Ohio State’s first availability report for Saturday’s matchup with Maryland brought mostly good news, but there are still a few names worth watching before kickoff.
The No. 5 Buckeyes, who enter the game 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play, will be without third-year safety Leroy Roker III against the Terrapins. Ohio State also listed several other players on the report, with some already ruled out and a handful still in question.
Among the players listed out for the Buckeyes are LB Zahir Mathis, DB Lloyd Irvin III, WR Josiah Teasley, RB DJ Samuels, WR Sean Williams, RB Harry Dalton III, RB Terrez Worthy, RB Solomon Foye, OL Trevor Szymanski, OL Day'Jon Moore and DL Delmar White.
Ohio State’s questionable group includes RB DeJuan Williams, LB Trey Reddick, TE Preston Howard, DB Dontay Joyner, DB Amari Jackson, OL Rahtrel Perry and K Daniel Leahy.
There was also encouraging news on the defensive side, with freshman cornerback Jay Timmons not appearing on the report at all. The report also leaves open the possibility that Phillip Daniels could play, though it would not be surprising if the staff decides to hold him out another week and save him for next Saturday’s game at Indiana.
The biggest concern on the Buckeyes’ report comes at wide receiver, where fourth-year players Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin both showed up as questionable. Given Maryland’s standing in the Big Ten and Ohio State’s trip to Bloomington next week, those tags could point to a cautious approach from the coaching staff.
Ohio State has dominated this series, going 9-0 all-time against Maryland. The Buckeyes are also a 34.5-point favorite heading into Saturday’s 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff on BTN.
In Other News...
Simeon Caldwell Is Giving Ohio States Secondary A New Decision To Make
Simeon Caldwell arrived at Ohio State with the kind of preseason expectations that usually keep a freshman safety in the background, but his early work has pushed him into a more meaningful spot in the Buckeyes secondary. He has seen the field in multiple games already, and his usage has grown as the coaching staff has continued to trust him more in the defensive rotation. The staffs interest in him has only sharpened because he brings versatility to a room that already has plenty of competition.
Caldwells most notable opportunities have come in expanded snaps against Iowa, where he held up well in coverage and showed he can tackle in space. His role has been growing in nickel and dime packages, the kind of subpackages that demand safeties who can handle tight ends and bigger receivers without sacrificing too much on the back end. For Ohio State, that kind of flexibility gives the defense another option to sort through, and it could keep changing how the secondary is deployed from week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Freshmen Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Break Through
Ryan Days latest update on Ohio States young wide receivers gave a clearer picture of where the room stands heading into Maryland. Freshmen Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd have been making progress, and Day said both have shown the kind of confidence that can earn more trust in the passing game. With the Buckeyes still sorting through their receiver rotation, the door is at least a little more open for the first-year players to carve out snaps.
The timing matters because Ohio State may need extra help at the position, and the staff has already been looking for more ways to spread the field. That creates a real opening for Henry and Boyd to get involved in a game that could test the depth chart a little more than expected, while Kyle Parker is also positioned to enter the mix after missing the early part of the season. The next step is whether those practice flashes turn into actual game reps when the Buckeyes line up against Maryland. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's First Preseason Result Just Raised A Real Roster Debate
Ohio State opened its preseason slate with an unofficial exhibition against Cincinnati at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, a tune-up that offered an early look at the Buckeyes in game action while also serving as part of the CareSource Invitational, an event tied to mental health awareness. The result, a 79-68 loss, is the kind of preseason outcome that matters less in the standings than in the questions it can surface, especially for a roster still sorting out roles and rhythm before the games count.
John Mobley Jr. was the bright spot for Ohio State, finishing with a team-high 15 points in his first action of his junior season. The Buckeyes now turn to another exhibition, a matchup with Butler on October 25 at the Schottenstein Center, where there will be another chance to see which pieces are settling in and which ones still leave coach and fans with a real roster debate. [Read more 🡒]