A dominant performance by C.J. Stroud and a big day for former Buckeye wide receivers highlighted Week 5 in the NFL for former Ohio State players.
Stroud had one of the best games of his NFL career as he led the Houston Texans to a blowout win, while Emeka Egbuka and Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued the spectacular starts to their season in a head-to-head matchup. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Quinshon Judkins were among the other standouts of Week 5 from Ohio State’s NFL contingent.
We recap all the best and notable Buckeye performances from NFL Week 5 in Across The Shield, Eleven Warriors’ weekly recap of how former Ohio State players performed throughout the league.
Stroud shreds Ravens
C.J. Stroud threw as many touchdown passes as he did incompletions in the Houston Texans’ 44-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5.
After a shaky start to his third NFL season, Stroud reminded everyone how sharp a passer he can be when he’s at his best as he completed 23 of 27 passing attempts – the same exact numbers Julian Sayin had in Ohio State’s 42-3 win over Minnesota one day earlier – for 244 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Texans to a blowout victory.
Every dropback from C.J. Strouds 4 TD game vs the Baltimore Ravens:
— Jacob (@TexansJacob) October 6, 2025
One of the best games of Strouds career with elite efficiency. pic.twitter.com/ayxvIGt3hK
In addition to his sharp game passing the ball, in which he set a career-high in single-game completion percentage (85.2%), Stroud also had the longest run of his NFL career as he rushed for a 30-yard gain that nearly went for a touchdown.
C.J. Stroud takes it himself down near the goal line!
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
HOUvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/DNnEZ2dph2
Stroud’s highly efficient performance earned him our Pro Buck of the Week award as Ohio State’s top NFL performer in Week 5.
| Week | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka | 4 catches, 67 yards, 2 TD; 1 rush, 9 yards |
| 2 | Bills DE Joey Bosa | 2 tackles, 1 sack, 2 FF, 7 QB pressures |
| 3 | Steelers DT Cameron Heyward | 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 PD, 4 QB pressures |
| 4 | Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka | 4 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD; 1 rush, 0 yards |
| 5 | Texans QB C.J. Stroud | 23/27, 244 yards, 4 TD; 1 rush, 30 yards |
Egbuka, JSN shine in head-to-head duel
Sunday’s high-scoring shootout between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks doubled as a recruiting video for Brian Hartline.
In a head-to-head battle of former Ohio State slot receivers, Emeka Egbuka and Jaxon Smith-Njigba both continued their spectacular starts to the 2025 NFL season with huge games against one another.
Already the early favorite to win this season’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, Egbuka poured rocket fuel on that campaign with his best game yet, catching seven passes for 163 yards, the most of any NFL receiver in Week 5. His highlights in the Buccaneers’ 38-35 win included a 20-yard touchdown catch – which he followed with a two-point conversion catch – and a 57-yard deep-ball haul.
.@EgbukaEmeka turned it up in Week 5
— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2025
- 7 Receptions
- 163 receiving yards
- 1 TD pic.twitter.com/kkwJEenl3S
Five games into the season, Egbuka is off to one of the best starts in NFL history for a rookie wide receiver. He’s the first player in league history to have 25 or more catches, 400 or more receiving yards and five or more touchdowns in his first five NFL games.
Only one player in the NFL (Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) has more touchdown catches (six) than Egbuka’s five through the first five weeks of the season. He ranks fourth in the NFL with 445 receiving yards and fifth in the league in average yards per reception (17.8) among players averaging multiple catches per game.
While Egbuka helped lead the Buccaneers to victory, Smith-Njigba was also excellent for the opposing offense, catching eight passes for a season-high 132 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown and a 52-yard deep grab.
JSN before halftime!
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
TBvsSEA on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/88pFE6XxeS
JAXON
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
SMITH
NJIGBA
TBvsSEA on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/GL08Ze6J4N
Smith-Njigba’s third 100-yard game of the year brought him to a season total of 534 yards, the second-most in the league behind only Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua. He’s the first player in Seahawks history to have more than 500 receiving yards five games into the season.
