Whereas Babb wasn’t capable of play within the sport on account of damage, he orchestrated essentially the most memorable second of the day. After a video paying tribute to former Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins (who died only one week earlier) performed on the scoreboard instantly following the tip of the primary half, Babb led a prayer in entrance of your complete staff and a crowd of 60,007 followers.

For these followers who stood in silence as Babb shared his message with the Buckeyes, it could have been their first glimpse at what Babb means to the Ohio State soccer staff as a non secular chief.

For his teammates and coaches inside the program, that’s what they see day by day.

“He is all the time spending time together with his teammates. He is all the time making an attempt to, if any person has a nasty day, he is proper there. If any person has day, he’s proper there. He is the form of man you wish to be round,” Ohio State director of sports activities efficiency Mickey Marotti mentioned earlier this month. “Simply wish to be round that man. He means a lot to this program. You simply haven’t any concept how a lot he means.”

After that lovely Dwayne Haskins video, former teammate Kamryn Babb (@kamm_o) led @OhioStateFB in prayer. pic.twitter.com/3cV7VBMUvL

— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) April 16, 2022

4 years into his Ohio State profession, Babb has but to catch a single move. He hasn’t even performed a snap in three of his 4 seasons as a Buckeye. After tearing his proper ACL as a senior in highschool, Babb tore his left ACL throughout summer time exercises as a real freshman in 2018, then tore the identical ACL once more in spring observe in 2019. He performed often (for a complete of 31 offensive snaps) throughout Ohio State’s COVID-shortened season in 2020, however missed all of final season after tearing his proper ACL for a second time.

These accidents have stored Babb from making the on-field influence he was anticipated to make when he arrived at Ohio State because the No. 73 general prospect and Thirteenth-ranked broad receiver within the recruiting class of 2018. However being sidelined hasn’t stopped Babb from being an inspiration to his teammates off the sector.

“He is a man that rubs off on others,” Ohio State broad receivers coach Brian Hartline mentioned. “What do they are saying, encompass your self with folks you wish to grow to be, proper? So these which might be possibly on the fence from a religion perspective or a positivity perspective or a steering perspective, Kam’s there to form of push you over the sting. Being round guys like that with nice vitality, it is actually onerous to deliver unhealthy vitality. It will take extra effort to struggle the kind of vitality he brings than it could simply to go together with it. So Kam does a terrific job rubbing off on guys and actually making our room a greater room due to who he’s.

“He can be a man that, once you look again, in all probability has made extra of an influence on others than possibly anyone else round this staff. So a really particular younger man.”

Regardless of all of the onerous luck he’s had with accidents, Babb continues to exude positivity. He acknowledges there have been days amid all of the setbacks he’s suffered that he’s questioned whether or not he ought to proceed enjoying soccer. However he credit his religion, his teammates, Ohio State’s workers and his household with holding him motivated.

“Jesus Christ, my lord, my savior, my father, he is my all the pieces. It’s his story, and so long as he is behind me, it would not actually matter who else is,” Babb mentioned throughout a media availability in March. “However this staff, I can let you know, is behind me, and my household and the folks near me. So I am simply grateful for them and all of the followers which might be, I am grateful for them as effectively. And simply hope I can present them what I’ve obtained to deliver to the desk.”

Babb believes the adversity he’s needed to battle by way of during the last 4 years has made him mentally and spiritually stronger.

“I do not know if I might be the identical man if I hadn’t gone by way of all these issues,” Babb mentioned. “So I am grateful to have gone by way of all of them.”

Though he’s spent most of his Ohio State profession within the coaching room, Babb says he’s grow to be bodily stronger, too. Babb mentioned in March that his knees felt nearly as good as they ever have despite the fact that he’s torn each of his ACLs two separate occasions. And he’s labored onerous to proceed enhancing as a soccer participant regardless of not with the ability to play and even observe a lot.

“You’d suppose any person with 4 ACLs, you’d have arthritis otherwise you obtained one thing occurring in your knees or your physique. And actually, I really feel nice,” Babb mentioned. “I really feel that is in all probability the quickest and strongest I’ve ever been, and it’s form of elevated yearly. I do a variety of issues in a weight room, so despite the fact that I wasn’t out right here doing issues on the sector, I used to be nonetheless lifting, nonetheless working.”

Later in March after that interview session, Babb suffered one other setback that sidelined him for the remainder of spring practices. Thankfully, he prevented main damage this time round, and Ohio State’s coaches expect him to be full go for summer time exercises.

“We had just a little bump within the highway that we had been just a little frightened about, but it surely did not come again as an enormous deal,” Ryan Day mentioned. “I assumed up till that observe, he had been actually working towards at a excessive degree. Actually had an opportunity to have an effect on this offense, and I feel he’ll.”

