When Taurian Washington came to Ohio State in 2007, many expected him to add a new chapter to the legacy of great buckeye wide receivers.

But like so many highly touted recruits from high school, those expectations were never met.

As one of the top receivers to come out of Michigan, Washington’s seven career receptions are far short of what he had hoped for.

Nonetheless, Washington has few regrets about the way his time as a Buckeye has turned out to this point.

“I don’t really think I would’ve done anything differently,” Washington said. “I think I’ve been doing everything right on and off the field, from school to football, so I don’t think there’s a whole lot I’d change.”

Few would have imagined that his career would be a disappointment after his first game against Youngstown State in the 2007 season-opener. That day, Washington hauled in three passes for 46 yards and a touchdown.

Unfortunately, he wouldn’t catch another ball until his senior season in 2010, struggling to climb a depth chart filled with NFL-caliber receivers.

“I think the biggest thing is that there were a lot of great receivers in front of me,” Washington said. “There were a lot of guys that were older than me, like Brian Hartline and Ray Small and [Brian] Robiskie, and they had the experience and did things better than I did. “

Washington admits that he nearly transferred after his sophomore year because of his lack of playing time, but chose to stay because he believed the transition would be too difficult.

“I just felt that by staying here, I didn’t have to worry about having to start over,” Washington said. “I basically joined a family here, and it would’ve been kind of hard for me to go somewhere else.”

After a solid spring game in 2009, Washington started the season as the team’s third receiver. But three dropped passes in the season-opener against Navy buried him in the depth chart once again.

By season’s end, rumors about an impending transfer began to resurface, as his close friend and former buckeye receiver Lamaar Thomas opted to leave OSU. After consulting with his family and coaches, Washington decided to return to OSU for one last season.

Another stellar spring game, along with the transfer of receiver Duron Carter, has given Washington another shot as the team’s third receiver behind DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher. So far, he’s held onto that position, catching four passes while asserting himself as an effective blocker.

Washington said that he might return to Orchard Lake, Mich., to help coach high school players when he graduates from OSU. But for now, his focus is set on helping the Buckeyes in any capacity.

“I feel like I can do whatever I can to help my team, whether its catching the ball to blocking,” Washington said. “I take a lot of pride and joy in blocking and getting my teammates into the end zone. If I can’t get in there, then they’ve got to get in there.”