Per Pro Football Focus, Smith-Njigba also leads the NFL with a whopping 4.14 yards per route run; Nacua (3.59) is the only other NFL wide receiver with more than 10 targets this season with more than three yards per route run.
.@OhioStateFB teammates @jaxon_smith1 and @EgbukaEmeka gave us a show on Sunday. @insidetheNFL Week 5 Mic'd Up on X pic.twitter.com/dgWdsmoT43
— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2025
A big day for Zone 6
Egbuka and Smith-Njigba weren’t the only former Ohio State wide receivers to make big plays around the NFL in Week 5.
Marvin Harrison Jr., coming off a strong finish to a roller-coaster game in Week 4, built more momentum for himself with four catches for a season-high 98 yards, including a 43-yard catch on which he outleaped two Tennessee Titans defensive backs to come down with a jump-ball grab just in front of the end zone.
What a play pic.twitter.com/JPFdAKWRKe
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 5, 2025
Garrett Wilson caught his fourth touchdown pass of the season as part of a 10-catch, 71-yard day against the Dallas Cowboys. In the process, Wilson moved into 10th on the New York Jets’ all-time leaderboard with 312 career receptions in just his fourth NFL season.
G5 stretches out for the TD
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 5, 2025
: #DALvsNYJ on FOX pic.twitter.com/slx2soTV3a
Curtis Samuel scored his first touchdown of the season on a 6-yard catch as he had two receptions for 26 yards and three kickoff returns for 84 yards in the Buffalo Bills’ loss to the New England Patriots.
17 1.#NEvsBUF on NBC pic.twitter.com/v9J0Cu9CIc
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 6, 2025
Chris Olave caught seven passes for a season-high 59 yards to help lead the New Orleans Saints to their first win of the season, a 26-14 victory over the New York Giants.
The collective performance of Ohio State’s NFL receivers on Sunday caught the attention of Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, who was all of their position coach at Ohio State except for Samuel.
So howd the boys in the League do today?#Buckeyes
— Brian Hartline (@brianhartline) October 6, 2025
Judkins runs for 110 in London
Quinshon Judkins had the first 100-yard rushing game of his NFL career as he ran for 110 yards on 23 carries, including a 32-yard run, against the Minnesota Vikings.
Quinshon Judkins rips off a big run, and the Browns are in the red zone.
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
MINvsCLE on @nflnetwork
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/2JnjSdT0EH
Judkins has now rushed for 347 yards and two touchdowns on 72 carries, enough to rank ninth in the NFL this season in rushing yards. He’s just two yards behind rookie rushing leader Ashton Jeanty even though Jeanty has played five games while Judkins has played only four.
The former Ohio State running back also had an 18-yard catch against the Vikings. In the end, however, his efforts weren’t quite enough to get the Cleveland Browns a win across the pond, as they fell to 1-4 on the season with a 21-17 loss.
Former Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah sealed the win for the Vikings with a clutch tackle on Browns receiver Jamari Thrash that prevented him from getting out of bounds before the clock hit zeroes on the game’s final play.
Jeff Okudah makes a clutch tackle inbounds and that's where the game ends.
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
VIKINGS WIN IT. @NFLUKIRE
MINvsCLE on @nflnetwork
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ZpeuByiNj3
Quick Hits
- J.K. Dobbins scored his fourth touchdown of the season as he ran for 79 yards on 20 carries to help lead the Denver Broncos to a 21-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, handing the defending Super Bowl champions their first loss of the season.
.@Jkdobbins22 in for 6
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 5, 2025
: @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/KMBOE5o6hS
- Justin Fields completed 32 of 46 passing attempts for 283 yards and two touchdowns – all season-highs – in the Jets’ loss to the Cowboys.
- Jeremy Ruckert caught a career-high four passes for 28 yards in the Jets’ loss.
- Baron Browning and Dre’Mont Jones both recovered fumbles in the Titans’ win over the Cardinals.
