The Buckeyes will be shorted at wide reception and backhand corner in the Big Ten opener.
Superstar Jackson Smith-Negigba and cornerstone Cameron Brown have been disqualified from Saturday’s game at 7:30 p.m. Match with Wisconsinas a total of 10 Ohio State players will not be available against the Badgers.
Wisconsin Oyo State Case Report |
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Not available |
WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA |
A hamstring injury against Notre Dame limited Smith-Nigegba to just 15 shots in the season opener, and the youngster never played in Ohio State’s second week meeting with Arkansas State. Smith Ngigba came back against Toledo, but only got two passes and didn’t play at all in the second half.
Ryan Day was hoping this week that Smith would be Ngigba against the Badgers, but the future 2021 Ohio State leader wouldn’t be a good fit after all.
Brown, who started each of the first three games of the season with Ohio State, played just 17 shots against Toledo before heading to the locker room with an obvious first-half injury. The Buckeyes will also be without second-year corner Jordan Hancock, who has yet to score a defensive strike this season after picking up a pre-season injury he described today as “big”. Their injuries leave Ohio State with only four scholarships available: Denzel Burke, J.K. Johnson, Jayer Brown, and Ryan Turner.
Burke was seen before the match wearing a cast on his right hand – something that was not disclosed in the initial case report. Ohio State has not released any information regarding his participation in Saturday’s contest, so he is expected to play against the Badgers.
Denzel Burke has a splint on his hand: pic.twitter.com/L6q5dGicCB
Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) September 24, 2022
On the Buckeyes’ bright side, it looks like several players who didn’t play last week or left injured will be available against Wisconsin. That list includes starting linebackers Josh Proctor, Tanner McAllister and Mike Hall Jr. as well as starting linebacker Trevion Henderson, who left the Toledo game in walking shoes after sustaining an injury in Ohio State’s opening drive.
Camryn Babb, Tiradja Mitchell and Joe Royer all join Smith Ngigba, Brown and Hancock among the ten unavailable Buckeyes. Ohio State did not mention any players as decisions regarding game time prior to the first conference competition.