Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he does not have long-term concerns about the health of wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.
Smith saw limited snaps in the Buckeyes’ 48-10 win over UCLA on Nov. 15 due to what Day described as a “little bit of a nagging issue.”
“We want to make sure that we’re being really smart with him,” Day said, “as we know what’s coming down the road.”
It was the second straight game the Buckeyes held out Tate for an unspecified injury. He also did not appear in the previous week’s win at Purdue after suffering a setback in warmups.
Tate was not in uniform against the Bruins as he was against the Boilermakers. He stood on the sideline in street clothes.
Day suggested they were playing it safe with their star receivers ahead of the stretch run. The Buckeyes host Rutgers on Nov. 22 before they visit archrival Michigan during the final weekend of the regular season.
Smith, who was listed as questionable on a pregame availability report, ended up playing 22 snaps, the fewest in a game in either of his two seasons with the Buckeyes, according to Pro Football Focus.
Despite that, Smith had his moments. He caught four passes for 40 yards, including making a one-handed catch on the Buckeyes’ opening drive.
But he did not appear to be at full strength and was seen moving gingerly along the sideline at Ohio Stadium after he was shut down late in the second quarter.
Day thought the reduced workload would ultimately help Smith.
“We were going to make sure that he’s 100% for the next week,” Day said.
The injuries resulted in the Buckeyes going deeper into their rotation at wide receiver, resulting in larger roles for backups Mylan Graham, Quincy Porter and Bryson Rodgers.
“It gave us an opportunity to play some younger guys,” Day said.
During the second quarter, Rodgers caught an 11-yard touchdown from quarterback Julian Sayin, the first of Rodgers’ career at Ohio State.
Brandon Inniss, the starting slot receiver, was also a reliable target. He caught six passes for 30 yards, and he had four receptions on third and fourth down, helping the Buckeyes to move the chains.
“Carnell and Jeremiah are special players,” Sayin said. “They’re elite receivers. But we have a great receiver room and those guys stepped up tonight.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow along on Bluesky, Instagram and X for more.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ryan Day says he has no long-term concerns over health of Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate
Reporting by Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
