Recruiting Rewind: Binjimen Victor has always made plays worth framing

Perhaps there could be have been a reprise in the College Football Playoffs.

Kareem Reid remembers well when Aaron Robinson was on his way to signing with Alabama and James Pierre was bound for North Carolina while his own player, the scintillating Binjimen Victor, was Ohio State-bound.

Advantage, Victor.

“We played against Deerfield Beach (High School in Florida) Bin’s senior year, and their top guy, (Aaron) Robinson, signed at Alabama and they had James Pierre, who was committed to Miami,” said Reed, Victor’s former prep coach at Coconut Creek who just guided Atlanta-area Westlake to its third-straight region title. “None of ’em could check him.

“They took turns trying to stop him and none of them could check him. That’s one memory among many from him that stood out to me.”

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Victor now is poised to generate more memories on an even grander stage. Growing into an increasingly important role for the Buckeyes as they prepare to host Nebraska on Saturday at noon in the Horseshoe, Victor’s needed even more as Ohio State deals with the loss of Austin Mack.

Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer sees a player who’s turning a corner.

“I’d have to save Bin Victor might be in that category,” Meyer said Monday as he referenced players who have made the greatest strides of improvement. “In spring, he didn’t have a great spring.

“He’s playing at a pretty high level. He’s still a little up and down but when he goes, he’s a really talented guy.”

Seeing Victor repeatedly rising to the occasion years earlier, Reid expects his former pupil to augment an already formidable aerial attack — especially in an area where the Buckeyes this season are scuffling.

“I’m glad he’s going to be getting an opportunity to really be featured in their offense, because I think he can really shine,” Reid said. “He’s got something in the red zone, that big threat who can be a jump-ball guy, I think he’ll do well. I was fortunate to have a collection of talent, a great group of kids. They all were special, but something about Bin always stood out. He was so humble and such a hard worker.”

In fact, Reid remembers well finding Victor at school early on more than one weekend morning.

“I’d pull up to school sometimes on Saturday mornings, and there’s Bin running routes on air and catching balls,” Reid said. “Even though he was such a nice kid, such a hard-working kid, he had a dog about him on game day.

“I knew early when I got him he that was going to be different.”

Now Reid hangs a picture of Victor inside his Westlake office. He’s got no direct connection to the school, other than his former head coach, but Victor’s still a shining example.

“I bring him up a few times a year; I’ve got the picture up of him in my office that Ohio State sent to me,” Reid said. “Guys come in, they ask me questions about him or I refer to him during my conferences with players.

“He’s definitely someone I use as an example a few times a year.”

Now, Victor is someone the Buckeyes just might be using even more down the stretch as they seek to repeat as Big Ten champions and create more framable memories.