Ohio State football hit with mixed bag of injury news just ahead of game against Texas
The Ohio State Buckeyes got some good and bad news on the injury front before facing the Texas Longhorns.
The Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the Texas Longhorns in a top-5 college football matchup on Saturday night, and Ohio State heads to Austin with a mixed bag of injury updates.
The Buckeyes and Longhorns will meet for the third time in three seasons, with Ohio State taking the previous two meetings, including a 14-7 win to open the 2025 season in Columbus. This time, Ohio State travels to Texas carrying both good and bad news on the health front.
Ohio State gets good and bad news on the injury front
The bad news first. Ohio State will be without LSU transfer wide receiver Kyle Parker for a second straight game as he works his way back from an undisclosed injury, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Parker’s absence leaves the Buckeyes without a depth wide receiver as they prepare to face one of the toughest environments in college football.
Then, the good news is more important. Alabama transfer edge rusher Qua Russaw will make his Ohio State debut against the Longhorns. Russaw suited up against Ball State in Week 1, but Ohio State held him out and he didn’t log a snap. Russaw had been dealing with an undisclosed injury heading into his first regular season in college football with the Buckeyes.
Qua Russaw’s debut comes at the right time for Ohio State
Russaw’s availability is a big deal for the Buckeyes’ pass rush, which will be a key component in Saturday’s game. Ohio State needs to get after Texas quarterback Arch Manning if it hopes to come away with a win in Austin.
The Alabama transfer is expected to compete for snaps across from Kenyatta Jackson on Ohio State’s defensive line. Russaw joins a group that includes Bo Atkinson and Zion Grady at the top of Ohio State’s defensive end depth chart, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Russaw eventually settled in as the second guy for the Buckeyes at the position.
Russaw played in nine games for Alabama in 2025 while dealing with injuries. He posted 14 tackles and one sack. In 2024, Russaw had 36 tackles, one sack, and two interceptions with one forced fumble for the Tide.
Having Russaw healthy for this matchup is a nice boost for Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ defense is about as healthy as they could ask to be heading into a game of this magnitude. The Parker absence stings a small amount on offense, but Ohio State’s defensive front should be in good shape to make life difficult for Manning and the Longhorns.
Time will tell if that’s enough to get Ohio State a third straight win over Texas.
