Snap Counts: 65 Buckeyes See Action As Starters Continue to See Majority of Playing Time in 49-10 Win over Rutgers

Although Ohio State seized firm control of its annual tilt with the Scarlet Knights by halftime, the Buckeyes kept their starters in the game on both sides of the ball until Miyan Williams scored his fifth touchdown of the day to extend the home team’s lead to 49-10, which would ultimately be the game’s final score, 10 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes even kept many of their starters in the game for their next defensive series, only moving fully to their backups for their final two series of the game on both offense and defense.

Eight different Buckeyes played all of Ohio State’s first 53 offensive snaps of the game while four Buckeyes played 50-52 of Ohio State’s 58 snaps on defense.

Nevertheless, 65 different Buckeyes – two more than the previous game against Wisconsin – played at least one snap in Ohio State’s 39-point win over the Scarlet Knights. 

Two walk-ons played just one snap to make their season debuts – defensive tackle Bryce Prater and punter Michael O’Shaughnessy – while cornerback Denzel Burke returned to the starting lineup after missing the Wisconsin game. Quarterback Devin Brown, wide receiver Kojo Antwi, defensive end Kenyatta Jackson, defensive tackle Hero Kanu and safety Lathan Ransom also saw playing time after not playing against the Badgers.

Starting running back TreVeyon Henderson and defensive backups Tyler Friday, Palaie Gaoteote IV, Cameron Martinez and Jantzen Dunn were all sidelined by injuries against Rutgers after playing against Wisconsin while freshman linebacker Gabe Powers also did not see action against the Scarlet Knights despite playing on special teams against the Badgers.

As for the 65 Buckeyes who did play, our full breakdown of how many snaps each of them played is below. Offensive and defensive snap counts are courtesy of Pro Football Focus’ premium statistics while special teams snap counts were tabulated by Eleven Warriors data analyst Matt Gutridge. All snap counts should be considered unofficial, as they were not provided by Ohio State.

Quarterbacks

C.J. Stroud: 53
Kyle McCord: 6
Devin Brown: 6

Stroud was on the field for every play of Ohio State’s first nine possessions against Rutgers, while McCord and Brown each took the field for one possession in the fourth quarter. Stroud attempted passes on 28 of his 53 plays in the game – though six of them did not actually count as passes due to penalties against either Rutgers or Ohio State – while McCord completed two of three passing attempts for seven yards. Brown handed the ball off to Dallan Hayden on all six of his plays in the game.

Running Backs

Miyan Williams: 53
Dallan Hayden: 12

With Henderson out, Williams made his first start of the season and played every snap at running back with the first-team offense. He made the most of his career-high 53 snaps, running the ball 21 times for 189 yards and a school record-tying five touchdowns, setting career-highs in all three categories.

Hayden played all of the snaps at running back on Ohio State’s final two possessions and ran the ball on nine of those plays for 28 yards.

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Wide Receivers

Marvin Harrison Jr.: 48
Emeka Egbuka: 39
Julian Fleming: 27
Jayden Ballard: 12
Xavier Johnson: 12
Kojo Antwi: 6
Kaleb Brown: 6
Reis Stocksdale: 6

Harrison and Fleming started outside while Egbuka was the starting slot receiver for the second game in a row with Jaxon Smith-Njigba still sidelined by his hamstring injury. All of them played some snaps outside and some snaps in the slot, while Johnson also mixed in for six snaps with the first-team offense in a game where the Buckeyes often had multiple tight ends on the field instead of three wide receivers.

Ballard, Johnson and Brown were the wide receivers for Ohio State’s second-to-last possession of the game while Ballard, Antwi and Stocksdale were the receivers for the Buckeyes’ final series of the day.

Tight Ends

Cade Stover: 53
Mitch Rossi: 25
Gee Scott Jr.: 17
Sam Hart: 3
Patrick Gurd: 2
Zak Herbstreit: 1

Stover never left the field with the first-team offense against Rutgers, playing all 53 snaps while Stroud was in the game. Rossi joined him on the field for nearly half of those snaps, playing mostly as a second tight end while occasionally lining up at fullback as he played a season-high 25 snaps. Scott also mixed in for 11 plays with the first-team offense while remaining in the game for McCord’s lone drive, on which Scott made his first two catches of the season.

Hart, Gurd and Herbstreit all got on the field on Ohio State’s final possession of the game, marking the third straight contest in which all three of them have seen fourth-quarter snaps.

