Ohio State football has already ruled out a player for the Illinois game, and 2 starters could join him
Ohio State’s availability report ahead of Saturday’s Big Ten opener has a few names to know on it.
The Ohio State Buckeyes received encouraging injury news this week heading into their Big Ten opener against Illinois. Defensive tackle James Smith and running back Legend Bey will not miss time with the injuries they suffered against Kent State last week.
We got our first look at the new Big Ten availability report that will be released through the week, and it provides a good barometer of who will suit up on Saturday. As of Friday morning, the Buckeyes will be without just one notable player while a few others remain questionable.
Bennett Christian ruled out, 3 Buckeyes questionable
Senior tight end Bennett Christian will miss the Illinois game. Christian has played in three games this season for Ohio State but has not registered a catch, serving more as a blocking tight end. His absence won’t significantly affect the game plan.
The bigger question marks come with a pair of starters listed as questionable. Neither defensive end Zion Grady nor offensive tackle Philip Daniels played last time out against Kent State, and both carry that same questionable designation into the weekend. LSU transfer Kyle Parker is also questionable for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State has the depth to manage if starters can’t go
The potential losses of Grady and Daniels would be the most impactful, though Ohio State has depth to fill those roles if needed. If Grady is unable to go, the Buckeyes will rely on players like Qua Russaw, Beau Atkinson, Epi Sitanilei, and Khary Wilder along the defensive line.
If Daniels can’t go, the plan is clear. Ohio State will slide Austin Siereveld from right guard to right tackle and insert Gabe VanSickle at right guard for what would be his second straight start and third of his career.
Ohio State is not dealing with any major injuries at this point in terms of players they simply cannot replace. That is good news heading into Big Ten play.
