Johnnie

Dixon

Dixon (5'11/198) ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, but when adjusting his tests for size he produced just a 47th percentile athletic SPARQ composite score. Zierlein believes he’s “plenty quick for the slot” but “has to improve his routes to have a chance against NFL corners who can read his route tells and crowd him at the top.” Dixon will be on the Day 3/UDFA border.

Dixon (5'11/198) appeared in 13 games for the Buckeyes in 2018, catching 42 passes for 669 yards and eight touchdowns. The redshirt senior wideout reached the end zone in each of his final three games, with one of the scores coming in Ohio State’s Rose Bowl victory over Washington. The 2018 season was by far the most productive of Dixon’s career, as he struggled with knee issues for much of his time in Columbus. While the NFLPA Bowl will give him the opportunity to showcase his talent, Dixon’s medical reports will have a significant impact his draft prospects.

Was he ever able to return, as he connected on a 63-yard gain with Dwayne Haskins in the fourth quarter and then scored a couple of plays later. Whatever was bothering him doesn’t appear to be bothering him anymore, and he has seven catches for 129 yards with a score.

Dixon spent time on the ground before moving off to the sideline. He still has his helmet on and he is moving around, so it’s possible he might be able to return. Chris Olave stepped into the lineup and racked up a touchdown late in the third quarter to fill the void. With Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, Olave and Binjimen Victor, the Buckeyes are stacked at receiver, but a loss of Dixon would hurt if he is forced to miss time.

Ohio State tends to be one of the more youth-heavy teams in the country simply due to their near-constant draft turnover, making redshirt junior wideout Dixon something of an old man on campus. The 5-foot-11, 194-pounder was a four-star recruit coming out of the high school ranks, but injury concerns have largely derailed his career. To date, Dixon has caught just seven passes for 55 yards in his time with the Buckeyes. Whether he will be able to maintain his hot spring and turn it into a chance for legit playing time through August camp remains to be seen.

“He’s moved into the gold category as far as work ethic in practice. He’s a very talented guy,” Meyer said. He also said that Dixon (5'11/194) “can flat run.” Dixon hauled in six passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns during the team’s spring game. If he is able to break through during the coming season, it would be the first time he has done so since joining the Buckeyes as a four-star recruit out of high school. Knee injuries have limited him for stretches during his time at OSU -- Dixon has just seven catches for 55 yards in his collegiate career.

Dixon was expected to be a full participant in camp, but he is still on a workout bike along the sideline. Dixon redshirted his first season because of the injury and was viewed as a four-star recruit out of high school.

Dixon’s first touchdown was from 38 yards out on a play action where Dixon burned the defender. His next touchdown was from 44 yards out where he flat out ran past the defender and Haskins dropped it in the bucket. After only catching one pass for 10 yards in the season-opener, Dixon had a breakout game. If he can gain Haskins’ trust on deep routes he has the opportunity to take on a much bigger role. He will face some more difficult competition next week when the Buckeyes take on No. 16 TCU.

Dixon (5'11/194) spent time alongside fellow second-teamer receivers Ben Victor and Demario McCall during the spring while Austin Mack, Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin saw the bulk of the first-team action. This past season, the redshirt senior posted an 18-422-8 receiving line. He averaged a hearty 23.4 yards per reception. While Dixon might still have work to do to crack the starting depth chart, OSU’s receiving corp remains a work-in-progress and should allow for upward mobility with a strong August camp.

Dixon (5'11/194) caught a 44-yard touchdown early in the second quarter and came back around for a 22-yarder in the fourth quarter. He’s been a sturdy performer in the end zone of late, having notched two touchdown catches in each of the last two contests.