Ohio State football hit with mixed bag of injury news hours before game against Illinois
Ohio State very well could be leaning on a couple of backups to start today, and a SEC transfer is expected to make his Buckeyes debut against Illinois
The Ohio State Buckeyes open Big Ten play today against the Illinois Fighting Illini at home, and the availability report heading into the matchup is a mixed bag.
Ohio State has two starters listed as doubtful, a freshman linebacker who is questionable, and a wide receiver set to make his debut as the Buckeyes look to move to 3-1 on the season.
Kyle Parker expected to make his 2026 debut
The good news for Ohio State is that LSU transfer wide receiver Kyle Parker is likely to be active for the first time this season. Parker missed the Buckeyes’ first three games with an injury sustained during fall camp. He will provide another depth option at wide receiver for the Ohio State offense, and having him in the mix is a boost as conference play begins.
Now, the not-so-good news is that right tackle Phillip Daniels and defensive end Zion Grady are both doubtful to play. Both were injured in the close loss to Texas a couple of weeks ago and neither played against Kent State last week. It would be a surprise if either suited up against Illinois today.
Freshman linebacker Braxton Rembert was added to the injury report on Friday and is listed as questionable. Rembert impressed against Kent State in the second half, though his absence wouldn’t be a major loss for the Buckeyes against Illinois if he’s unable to go. Tight end Bennett Christian was ruled out earlier in the week and will not play.
With Daniels likely out, Ohio State will turn to Gabe VanSickle to make his second straight start at right guard while Austin Siereveld slides over to right tackle for a second consecutive game. It should be noted that Daniels was expected to practice this week for the Buckeyes leading up to the game.
At defensive end, the Buckeyes will rely on Alabama transfer Qua Russaw, Beau Atkinson, and Epi Sitanilei to help fill the void across from Kenyatta Jackson Jr. on defense with Grady likely sidelined. Freshman Khary Wilder is another name to watch. Wilder could see increased playing time this week and has been valuable off the edge for Ohio State so far this season in limited opportunities.
Ohio State clearly isn’t as healthy as the Buckeyes would like to be heading into Big Ten play, but the good news is they should be able to take care of Illinois either way to move to 3-1 on the season today.
