Across The Shield: Chris Olave Has Career Game, Lathan Ransom Makes A Game-Sealing Interception and Quinshon Judkins Suffers Season-Ending Injury

By Dan Hope and Matt Gutridge on December 23, 2025 at 7:35 am
Chris Olave scoring a touchdown vs. the Jets
Matthew Hinton – Imagn Images
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A career day for Chris Olave and a game-sealing interception by Lathan Ransom highlighted Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season for former Ohio State players.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chase Young, Dre’Mont Jones and Jack Sawyer were among the other Buckeyes who came up with big plays for their NFL teams in Week 16. On a more somber note, Quinshon Judkins suffered a serious leg injury that ended his rookie season prematurely.

We recap all of their weeks and more highlights from the week that was for NFL Buckeyes in Across The Shield, Eleven Warriors’ weekly look at how former Ohio State players are performing throughout the league.

Olave has career game

Chris Olave set a new career-high in receiving yards while tying his career-highs in receptions and receiving touchdowns in the New Orleans Saints’ 29-6 win over the New York Jets on Sunday.

Olave caught 10 passes for 148 yards, including touchdown catches of 23 and 38 yards, to lead the Saints to the decisive victory, their third straight win.

With Sunday’s big game, Olave has now caught a career-high 92 passes for 1,044 yards – his third 1,000-yard season in four NFL campaigns – and a career-high eight touchdowns. It’s been a bounceback year for Ohio State’s all-time receiving touchdowns leader, who said after Sunday’s win that he contemplated retirement last year after suffering a concussion that sidelined him for the final eight games of the Saints’ 2024 season.

But while his career looked like it could be in jeopardy at this time a year ago, Olave has now reestablished himself among the NFL’s top receivers.

“It’s been a great year,” Olave said Sunday. “Through all the ups and downs, I just kept focused … all I can do is thank God in this situation. I’m super grateful.”

He finished Week 16 with the second-most receptions and receiving yards of any NFL player, while tying for the most receiving touchdowns, and earned our Pro Buck of the Week award as Ohio State’s top NFL player of the week.

Pro Bucks of the Week
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
6 Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba 8 catches, 162 yards, 1 TD
7 Browns RB Quinshon Judkins 25 carries, 84 yards, 3 TD
8 Texans QB C.J. Stroud 30/39, 318 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 7 carries, 30 yards
9 Cardinals CB Denzel Burke 7 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD
10 Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson 14 carries, 147 yards, 2 TD; 1 catch, 3 yards
11 Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson 19 carries, 62 yards, 2 TD; 5 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD
12 Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba 8 catches, 167 yards, 2 TD; 1 carry, 4 yards
13 Panthers S Lathan Ransom 11 tackles, 1 sack
14 Texans DT Tommy Togiai 10 tackles, 1 sack, 2 QB hits
15 Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson 14 carries, 148 yards, 2 TD; 2 catches, 13 yards
16 Saints WR Chris Olave 10 catches, 148 yards, 2 TD

Ransom makes game-sealing pick

One week after he committed a game-losing unnecessary roughness penalty that set up the difference-making field goal in the Saints’ Week 15 win over the Carolina Panthers, Lathan Ransom redeemed himself with a game-winning play in Week 16.

With the Panthers holding a 23-20 lead and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers driving to try to tie or win the game in the final minute of regulation, Ransom made a diving interception on an errant pass by Baker Mayfield to seal a victory for Carolina.

Ransom’s first NFL interception couldn’t have come in a bigger game or moment for the Panthers, who took a one-game lead over the Buccaneers in the NFC South race with two weeks to play in the season. 

JSN comes through in the clutch

Jaxon Smith-Njigba got off to an uncharacteristically quiet start on Thursday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams, but he came through in a big way when the Seattle Seahawks needed him most.