WE SEE YOU 5 pic.twitter.com/ACItzWEMGc
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 5, 2025
Finders keepers
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) October 5, 2025
: #TENvsAZ on @NFLonCBS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/y5MM8tGsA9
- Marshon Lattimore made his first fumble recovery since 2021 in the Washington Commanders’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Quan forces the fumble
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 5, 2025
#WASvsLAC FOX pic.twitter.com/EKimX1zc9u
- Ronnie Hickman made a career-high 10 tackles in the Browns’ loss to the Vikings.
Week 5 Stats
Week 5 and season stats for every Buckeye around the NFL can be found in the table below compiled by Eleven Warriors researcher Matt Gutridge. The table only includes players who have been on an active roster for at least one game this season and who finished their college careers at Ohio State.
| PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM | WEEK 5 STATS | SEASON STATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEROME BAKER | LB | BROWNS | 1 tackle | 10 tackles |
| JOEY BOSA | DE | BILLS | 1 tackle | 9 tackles, 2 sacks (15 yards), 2 TFL, 4 QB hits, 4 FF |
| NICK BOSA | DE | 49ERS | Injured reserve (knee) | 17 tackles, 2 sacks (9 yards), 4 TFL, 2 QB hits, 2 FF, 1 FR |
| NOAH BROWN | WR | COMMANDERS | Inactive | 3 catches, 36 yards |
| BARON BROWNING | LB | CARDINALS | 2 tackles, 1 QB hit, 1 FR | 9 tackles, 1 sack (6 yards), 1 TFL, 3 QB hits, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FR |
| DENZEL BURKE | CB | CARDINALS | 1 tackle | 7 tackles, 3 PD |
| JONATHON COOPER | LB | BRONCOS | 1 tackle, 1 PD | 13 tackles, 2.5 sacks (16 yards), 2 TFL, 3 QB hits, 2 PD |
| TAYLOR DECKER | OT | LIONS | Inactive | 4 starts at LT |
| J.K. DOBBINS | RB | BRONCOS | 20 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 5 yards | 77 carries, 402 yards, 4 TD; 6 catches, 23 yards |
| EMEKA EGBUKA | WR | BUCCANEERS | 7 catches, 163 yards, 1 TD | 25 catches, 445 yards, 5 TD; 2 carries, 9 yards |
| TOMMY EICHENBERG | LB | RAIDERS | Played on special teams | 6 tackles |
| LUKE FARRELL | TE | 49ERS | 1 catch, 8 yards | 6 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD |
| JUSTIN FIELDS | QB | JETS | 32/46, 283 yards, 2 TD; 7 carries, 26 yards | 71/106, 754 yards, 4 TD; 31 carries, 198 yards, 3 TD |
| JOSH FRYAR | OL | CARDINALS | Inactive | 4 games played |
| JORDAN FULLER | S | FALCONS | Injured reserve (knee) | 1 start at safety |
| MIKE HALL JR. | DT | BROWNS | Inactive | Inactive |
| DAVON HAMILTON | DT | JAGUARS | 4 tackles | 12 tackles, 1 QB hit |
| TY HAMILTON | DT | RAMS | 1 tackle | 4 tackles |
| JORDAN HANCOCK | S | BILLS | Inactive | 1 tackle |
| MALIK HARRISON | LB | STEELERS | Injured reserve (knee) | 1 game played |
| ZACH HARRISON | DL | FALCONS | Bye | 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks (13.5 yards), 2 TFL, 3 QB hits, 1 FF |
| MARVIN HARRISON JR. | WR | CARDINALS | 4 catches, 98 yards | 20 catches, 305 yards, 2 TD |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON | RB | PATRIOTS | 6 carries, 24 yards; 2 catches, 3 yards; 1 KR, 23 yards | 32 carries, 121 yards, 1 TD; 15 catches, 90 yards; 7 KR, 154 yards |
