwayne Haskins to Justin Fields to C.J. Stroud was elite production. Stylistically, Kyle McCord or Devin Brown will bring their own skills and instincts to the position. How Ryan Day and/or Brian Hartline call a game — and what decisions those quarterbacks make — could vary noticeably from their predecessors.
On of our Buckeye Talk Subtext subscribers brought up a particular comparison that, by November, could tell us a lot about whether the offense’s approach shifted.
Hey, Nathan: “Who will have more receiving yards this year: Xavier Johnson or the entire running back room? Context: Last year Xavier had 13 catches for 151 yards. The RBs had a combined 14 catches for 92.” — Anthony from Findlay
Hey, Anthony: Fantastic question as we attempt to visualize what this team will look like in 2023.
I never found a great answer as to why TreVeyon Henderson’s receiving, in particular, dipped so much last season. Yes, the injuries, but I’m not talking more frequency of targets than actual production. As a freshman, he was targeted 29 times in 13 games. Last season, only six times in eight games.
At that same ratio over 13 games, he still would not crack even 10 targets. Same quarterback, same running back, vastly different results.
That sure seems like a mistake, given how dangerous Henderson has proven he can be out in space. He showed in the opening game of his career, at Minnesota, that he could take a screen pass and go the distance.
We can’t rule out Henderson’s health as an underlying factor in how OSU called those games. Also, a healthy Evan Pryor could be used as an even more potent backfield receiving weapon — especially if he eventually rotates into games early.
So — assuming both Henderson and the receivers ahead of Johnson stay healthy — I’m going to take the running backs to outproduce Johnson in the air. With a first-year starting quarterback and an offensive line that may need to stabilize over the course of the season, some dump-offs and other targets to Henderson, Miyan Williams and the rest might help this offense early.