Ohio State wide receiver Brandon Inniss promised a “competitive” 2026 season in spring practice. But even with the season opener still months away, he has been under scrutiny since a clip of him running routes and catching the ball went viral. To make matters worse, it caught the attention of former Ohio State wide receivers coach Zack Smith, who was disappointed by Inniss’s body movement.

“We could s— on the kid if we want, just for fun, which is what the timeline did,” Smith said on the Menace Sports YouTube channel. “But I’m not holding that against him. He did look a little stiff after he did his little stupid release, and he’s looking back for the ball. You can tell he’s not very fluid. He didn’t look very flexible when he went up for the ball; he looked stiff-hipped, stiff-backed, stiff everything.

“But again, I don’t know the context. My main concern is that he was a starting receiver at Ohio State, had 271 yards, and didn’t really make any plays. That’s my issue. Did he look like an NFL player on the field?”

Inniss has never looked like what Ryan Day and the Buckeyes thought he would be at the time of his commitment in 2022. He joined the Buckeyes as a five-star talent and the No. 3 wide receiver in the 2023 recruiting class. He was also the No. 22 recruit in the nation and No. 6 in Florida, per 247Sports.

Beyond his high school exploits, he shone in the only stat he recorded in his freshman year, scoring a 58-yard touchdown on his first collegiate reception. But ever since, he has had very few flashes to remind the fans of his blue-chip status. He finished the 2025 season with 36 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns. It was clearly an upgrade from 2024, when he caught 14 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns. However, progressing at such a discouraging rate would only keep the Buckeyes struggling at the position.

After three years with Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, Inniss is the second-oldest player in the wide receiver room and is set to be the program’s WR2. But Smith does not think he is up to the task. Not even with how he looked in the clip. Particularly, Zack Smith had an issue with his fluidity, which did his already shaky reputation no good.

“I think that clip—it wasn’t a great clip. But like I said, you don’t know. You don’t know the context, like why’s he stiff? Maybe his neck’s a little dinged up; maybe his hip’s dinged up. You need more than one stupid a– fake route on a high school field at the end of a workout clip to evaluate a player. And I mean, I have major concerns on Brandon Innis, and it ain’t from that clip. It’s from the actual football film that I’ve watched.”

Inniss has teammate Jeremiah Smith in the same position. But when comparisons arose, Smith even went back in time to find a suitable comparison for Inniss.

Brandon Inniss compared to Julian Fleming

Inniss has seen limited playing time since joining the Buckeyes due to the crowded wide receiver room. Even as a punt returner, he had some struggles as well. His discouraging displays forced Zack Smith to draw comparisons between him and former Buckeyes wide receiver Julian Fleming.

“Because Ohio State has had nothing but NFL players on the field every single spot, except for one time, Kris,” Smith continued. “One time, they had a player who was not very good who was starting on this show, I was like, ‘Why the hell are we playing this kid?’? And who was that one kid, Kris? Julian Fleming.

“And I think I was vindicated in the fact that he was also terrible at Penn State, also didn’t go to the NFL, and hasn’t played a snap in the National Football League. So, I think that was a pretty accurate opinion. And my question to the chat and to you, Kris, is who’s better: Julian Fleming or Brandon Inniss?

In the end, Inniss was lucky to escape here, as Kris Drew chose him as the better of the two. In defending his choice, he pointed out Julian Sayin’s unwillingness to “use the middle of the field” as a reason for Inniss’ unproductivity. Whereas he saw Fleming targeted and repeatedly lose the ball, calling him “a bad football player.” Regardless of Kris’ rescue mission, a comparison with Fleming is never a compliment for any player.

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