The NFL’s receiving yards leader was held without a single catch in the first half, and his league lead shrunk to 45 yards by the end of the night as Rams receiver Puka Nucua caught 12 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns. But Smith-Njigba still finished the game with eight catches for 96 yards, highlighted by a 4-yard touchdown catch at the back of the end zone with the Seahawks needing to score in overtime.

The Seahawks followed that touchdown up with a successful two-point conversion pass from Sam Darnold to tight end Eric Saubert – who was left wide open by the Rams defense thanks to Smith-Njigba drawing double coverage.

Smith-Njigba has now caught 104 passes for 1,637 yards – both Seahawks franchise records – with 10 touchdowns this season.

With a long weekend following the Seahawks’ Thursday night game, Smith-Njigba celebrated the win by visiting patients at a local hospital.

Young makes two big plays

Chris Olave wasn’t the only former Buckeye to shine for the Saints in their win over the Jets. Chase Young made a pair of big plays in the fourth quarter that got the Saints the ball back in Jets territory and led to points for New Orleans.

First, Young recovered a fumble on a strip sack by fellow Saints defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd. The fumble recovery at the Jets’ 46-yard line led to a field goal that gave the Saints a 19-6 lead.

Two drives later, Young made a fourth-down sack for a 14-yard loss against Jets quarterback Brady Cook, giving the Saints the ball back at the Jets’ 44-yard line – leading to Taysom Hill’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Olave three years later.

Young has now recorded seven sacks and two fumble recoveries in just 10 games this season.

Dre’Mont makes two big plays, too

Like Young, Dre’Mont Jones also recorded his seventh sack and second fumble recovery of the season in Week 16.

First, Jones chased New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye down from behind for a sack, leading to New England having to settle for a field goal.

On the Patriots’ next drive, Jones scooped up a fumble forced by his Ravens teammate Ar’Darius Washington.

Jones had two total tackles and two quarterback hits in the game. Despite his efforts, the Patriots defeated the Ravens, 28-24.

Judkins suffers season-ending injury

Quinshon Judkins’ first NFL season ended in unfortunate fashion on Sunday.

Late in the first half of the Cleveland Browns’ game against the Buffalo Bills, Judkins was carted off the field after taking a direct hit to his leg after catching a screen pass. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters after the game that Judkins both fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle on the play, injuries that will require season-ending surgery.

Judkins was one of the NFL’s best rookie running backs this season, running for 827 yards and seven touchdowns on 230 carries and adding 26 catches for 171 yards in 14 games. While the injury was gruesome, the expectation is that he’ll be back on the field in plenty of time for his second NFL season as long as there are no unexpected setbacks in his recovery.

Ruckert signs extension with Jets

One week after signing former Ohio State center Josh Myers to a two-year contract extension, the New York Jets did the same with former Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert, inking their 2022 third-round draft pick to a deal worth $10 million with a maximum value of $11 million over two years.

Ruckert, a lifelong Jets fan from Lindenhurst, New York, told reporters after signing the extension that it was “the ultimate blessing” to know he would be staying with his favorite team for at least two more years.

"People might think it gets old, but I live a dream every day. I get to put this uniform on of the team I used to sit in the stands and watch,” Ruckert said Wednesday. “So I never take it lightly. I play every single snap with that sense of pride and passion, because I’m just living the dream."

In his fourth NFL season, Ruckert has caught 22 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown while making 12 starts, all career-highs.

Wilson ruled out for season

While it was a good week for one of the Jets’ 2022 draft picks for Ohio State, it was a season-ending week for Garrett Wilson, as Jets coach Aaron Glenn announced Friday that the fourth-year wide receiver will not return to action this season.

Just 3-11 on the season and eliminated from playoff contention, the Jets decided to keep Wilson on injured reserve for the rest of the year as he continues his recovery from a knee sprain that he suffered in Week 11.

“He's doing really, really well as far as his rehab," Glenn said. “We just want to be smart with him because he's a key cog of what we're doing here, and to be able to get him back in the offseason program fully healthy, ready to go, we feel like that was the best decision for all of us.”

