Jerome Buckner knows what a defensive back is thinking when he’s at the line of scrimmage.
The wide receiver is only 5 foot, 8 inches and 165 pounds, the smallest frame of any player on Ohio’s roster. He looks easy to cover when he’s lined up against any defensive back, and he expects taller receivers to garner more attention from opponents.
That won’t be the case for long, though. Buckner leads the Bobcats with 140 receiving yards on eight receptions in three games and has become a go-to receiver for quarterback Nathan Rourke. The redshirt freshman hasn’t caught a touchdown yet, but those will come soon.
Buckner, who played three receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown in four games last season, has stuck out among the young wide receivers Ohio has deployed after the departures of Papi White and Andrew Meyer. He hasn’t let his size stop him from doing everything a wide receiver should do at the top of the depth chart.
“It’s a learning and working process every day,” Buckner said. “I’m just trying to play faster and take advantage of my speed and how to use my tempo.”
Speed has been the biggest key for Buckner. He’s never taken an official 40-yard dash, but his best unofficial score was about 4.3 seconds, the same quickness as some of the fastest players in the NFL.
That’s why Buckner is also Ohio’s punt returner. He showed his agility last Saturday against Marshall with a 19-yard return that featured a couple moves around defenders before he zipped up the sideline to evade a few more tacklers.
As a receiver, Buckner isn’t limited to short passes and slant routes, either. He hauled in Ohio’s longest completion of the season — a 45-yard strike against Pitt – and can make an opponent pay if it has holes in its secondary.
Buckner’s abilities remind offensive coordinator Tim Albin of White, who is Ohio’s all-time receiving yards leader and currently a member of the Tennessee Titans practice squad.
“He’s playing at a higher level than Papi did,” Albin said. “He’s a talented guy. I think his potential is through the roof.”
Buckner has plenty of room for improvement, too. He’s had a fumble in each game thus far and is still looking to lessen his drop totals. He’s been effective when the Bobcats want to stretch the field, but his value would soar if he finds ways to be productive in the red zone.
For a player in their first full year, however, he’s been everything Ohio has wanted. Albin said he lost sleep – literally — thinking about the state of the Bobcats’ wide receiver group before the season. Now, he’s able to get a full night’s rest.
And Buckner is a reason why. He’s forced his way into Albin’s weekly plans with his big-play ability, and his target totals will likely increase when conference play begins.
Albin wants to use Buckner in a more versatile role this week against Louisiana-Lafayette, who’s allowed an average of 206 passing yards per game.
“We’ve got to get Jerome involved in the game plan,” Albin said. “I’m moving him around a little bit more this week. He can get his foot in the ground and make guys miss.”
Buckner has three more years to grow, but he’s already established himself as one of the top weapons on the Bobcats.
His future couldn’t be brighter, and he knows it.
“Being that young out there and starting is just a blessing,” Buckner said. “It’s hit on all cylinders, and it’s just a blessing to be here.”
