Three Stars of the Game: Arvell Reese, Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Carnell Tate Earn Top Honors For Their Performances Against Texas

Eleven Warriors’ Three Stars of the Game returns in 2025, with Arvell Reese, Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Carnell Tate kicking off the action following Ohio State’s 14-7 win over No. 1 Texas in the season opener.

First Star: Arvell Reese

Reese trailed Davison Igbinosun (10 tackles) as the top tackler for Ohio State’s defense, recording nine takedowns with four solo stops. However, the Cleveland native stood alone in two categories: sacks and tackles for loss.

With Texas facing third-and-long with six minutes left in the second quarter, quarterback Arch Manning received the snap, took a three-step drop and scanned the field. When he couldn’t find an open receiver, Manning stepped up in the pocket, only for Reese to crash into his side and spiral him toward the Ohio Stadium turf.

SACKED

The @ohiostatefb defense gets to Arch Manning pic.twitter.com/BSdMEHvThY

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025

While Reese’s sack stands out as the defining moment of his stellar performance, there were several other instances where the 6-foot-4, 243-pound linebacker made his presence felt, namely his textbook tackle to force a Texas turnover on downs — the Longhorns’ first of four throughout the game — to conclude its opening drive.

STOPPED

The @OhioStateFB defense shuts down Texas on the opening drive pic.twitter.com/7rLV28R1dS

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025

Second Star: Jermaine Mathews Jr.

Eleven Warriors producer Chase Brown predicted that Mathews would intercept a Manning pass in the season opener. Call his prediction a manifestation, as Mathews picked off the Texas quarterback with three minutes left in the third quarter, recording the only takeaway from either team in the top-three showdown.

ARCH MANNING IS PICKED OFF

The @ohiostatefb defense comes up with another massive play pic.twitter.com/5yaBXYZrQm

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025

Similar to Reese’s sack, Mathews’ interception was the defining moment of his performance. However, he produced much more than that. The Cincinnati native also collected three tackles (all solo) and one pass breakup against the Longhorns. Oh, and that pass breakup was thisssss close to becoming another takeaway for the Buckeyes.

Third Star: Carnell Tate

Tate represents Ohio State’s offense in this week’s Three Stars of the Game. The Buckeyes’ WR2 tied Brandon Inniss for the second most receptions on Saturday (two) behind Jeremiah Smith (six). However, it was Tate, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound wide receiver from Chicago, who put six points on the board.

CARNELL TATE 40 YARD TD

The @OhioStateFB Buckeyes make it a two-score game pic.twitter.com/QwOtTZExl6

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025

Tate’s success in the season opener marked another standout performance for the wide receiver against the Longhorns, as he led the Buckeyes with seven catches for 87 yards in last season’s Cotton Bowl.

After Ohio State’s win on Saturday, a reporter asked Tate if Texas is “sick of seeing you out there.” Tate’s response?

“Yeah, I mean, they’ve had a rough showing every time we’ve played ‘em, so hopeful we see them again,” he said with a smile.

As the season continues, we’ll track the stars (or points) each Ohio State player receives in 2025. Here’s how we’ll do it: Each time a Buckeye earns the first star of the game, that Buckeye adds three points to their season total. Then, the second star and third star each add two points and one point to their totals.