Wilson, who topped 1,000 receiving yards in all of his first three NFL seasons, will finish the 2025 season with only 36 catches for 395 yards and four touchdowns. Wilson played in just eight games this season, as he was also sidelined by an injury to the same knee for two games in October before reinjuring his knee in November.

Sawyer shines in first start

With T.J. Watt sidelined for a second straight week after suffering a lung injury, Jack Sawyer made the first start of his NFL career and had a productive game in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions.

The former Ohio State defensive end – who had a little extra motivation to earn a win in the state up north after going 0-4 against Michigan during his Buckeye career – recorded five tackles, including a 2nd-and-goal tackle for loss on the Lions’ star running back, Jahmyr Gibbs, that led to a first-quarter turnover on downs in the red zone.

Sawyer also recorded two quarterback hits for the Steelers. Fellow former Ohio State defensive lineman Cameron Heyward had four tackles with two quarterback hits of his own for the Steelers, including a sack, marking the first time this season that he’s recorded sacks in back-to-back games.

Ewers makes first NFL start

Sawyer’s freshman-year roommate at Ohio State also made his first NFL start on Sunday.

In a battle of former Ohio State quarterbacks who transferred elsewhere to finish their college careers, Quinn Ewers made his first start for the Miami Dolphins against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ewers, who the Dolphins selected in the seventh round of this year’s NFL draft after three seasons at Texas, completed 20 of 30 passes for 260 yards and two interceptions in his first game as the starter following Tua Tagovailoa’s benching. He was outdueled by Burrow, who completed 25 of 32 passing attempts for 309 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Bengals to a 45-21 victory.

Quick Hits

  • Joey Bosa, who’s been a turnover-forcing machine this season with a league-leading five forced fumbles, created another takeaway on Sunday, tipping a pass by Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders to set up an interception for fellow Bills defensive lineman DaQuan Jones.
  • Denzel Burke made a diving interception against Kirk Cousins for the third interception of his rookie season in the Arizona Cardinals’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
  • C.J. Stroud completed 23 of 35 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown to lead the Houston Texans to a 23-21 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, their seventh straight win.
  • Tommy Togiai had seven tackles in the Texans’ win over the Raiders.
  • Terry McLaurin hauled in a 40-yard deep ball as part of a three-catch, 53-yard day in the Washington Commanders’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Emeka Egbuka hauled in a 40-yard deep ball for his only catch of Week 16, still enough to be the Buccaneers’ leader in receiving yards in their loss to the Panthers.
  • Thayer Munford made a vicious pancake block on Baltimore Ravens linebacker Mike Green while playing as a sixth offensive lineman for the New England Patriots. He saw action at right tackle later in the first half before leaving the game with a knee injury.
  • The Kansas City Chiefs signed former Ohio State defensive back Tanner McCalister to their practice squad.
  • The Washington Commanders signed former Ohio State tight end Gee Scott Jr. to their practice squad.
  • Former Ohio State and NFL wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. was named the head coach of the UFL’s Columbus Aviators on Wednesday.

Week 16 Stats

Week 16 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.