Offensive Linemen

Paris Johnson Jr.: 53
Donovan Jackson: 53
Luke Wypler: 53
Matt Jones: 53
Dawand Jones: 53
Josh Fryar: 15
Zen Michalski: 12
Enokk Vimahi: 12
Jakob James: 12
Tegra Tshabola: 12

As has been the case all season, Ohio State’s starting offensive line against Rutgers consisted of Johnson, Jackson, Wypler, Matt Jones and Dawand Jones from left to right while its second-team offensive line, which played in front of both McCord and Devin Brown, was Michalski, Vimahi, James, Tshabola and Fryar. Fryar also played three snaps with the first-team offense (while wearing No. 41 instead of his usual No. 70) as a sixth offensive lineman/jumbo tight end in goal-line situations.

Defensive Ends

J.T. Tuimoloau: 29
Jack Sawyer: 27
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: 23
Zach Harrison: 20
Caden Curry: 13
Kenyatta Jackson: 6

Although Sawyer started in place of Tuimoloau for the second game in a row, Tuimoloau ended up playing the most snaps of any Buckeye defensive end against Rutgers. Many of those snaps came in the Jack package, with Tuimoloau manning one defensive end spot opposite Mike Hall on the three-man front with either Sawyer or Jean-Baptiste standing up as a Jack linebacker.

Harrison, Sawyer and Tuimoloau were also all on the field together for several third-down snaps in which Harrison, who started the game opposite Sawyer at defensive end, kicked inside to defensive tackle to play alongside Hall in the Buckeyes’ Rushmen package. Harrison forced two takeaways in that package, forcing a first-quarter fumble that Hall recovered and tipping a third-quarter pass that Steele Chambers intercepted.

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Curry, who became the first of Ohio State’s scholarship freshmen to burn his redshirt this year by playing in his fifth game of the season against Rutgers, entered the game at defensive end for the Buckeyes’ final three defensive series of the game. Jackson entered the game opposite Curry for Ohio State’s last two defensive series.

Defensive Tackles

Mike Hall: 40
Taron Vincent: 36
Jerron Cage: 14
Jaden McKenzie: 10
Ty Hamilton: 7
Tyleik Williams: 6
Hero Kanu: 2
Bryce Prater: 1

Ohio State didn’t rotate as much at defensive tackle against Rutgers as it often has in the past as both Hall and Vincent played well over half of the Buckeyes’ 56 defensive snaps. Like Tuimoloau, both of them were mainstays in the Jack package as Vincent manned the nose tackle spot and Hall manned a defensive end spot in the three-man front.

Cage and Williams were the first backup defensive tackles to enter the game, but Williams played only six snaps before going down with an apparent ankle injury, though he was later seen warming up on the sideline with his helmet on and appeared as though he would have been able to return to the game if needed.

McKenzie and Hamilton both mixed in for second-half playing time while Kanu entered the game for Ohio State’s final two defensive plays. Prater played his first snap of the season on the final play of the game.

Linebackers

Steele Chambers: 52
Tommy Eichenberg: 52
Cody Simon: 15
Chip Trayanum: 6
Reid Carrico: Special teams only
C.J. Hicks: Special teams only

Chambers and Eichenberg led the Buckeyes in defensive playing time against Rutgers as they were both on the field for every play until the Buckeyes’ final two defensive series of the game. Simon joined them on the field for nine plays with the first-team defense as a Sam linebacker, then finished out the game at Will linebacker alongside Trayanum for Ohio State’s final six defensive plays.

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Cornerbacks

JK Johnson: 50
Denzel Burke: 47
Jyaire Brown: 9
Ryan Turner: 6

With Cameron Brown still sidelined by injury, Johnson made his second consecutive start in Brown’s place and was on the field for every defensive play – save for two short-yardage plays on which the Buckeyes didn’t have any cornerbacks on the field – until Rutgers’ final two possessions of the game.

Burke returned to the starting lineup against Rutgers after missing the Wisconsin game with a hand injury and was on the field for every play Johnson was with the exception of one third-quarter defensive series on which he was replaced by Jyaire Brown, who was also in for the final six plays of the game opposite fellow true freshman Turner.

Safeties

Ronnie Hickman: 51
Josh Proctor: 41
Kye Stokes: 32
Lathan Ransom: 18
Tanner McCalister: 10
Sonny Styles: 9
Kourt Williams: 6

Hickman led all Ohio State safeties in playing time for the fourth time in five games as he continued to be a mainstay at the adjuster spot with the first-team defense.

Proctor played the majority of snaps at bandit for the second game in a row, though Ransom also mixed in for some playing time at that spot with the first-team defense after sitting out the Wisconsin game.

McCalister started the game at nickel safety but played only 10 snaps before suffering an injury in the first quarter that knocked him out of the game. Stokes replaced him in the lineup for the first extended playing time of his career. Styles also substituted in for a few snaps with the first-team defense in short-yardage situations before finishing out the game at nickel safety.

Williams entered the game on Ohio State’s final two defensive series at bandit, with Ransom moving to adjuster to finish out the game in place of Hickman.