Babb was drawing rave evaluations for his efficiency in spring observe earlier than that damage. C.J. Stroud mentioned Babb was “trying superb,” and fellow broad receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. mentioned he thought Babb is “gonna have positively an enormous function” this season.

Though Babb hasn’t been capable of put his expertise on full show in an precise sport since he was a highschool junior, the fifth-year senior – who nonetheless has two extra years of eligibility at Ohio State – nonetheless has excessive aspirations for what he can accomplish as a large receiver for the Buckeyes. If he can keep wholesome and earn a job in Ohio State’s broad receiver rotation this fall, Babb believes Ohio State followers will likely be impressed by what they see.

“I feel the sky is the restrict,” Babb mentioned. “I do not know the way it’s gonna look or what it’s gonna appear like, I do not know what’s gonna occur. However in my head, I obtained a sure picture, and I am simply as prepared as anyone else is.”

What is going to followers see once they lastly get to observe Babb play? Babb, who’s listed at 6 toes and 205 kilos, describes himself as a “bodily, explosive man” and “any person that is not scared to go up and get the ball.” Jaxon Smith-Njigba seconded that evaluation, describing his fellow wideout as “loopy athletic.”

“When he is on the market, he is simply an explosive participant, a terrific participant,” Smith-Njigba mentioned. “I simply can’t wait to see him play, actually. I do not wish to discuss it an excessive amount of, as a result of I do know when he will get on the market, all the pieces that’s mentioned, all of the solutions will likely be answered.

“Each time he comes again, he is making large performs. So we’re simply praying that all of us keep wholesome, and we will all contribute right into a nationwide championship.”

Kam Babb sporting No. 1 for the Buckeyes and searching wholesome going by way of drills right here: pic.twitter.com/Vk0OpeO3Mo

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) March 8, 2022

Hartline says Babb “is totally succesful and has all of the instruments to be a really profitable receiver.”

“He is a really constant participant. He’s robust, good, catches the ball effectively. Does all the pieces you ask of him,” Hartline mentioned. “There’s nothing missing. There’s nothing that he cannot be an Ohio State broad receiver.”

Babb will should be wholesome in preseason camp if he’s going to earn a significant function in Ohio State’s receiver rotation this yr, because the Buckeyes haven’t any scarcity of gifted wideouts vying for enjoying time. Smith-Njigba, Harrison, Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming are anticipated to steer the rotation whereas Jayden Ballard, Xavier Johnson and the freshman quartet of Kyion Grayes, Caleb Burton, Kaleb Brown and Kojo Antwi may even be competing for spots on the two-deep.

Babb says he isn’t worrying about how a lot enjoying time he’ll get. Slightly, he’s simply making an attempt to show that he might help the Buckeyes on the sector this yr, trusting Day and Hartline to finally make the choices that put the staff in one of the best place to win.

“We obtained so many nice receivers on this room, so how dare I be egocentric?” Babb mentioned. “I would like everyone to eat, and I would like everyone to get theirs, as a result of everyone deserves to shine. So each time my quantity is named, I simply wish to make that play.

“Clearly I wish to play, and everyone on this room needs to play, however I feel we’re such a close-knit group of fellows, man, everyone needs everyone to do their finest. And I do know that is greater than me. So it is not concerning the touches and issues, but it surely’s about what can I do to assist this staff, and I simply wish to put my finest foot ahead.”

No matter how a lot Babb performs this fall, he’ll be one of many Buckeyes’ prime leaders. He’s one in every of three returning captains from final season, together with defensive finish Zach Harrison and linebacker Teradja Mitchell, and the doubtless frontrunner to put on the Block 0 uniform this yr due to his character and perseverance. In an offseason the place Ohio State has positioned an emphasis on forging management, Babb may be as necessary to that effort as anybody else on the roster.

“He can be a man that, once you look again, in all probability has made extra of an influence on others than possibly anyone else round this staff.”– Brian Hartline on Kamryn Babb

That mentioned, Babb believes he can have an even bigger presence as a frontrunner if he’s out on the sector contributing. And he’s optimistic he’ll lastly be capable of do this in 2022.

“There was a problem to it once you’re not enjoying and nonetheless making an attempt to encourage, however now once you’re truly enjoying and you’ll truly produce on the sector, I feel that is just a little totally different,” Babb mentioned. “That is greater than me, and I do know in my head, if I can get by way of this, possibly any person that is struggling by way of the identical factor and even one thing worse can take a look at my story and be like ‘He did it, why cannot I?’ As a result of I am no totally different than anyone else.”

He will definitely have many individuals rooting for his success this season, particularly amongst those that are with him day by day on the Woody Hayes Athletic Middle.

“I can discuss for hours about Kam Babb and what he is performed. Being a captain, all the pieces he is been by way of,” Day mentioned. “And so we’re Kam Babb followers round right here. All people loves Kam. … And if he can keep wholesome, he is gonna have an effect on this offense for certain.”