Buckeyes Around the NFL
PLAYER POSITION TEAM WEEK 16 STATS SEASON STATS
ELI APPLE CB 49ERS 1 tackle 1 tackle
DAMON ARNETTE CB TEXANS Practice squad 3 tackles
JEROME BAKER LB BROWNS 2 tackles 30 tackles, 1.5 sacks (11.5 yards), 2 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 FF
JOEY BOSA DE BILLS 1 tackle, 1 PD 27 tackles, 5 sacks (40 yards), 8 TFL, 16 QB hits, 2 PD, 5 FF
NICK BOSA DE 49ERS Injured reserve (knee) 17 tackles, 2 sacks (9 yards), 4 TFL, 3 QB hits, 2 FF, 1 FR
NOAH BROWN WR COMMANDERS Injured reserve (ribs) 5 catches, 83 yards
BARON BROWNING LB CARDINALS 3 tackles 32 tackles, 2 sacks (13 yards), 4 TFL, 5 QB hits, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FR
DENZEL BURKE CB CARDINALS 2 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD 37 tackles, 1 TFL, 3 INT, 9 PD
PARRIS CAMPBELL WR COWBOYS Practice squad 1 tackle
JONATHON COOPER LB BRONCOS 2 tackles, 2 QB hits 46 tackles, 8 sacks (59.0 yards), 8 TFL, 13 QB hits, 4 PD
TAYLOR DECKER OT LIONS Started at LT 13 starts at LT
J.K. DOBBINS RB BRONCOS Injured reserve (foot) 153 carries, 772 yards, 4 TD; 11 catches, 37 yards
EMEKA EGBUKA WR BUCCANEERS 1 catch, 40 yards 59 catches, 910 yards, 6 TD; 2 carries, 9 yards
TOMMY EICHENBERG LB RAIDERS 2 tackles 25 tackles, 1 TFL
LUKE FARRELL TE 49ERS 1 FR 11 catches, 85 yards, 2 TD; 2 tackles, 1 FR
JUSTIN FIELDS QB JETS Inactive 128/204, 1,259 yards, 7 TD, 1 INT; 71 carries, 383 yards, 4 TD
JOSH FRYAR OL CARDINALS Started at LT 10 games played; 3 starts at OL
JORDAN FULLER S FALCONS Practice squad 2 tackles
MIKE HALL JR. DT BROWNS Inactive 9 tackles, 1.5 sack (13 yards), 2 TFL, 4 QB hits
DAVON HAMILTON DT JAGUARS 1 tackle 33 tackles, 1 sack (7 yards), 3 TFL, 3 QB hits
TY HAMILTON DT RAMS 1 tackle 9 tackles, 1 QB hit
JORDAN HANCOCK S BILLS 3 tackles 17 tackles
MALIK HARRISON LB STEELERS Started at LB 32 tackles, 1 TFL
ZACH HARRISON DL FALCONS Injured reserve (knee) 22 tackles, 4.5 sacks (16.5 yards), 5 TFL, 5 QB hits, 2 FF, 1 PD
MARVIN HARRISON JR. WR CARDINALS 1 catch, 14 yards 41 catches, 608 yards, 4 TD
TREVEYON HENDERSON RB PATRIOTS 3 carries, 6 yards; 1 catch, 9 yards 146 carries, 779 yards, 7 TD; 35 catches, 221 yards, 1 TD; 9 KR, 209 yards
CAMERON HEYWARD DT STEELERS 4 tackles, 1 sack (5 yards), 1 TFL, 2 QB hits 66 tackles, 3.5 sacks (16 yards), 8 TFL, 8 QB hits, 6 PD, 1 FF
RONNIE HICKMAN S BROWNS 6 tackles 96 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 5 PD
JALYN HOLMES DE COMMANDERS 1 tackle 16 tackles, 1 QB hit
MALIK HOOKER S COWBOYS 7 tackles, 1 TFL 45 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 PD
WILL HOWARD QB STEELERS Inactive  
DONOVAN JACKSON OL VIKINGS Started at LG 12 starts at LG
JONAH JACKSON OG BEARS Started at RG 15 starts at RG
PARIS JOHNSON JR. OL CARDINALS Inactive 12 starts at LT
CAMERON JOHNSTON P GIANTS Released 11 punts, 44.5 average, 2 inside 20
DAWAND JONES OT BROWNS Injured reserve (knee) 2 starts at LT, 1 start at RT
DRE'MONT JONES DE RAVENS 2 tackles, 1 sack (3 yards), 2 QB hits, 1 FR 37 tackles, 7 sacks (42 yards), 7 TFL, 23 QB hits, 1 PD, 2 FR
