Ohio State Buckeyes: Six named captains for 2021

Ohio State football will have six captains this season.

The school announced Friday night its top leadership group for 2021 will consist of Thayer Munford, Chris Olave, Kamryn Babb, Teradja Mitchell, Haskell Garrett and Zach Harrison.

Munford, Olave and Garrett are returning starters who opted not to enter the NFL Draft while Harrison and Mitchell are looking to break into the starting lineup this fall.

Olave, a senior receiver from San Ysidro, Calif., led Ohio State in catches (50), receiving yards (729) and touchdowns (seven) last season en route to All-Big Ten honors. He and junior Garrett Wilson are expected to form one of the nation’s top receiving duos this fall.

Munford is already a three-year starter at left tackle and is back for his “super senior” season after accepting the NCAA’s offer of a free year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cincinnati native has started 33 games and is the top returning left tackle in the country according to Pro Football Focus. The sports industry major also recently became the first member of his family to earn a college degree, fulfilling a promise to his mother.

Harrison is a junior from Olentangy Orange High School north of Columbus. He was a regular last season at defensive end and is expected to be one of the top players on the defense this fall. He was a second-team All-Big Ten pick last year and one of eight Ohio State representatives on the Big Ten’s Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition.

Garrett, a graduate of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, is also a super senior. He was a first-team All-American last season when he logged 20 tackles and two sacks from the interior of the defensive line.

Mitchell is a senior from Virginia Beach, Va., who has been a three-year contributor on special teams and is looking to become a regular at linebacker this fall. The fashion and retail studies major is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree with 18 career tackles, including 2.5 for loss.

Credit: Marcus Hartman

Credit: Marcus Hartman

Babb is a junior receiver from St. Louis who has so far had a minimal impact on the field because of knee injuries.

He appeared in seven games last season but did not have a catch, and he is dealing with an injury again as the 2021 season dawns.

A communications major, the former four-star recruit is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.

For the first time since 2014, Ohio State has no returning captains from the season before.

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