Extra Points

Noah Ruggles (kicker): 7
Jesse Mirco (holder): 7
Bradley Robinson (long snapper): 7
Caden Curry (wing): 7
Zen Michalski (end): 7
Paris Johnson Jr. (tackle): 7
Donovan Jackson (guard): 7
Enokk Vimahi (guard): 7
Dawand Jones (tackle): 7
Jakob James (end): 7
Cade Stover (wing): 7

Ohio State made no changes to its placekicking unit against Rutgers as Ruggles made all seven of his extra point attempts but did not attempt any field goals.

Kickoffs

Jayden Fielding (kicker): 8
Jayden Ballard: 8
Reid Carrico: 8
C.J. Hicks: 8
Xavier Johnson: 8
Cody Simon: 8
Kye Stokes: 8
Sonny Styles: 8
Chip Trayanum: 8
Ronnie Hickman: 5
Kourt Williams: 5
Kojo Antwi: 3
Tanner McCalister: 3

Even though Parker Lewis was cleared to play by the NCAA last week, Fielding – a walk-on freshman who joined Curry in burning his redshirt by playing in his fifth game of the season against Rutgers – continued to handle all of Ohio State’s kickoffs vs. the Scarlet Knights.

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Kickoff Returns

Chip Trayanum (returner): 3
Jayden Ballard: 3
Steele Chambers: 3
Julian Fleming: 3
C.J. Hicks: 3
Xavier Johnson: 3
Mitch Rossi: 3
Gee Scott Jr.: 3
Cody Simon: 3
Sonny Styles: 3
Kourt Williams: 3

After splitting reps with Emeka Egbuka for the previous two games, Trayanum lined up as the deep returner for all three of Rutgers’ kickoffs, though he did not end up returning any kicks. Fleming joined the kickoff return unit for the first time this season in place of Gaoteote.

Punts

Bradley Robinson (long snapper): 4
Tommy Eichenberg (upback): 4
Mitch Rossi (upback): 4
Steele Chambers (guard): 4
Kourt Williams (guard): 4
Emeka Egbuka (tackle): 4
Xavier Johnson (tackle): 4
Cade Stover (wing): 4
Jayden Ballard (gunner): 4
Jesse Mirco (punter): 3
Kojo Antwi (gunner): 3
Michael O’Shaughnessy (punter): 1
Julian Fleming (gunner): 1

While Ohio State’s punt team took the field four times against Rutgers, Mirco only punted the ball twice. He turned what would have been his second punt of the day into a 22-yard run, sparking a confrontation between Ryan Day and Greg Schiano after Mirco took a big hit on the sideline by Rutgers wide receiver Aron Cruickshank, who was ejected from the game as a result. O’Shaughnessy punted for the first time in his Ohio State career, booting the ball into the end zone from the 41-yard line, to conclude the Buckeyes’ final possession of the game.

Punt Blocks/Returns

Emeka Egbuka (returner): 4
Jayden Ballard (returner): 4
Jyaire Brown: 4
JK Johnson: 4
Sonny Styles: 4
Chip Trayanum: 4
Kourt Williams: 4
Kaleb Brown: 3
C.J. Hicks: 3
Xavier Johnson: 3
Cody Simon: 3
Denzel Burke: 1
Jerron Cage: 1
Steele Chambers: 1
Caden Curry: 1
Tommy Eichenberg: 1
Mike Hall: 1
Ronnie Hickman: 1
Kenyatta Jackson: 1
Hero Kanu: 1
Josh Proctor: 1
Lathan Ransom: 1
Jack Sawyer: 1
J.T. Tuimoloau: 1
Ryan Turner: 1
Taron Vincent: 1

Both Egbuka and Ballard lined up deep as punt returners for three of Rutgers’ four first-half punts in the game, while Ballard was the sole punt returner on the field for the Scarlet Knights’ only second-half punt. Egbuka muffed Adam Korsak’s first punt, which resulted in a fumble recovery for Rutgers that set up the Scarlet Knights’ only touchdown of the game, but fielded each of Rutgers’ next two punts cleanly for fair catches.

Field Goal/Extra Point Blocks

Denzel Burke: 2
Steele Chambers: 2
Tommy Eichenberg: 2
Mike Hall: 2
Zach Harrison: 2
Ronnie Hickman: 2
JK Johnson: 2
Josh Proctor: 2
Jack Sawyer: 2
Taron Vincent: 2
Tanner McCalister: 1
Kye Stokes: 1

Ohio State’s kick-blocking unit for Rutgers’ one extra point and one field goal of the game consisted of the Buckeyes’ starting defense except for McCalister replacing Stokes on the field goal, which came in the third quarter after McCalister’s day had ended.