BOOM
Brian Hartline lands another standout wide receiver as Kayden Dixon-Wyatt commits to Ohio State.
A game like Ohio State's 55-14 blowout of Illinois lends itself to playing time for youngsters.
And for the Buckeyes, a young team still trying to build depth, Saturday night provided a chance to gain valuable experience.
Running back Curtis Samuel had arguably the best outing of any freshman. He started over sophomore Ezekiel Elliott and had 63 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries.
"There's nothing quite like competition ... (running backs coach) Stan Drayton came to me in the middle of the week and said: 'I'd like to start Curtis Samuel this week, he's doing everything right, and practices at an extremely high level,' and we still have great confidence in Zeke, but we have two guys that can play."
Without further ado, here's how Ohio State's freshman class performed against the Fighting Illini:
| Freshman | Pos | DEBUT | Result | Season LINE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KYLE BERGER | LB | INJURED | ||
| DANTE BOOKER | LB | KENT STATE (9/13) | PARTICIPATION | 1 TACKLE |
| NOAH BROWN | H-B | VIRGINIA TECH (9/6) | 1 RECEPTION, NINE YARDS, 1 KICKOFF RETURN, 29 YARDS | |
| PARRIS CAMPBELL | WR | |||
| STEPHEN COLLIER | QB | |||
| JOHNNIE DIXON | WR | INJURED | ||
| JALYN HOLMES | DL | KENT STATE (9/13) | FOUR TACKLES, 0.5 TACKLE-FOR-LOSS | 11 TACKLES, 1.5 TFLs |
| MALIK HOOKER | S | |||
| SAM HUBBARD | LB | |||
| MARCELYS JONES | OL | KENT STATE (9/13) | PARTICIPATION | |
| JAMARCO JONES | OL | KENT STATE (9/13) | 1 TACKLE | 1 TACKLE |
| DEMETRIUS KNOX | OL | |||
| MARSHON LATTIMORE | CB | INJURED | ||
| TERRY McLAURIN | WR | |||
| RAEKWON McMILLAN | LB | VIRGINIA TECH (9/6) | 4 TACKLES, 1 PBU | 26 TACKLES, 3 TFLs, 2 SACKS, 1 INT, 1 TD, 1 FF, 1 PBU |
| SEAN NUERNBERGER | K | NAVY (8/30) | 2/2 FGs, LONG of 44 | 9/13 FGs |
| CURTIS SAMUEL | RB | NAVY (8/30) | 9 RUSHES for 63 YARDS, 2 TDs | 45 RUSHES for 317 YARDS, 4 TDs, 1 RECEPTION, 9 YARDS |
| DARIUS SLADE | DL | |||
| ERICK SMITH | S | KENT STATE (9/13) | 3 TACKLES | 6 TACKLES, 1 INTERCEPTION, 1 FR |
| BRADY TAYLOR | OL | INJURED | ||
| DYLAN THOMPSON | DL | INJURED | ||
| KYLE TROUT | OL | |||
| DAMON WEBB | CB | KENT STATE (9/13) | 1 TACKLE | 1 TACKLE |