| CAMERON HEYWARD | DT | STEELERS | Bye | 14 tackles, 1 sack (0 yards), 1 TFL, 2 QB hits, 3 PD, 1 FF |
| RONNIE HICKMAN | S | BROWNS | 10 tackles | 32 tackles, 1 PD |
| MALIK HOOKER | S | COWBOYS | Injured reserve (toe) | 20 tackles |
| DONOVAN JACKSON | OL | VIKINGS | Inactive | 3 starts at LG |
| JONAH JACKSON | OG | BEARS | Bye | 4 starts at RG |
| PARIS JOHNSON JR. | OL | CARDINALS | Started at LT | 4 starts at LT |
| CAMERON JOHNSTON | P | BILLS | Injured reserve (knee) | 7 punts, 44.0 average, 2 inside 20 |
| DAWAND JONES | OT | BROWNS | Injured reserve (knee) | 2 starts at LT, 1 start at RT |
| DRE'MONT JONES | DE | TITANS | 3 tackles, 1 FR | 12 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FR |
| MICHAEL JORDAN | LG | BUCCANEERS | Practice squad | 2 starts at LG |
| QUINSHON JUDKINS | RB | BROWNS | 23 carries, 110 yards; 1 catch, 18 yards | 72 carries, 347 yards, 2 TD; 9 catches, 62 yards |
| MARSHON LATTIMORE | CB | COMMANDERS | 2 tackles, 1 FR | 18 tackles, 1 TFL, 3 PD, 1 FR |
| TYQUAN LEWIS | DT | COLTS | 2 tackles, 1 sack (11 yards) | 6 tackles, 3 sacks (18 yards), 4 TFL, 3 QB hits, 1 PD |
| LIAM McCULLOUGH | LS | FALCONS | Bye | 4 games played at LS |
| TERRY McLAURIN | WR | COMMANDERS | Inactive | 10 catches, 149 yards |
| THAYER MUNFORD | OT | BROWNS | Inactive | Inactive |
| JOSH MYERS | C | JETS | Started at C | 5 starts at C |
| JEFF OKUDAH | CB | VIKINGS | 3 tackles | 9 tackles, 1 FR |
| CHRIS OLAVE | WR | SAINTS | 7 catches, 59 yards | 33 catches, 244 yards, 1 TD, 0/1 passing, 1 INT |
| LATHAN RANSOM | S | PANTHERS | 5 tackles | 17 tackles, 1 FF |
| JEREMY RUCKERT | TE | JETS | 4 catches, 28 yards | 8 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD |
| CURTIS SAMUEL | WR | BILLS | 2 catches, 26 yards, 1 TD; 3 KR, 84 yards | 3 catches, 35 yards, 1 TD; 6 KR, 166 yards |
| JACK SAWYER | LB | STEELERS | Bye | 12 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 2 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 PD |
| JOSH SIMMONS | OT | CHIEFS | Started at LT | 5 starts at LT |
| CODY SIMON | LB | CARDINALS | Played on special teams | 4 tackles |
| JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA | WR | SEAHAWKS | 8 catches, 132 yards, 1 TD | 34 catches, 534 yards, 2 TD; 3 carries, 11 yards |
| CADE STOVER | TE | TEXANS | Injured reserve (foot) | 4 catches, 22 yards |
| C.J. STROUD | QB | TEXANS | 23/27, 244 yards, 4 TD; 1 carry, 30 yards | 102/144, 1,076 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT; 18 carries, 122 yards |
| TOMMY TOGIAI | DT | TEXANS | 3 tackles | 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD |
| JT TUIMOLOAU | DE | COLTS | 1 tackle | 2 tackles |
| DENZEL WARD | CB | BROWNS | 3 tackles, 1 PD | 13 tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD |
| PETE WERNER | LB | SAINTS | 11 tackles, 1 QB hit | 41 tackles, 1 sack (0 yards), 1 TFL, 2 QB hits, 2 PD, 1 FR |
| TYLEIK WILLIAMS | DL | LIONS | 1 PD | 2 tackles, 3 PD |
| GARRETT WILSON | WR | JETS | 6 catches, 71 yards, 1 TD | 33 catches, 382 yards, 4 TD |
| LUKE WYPLER | C | BROWNS | Played on special teams | 5 games played |
| CHASE YOUNG | DE | SAINTS | Inactive | Inactive |
