Unlike elsewhere, respect in Columbus must be earned. The fastest way to get there is by earning the biggest honor in the Buckeyes’ locker room: black stripe removal. For some, it takes a couple of practices, while for others, it might take three years or even forever. However, according to reports, Buckeye true freshman Brock Boyd became one of the fastest ever to get his black stripe removed in Buckeye history.

What makes this so crazy is how fast he did it. Boyd earned his official Buckeye status after only six spring practices. This achievement makes him the third-fastest freshman to do so since Urban Meyer introduced the tradition in 2012. Only Jeremiah Smith, who did it in four practices, and Carnell Tate, who did it in five, reached that mark faster.

Boyd is also just the fourth true freshman ever to lose his stripe in the month of March, like former WR Austin Mack (not Bama QB), who was the first to do it in spring practices back in 2016.

When you look at the course of history, the patterns don’t often lie. The players who lose their black stripe this quickly often develop into elite playmakers with little to no time. Look no further, Jeremiah Smith. The former 5-star had the greatest freshman season in school history. He caught 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Other standout receivers who earned early trust include Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who set single-season receiving records, Marvin Harrison Jr., a two-time unanimous All-American, and Garrett Wilson, who became a top-10 NFL Draft pick. Being mentioned alongside the elites of elites highlights how meaningful Boyd’s early progress could be for his long-term future.

What makes Boyd’s rise even more impressive is that he arrived without the same level of hype as those players. The South Carroll product was merely a last-minute flip from TCU. While many of them were five-star recruits or ranked among the top 100 players in the country, Boyd was rated as a three-star prospect and ranked No. 729 overall in 247Sports’ composite rankings. Despite that, he has quickly proven that recruiting rankings are not everything.

So, how did a kid originally committed to TCU jump ahead of everyone else at Ohio State? According to coaches and reporters, Boyd’s running polished routes like he’s a 4-year veteran in Ryan Day’s system. Not to mention, it’s not like Brock Boyd had Cinderella run right after signing the letter of intent with the Buckeyes. The man’s always been an S-tier route runner, regardless.

The Buckeye only opened the place to channel his inner Cris Carter. The Texas native broke Southlake Carroll’s 20-year all-time receiving record. In his junior season, he racked up 111 catches for 1,868 yards and 19 touchdowns. That earned him District 4-6A Offensive Player of the Year. He doubled down in his senior year and put up a similar number: 75 catches for 1,145 yards and 15 scores.

Head coach Ryan Day knows he struck gold with this one. Speaking to reporters, Day said, “He got his black stripe off today, so I’m sure that’ll be a headliner. He made another couple big plays today. This is somebody who knows how to run a route.” Day said of Boyd. “He’s serious about it. He can play multiple positions. And he’s productive. His dad’s a receiver coach, and he plays that way. But he’s got a quick twitch. He can change direction. He’s got strong hands. I’m excited to see where his career goes. But he’s off to a great start.”

Even with all this early success, Boyd’s path to major play time will not be easy. Like many other great Buckeyes wideouts before him, he might have to wait to earn his dues. He might have waited a year or two before becoming the primary starter. After all, the Buckeyes’ other two black-striped Buckeyes are waiting; the receiving corps is often the best corps in the country. Plus, two black-striped Buckeyes are waiting in line and going toe-to-toe for the vacant WR2 gig.

The first black strip removal of the off-season

Just one practice (day 5 of spring ball) before Brock Boyd got his due, Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes saw something special right away in Kyle Parker. The LSU transfer became the first player in the 2026 class to lose his black stripe. One big reason for his fast start is his connection with wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton. Parker followed Hankton from LSU to Ohio State, and since Hankton originally recruited him out of high school, Parker already understood the system and expectations.

Parker’s addition is important because Ohio State rarely takes wide receivers from the transfer portal under Ryan Day. In fact, he is only the second one to do so in Day’s eight years as head coach. At 5 feet 11 and 195 pounds, Parker is known as a quick and technical receiver. Parker can play multiple spots, including the Z receiver position, or move inside when and if needed.

During his time at LSU, he recorded 31 catches for 330 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 10.6 yards per catch.

So far in spring practice, Parker has impressed coaches, especially in 7-on-7 drills. He still has two years of eligibility left and is already competing for a starting role. He is battling with players like Brandon Inniss and fellow transfer Devin McCuin for the WR2 position alongside star receiver Jeremiah Smith.