How Will Ohio State Replace Dontre Wilson?

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Statistically, Dontre Wilson's sophomore season has been disappointing. For a player who was expected to be one of the focal points of the Ohio State offense and has only delivered 400 yards of offense and four touchdowns through the Buckeyes' first four games, that point is almost inarguable.

But while Wilson's impact has hardly been felt in Ohio State's stat sheets, he has remained one of the constant cogs on a Buckeyes offense that ranks fourth in points per game (46) and 10th in total offense (512.1 yards per game).

Whether it be as a decoy, ball-carrier or pass-catcher, the sophomore H-back has still been relied upon heavily this season, even if he hasn't yet lived up to the hype that he brought as a 4-star prospect from DeSoto, Texas.

Which is why as Wilson prepares to miss the remainder of the Buckeyes' regular season and a potential Big Ten Championship Game with a broken foot, Ohio State will need to find a way to replace the production left behind by the 5'10", 188-pounder.

With three recruiting classes to his credit since arriving in Columbus, Urban Meyer will have no shortage of options, starting with a player who has already begun to make a name for himself this season.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Jalin Marshall

While Wilson came to Columbus with the label of "the next Percy Harvin," Jalin Marshall has done plenty to showcase the versatility in which that role entails. Like Wilson, Marshall is listed on the Ohio State roster as an H-back, a wide receiver-running back hybrid who lines up in the slot as a threat to either run or catch.

Tallying 157 receiving yards, 107 rushing yards and three total touchdowns, Marshall hasn't posted the same numbers that Wilson has this season, but he has unseated the Lone Star State native as the Buckeyes' starting punt returner. More than that, Marshall has also served as Ohio State's Wildcat quarterback, even attempting a pass in the Buckeyes' Nov. 1 beating of Illinois.

"The Wildcat's legitimate especially at tempo. What Jalin gives you is he can throw," Meyer said on Monday. "We have a couple of passes ready for him, too."

With Wilson out of the lineup, those passes may have to be put on hold, however, as the Middletown, Ohio, native will now likely have his number called more often in both the Ohio State passing and running games. That's just fine with Marshall, who has emerged in recent weeks as one of Ohio State's more dependable playmakers.

"When Dontre and I were sharing the position, we did share reps," Marshall said. "It just gives me the opportunity to play a little bit more. It's heartbreaking to me because we are so close, but I feel like I'm ready to take on that role and play a little bit more at the H-Back position."

Noah Brown

Listed as third on the Ohio State depth chart behind Wilson and Marshall throughout the season, Brown isn't the prototypical H-back, but he does bring a unique skill set to the table.

At 6'1" and 240 pounds, Brown is significantly larger than Wilson and Marshall (5'11", 205 pounds), and far less experienced. Through the first nine games of his college career, the New Jersey native has recorded just one catch for nine yards, with most of his playing time having come with games having already been decided.

But while Brown's action has been limited, he has already proven as a more than capable blocker, springing running back Curtis Samuel free with a key block for a first-quarter touchdown in the Buckeyes' win over the Fighting Illini. The fact that Meyer was willing to play the unproven true freshman so early in a game speaks volumes to his ability, which the OSU head coach insists has warranted more playing time.

"Our 240-pound H-back, Noah Brown, brings a little something to the table, too," Meyer said. "He's earned some right to play.”

How Meyer's message manifests itself in Wilson's absence remains to be seen, but matchups with Minnesota and Indiana could make for the perfect opportunities for the former 4-star prospect to continue to get his feet wet heading into the Michigan game and likely conference title game.

With how he's progressed thus far, Brown figured to be a part of the OSU offense in the near future, but that future may have arrived sooner than anybody would have imagined.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press/Associated Press

Curtis Samuel

On the surface, Samuel seems like a perfect fit to replace Wilson, a 5'11", 196-pounder who has shown ability as both a dynamic rusher and pass-catcher thus far in his young college career. But Meyer insists that the true freshman will remain in his current role as Ezekiel Elliott's primary backup at running back, as that's where he's needed most.

"Probably not right now. Depends on how recruiting goes," Meyer said with a smile when it was suggested that Samuel could play H-back. "He can do a lot of things right now. We're beat up at tailback, too. You can't move a guy out of there yet."

Nevertheless, don't be surprised if Samuel sees his touches increase in Wilson's absence, as Meyer and offensive coordinator search for creative ways to make up for the loss of one of their most versatile playmakers. Despite currently being penciled in purely as a running back at the moment, Samuel seems to fit that mold, having caught eight balls for 68 yards, in addition to recording 314 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

It's also worth noting that while Samuel may not line up as an H-back, he will replace Wilson as the Buckeyes' primary kick returner. In his lone return of the season, in the Buckeyes' monumental win over Michigan State, the Brooklyn, New York, native returned the ball 22 yards.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com and recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.