Good news has been in short supply for Kamryn Babb more often than not during his first few years in the Ohio State football program, but according to head coach Ryan Day, there might be some on the horizon.
Day told 97.1 the Fan Monday that Babb, a redshirt sophomore wide receiver that has yet to see any game time due to an unfortunate series of injuries, might just get the chance to play this season.
“Kam Babb has been through just an amazing couple years here. We’re hopeful he’s gonna be able to play for us this season,” Day said. “He’s done such a great job, kept a great attitude. He’s gone through several of these ACLs. He could be an amazing story one day, so [I’m] really proud of the work he’s done.”
Babb, a former top 175 overall recruit in the class of 2018, has suffered four season-ending injuries dating back to his high school career at Christian Brothers College in St. Louis, Missouri.
His latest injury was a torn ACL in March of 2019, which effectively cut short any hope of seeing his first reps last season.
The postponement of the Big Ten fall football season in August seemed to be another setback for Babb, and his stepmother, Amanda Babb, spoke about Kamryn’s disappointment at a players’ parents’ protest in front of Ohio Stadium on Aug. 29.
“He’s frustrated, I would say that he’s been through so much adversity that sometimes he’s like, ‘Well, we’ll just see what tomorrow brings.’ He just takes things day by day. He relies on his faith, really, and God has a plan for everything,” Amanda Babb, who is also the president of the Football Parents at Ohio State organization, said at the time.
Back in August, parents were campaigning for a fall season to begin in October, and Babb and a host of others got their wish with the Big Ten’s decision to bring football back on Oct. 24.
That, along with the story of sixth-year linebacker Justin Hilliard, are two things that might have helped ease Babb’s frustration in the past month.
Hilliard has shown that it is not unprecedented for a Buckeye to come back from a series of debilitating injuries and have a big impact in key moments, as the former No. 2 prospect in Ohio has recovered from bicep injuries and an Achilles rupture to become a captain late in his career.
One day Babb’s collegiate tenure may follow a similar arc, but first, he’ll have to get his first official reps on the field.
A specific timeline for Babb’s return may not be known quite yet, but Day’s comments Monday certainly give hope that his debut might not be too far away.