MICHAEL JORDAN LG BUCCANEERS Started at LG 7 starts at LG, 9 games played
QUINSHON JUDKINS RB BROWNS 8 carries, 22 yards; 5 catches, 29 yards 230 carries, 827 yards, 7 TD; 26 catches, 171 yards
MARSHON LATTIMORE CB COMMANDERS Injured reserve (knee) 27 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 7 PD, 1 FR
TYQUAN LEWIS DT COLTS 1 tackle 10 tackles, 3 sacks (18 yards), 4 TFL, 4 QB hits, 1 PD
LIAM McCULLOUGH LS FALCONS Played at LS 15 games played at LS; 1 tackle
TERRY McLAURIN WR COMMANDERS 3 catches, 53 yards 29 catches, 462 yards, 3 TD, 1 tackle
JAKE McQUAIDE LS RAMS Played at LS 7 games played at LS
THAYER MUNFORD OT PATRIOTS Played at OT 3 games played
JOSH MYERS C JETS Started at C 15 starts at C
JEFF OKUDAH CB VIKINGS Injured reserve (concussion) 14 tackles, 1 FR
CHRIS OLAVE WR SAINTS 10 catches, 148 yards, 2 TD 92 catches, 1,044 yards, 8 TD; 1 carry, -3 yards; 0/1 passing, 1 INT
LATHAN RANSOM S PANTHERS 1 tackle, 1 INT 49 tackles, 1 sack (8 yards), 2 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FF
JEREMY RUCKERT TE JETS 2 catches, 14 yards 22 catches, 177 yards, 1 TD
CURTIS SAMUEL WR BILLS Injured reserve (elbow, knee) 7 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD; 9 KR, 223 yards; 1 tackle
JACK SAWYER LB STEELERS 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 QB hits 31 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 3 TFL, 6 QB hits, 1 INT, 3 PD
TREY SERMON RB STEELERS Practice squad 1 tackle
KENDALL SHEFFIELD CB DOLPHINS Practice squad 1 tackle
JOSH SIMMONS OT CHIEFS Injured reserve (wrist) 8 starts at LT
CODY SIMON LB CARDINALS 7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD 53 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 PD, 1 FF
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA WR SEAHAWKS 8 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD 104 catches, 1,637 yards, 10 TD; 7 carries, 36 yards
CADE STOVER TE TEXANS 2 catches, 7 yards 11 catches, 67 yards; 4 carries, 3 yards
C.J. STROUD QB TEXANS 23/35, 187 yards, 1 TD; 4 carries, 0 yards 243/372, 2,628 yards, 16 TD, 6 INT; 42 carries, 204 yards
TOMMY TOGIAI DT TEXANS 7 tackles 51 tackles, 1.5 sacks (13.5 yards), 5 TFL, 5 QB hits, 3 PD
JT TUIMOLOAU DE COLTS Played on special teams 16 tackles, 1 TFL, 6 QB hits
NICK VANNETT TE RAMS Played on special teams 1 start, 9 games played
DENZEL WARD CB BROWNS Inactive 38 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 8 PD
PETE WERNER LB SAINTS 2 tackles 74 tackles, 2 sacks (1 yard), 4 TFL, 3 QB hits, 5 PD, 3 FR
TYLEIK WILLIAMS DT LIONS Played at DL 16 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 QB hits, 3 PD
GARRETT WILSON WR JETS Injured reserve (knee) 36 catches, 395 yards, 4 TD
LUKE WYPLER C BROWNS Started at C, 1 tackle 2 starts at C, 1 start at T, 15 games played, 1 tackle
CHASE YOUNG DE SAINTS 2 tackles, 1 sack (14 yards), 1 FR 28 tackles, 7 sacks (58.5 yards), 8 TFL, 11 QB hits, 3 PD, 1 FF, 2 FR
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