Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate injury updates: Ryan Day reveals latest on where Ohio State WRs stand

Ohio State WRs Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are two of the best receivers in the country, let alone the two best for the Buckeyes. However, both of them are currently entering this game week with unknown statuses due to injury.

Ryan Day addressed the health of Smith and Tate to start his press conference on Tuesday. He disclosed very little, though, as is their usual approach, while referencing that they’ll eventually update things on the Big Ten Availability Report.

“Yeah, you know, our policy is that we just, we don’t discuss specifics on injuries, and then, once you start going down a little bit here, a little bit there, you know, you can create a problem,” Day said. “And so, for a number of reasons, we don’t discuss those things.

“You know, we put out the report the day of the game.”

That said, Day did note that both receivers are doing well, and that they’re continuing to be evaluated by their medical staff in Columbus. That has them both currently labeled as day-to-day entering this week ahead of their home finale against Rutgers on Saturday.

“I can tell you that, you know, they’re in great spirits. You know, the medical staff is working hard. We’ll, you know, take it day-to-day and see how they come in each day,” said Day. “But, they’re working hard to get back on the field. And, you know, just so you understand, like, we check in every day, we take the advice of the medical staff and use their feedback, and we go from there. So, we’ll continue to do that.”

Tate has not played in the past two games against Purdue, being a late scratch after pregame warmups against the Boilermakers, or UCLA. Smith then hasn’t missed a game this season, but did leave with some concern during Saturday night’s win over the Bruins after entering the matchup as questionable on the Big Ten Availability Report. Neither issue has been specified on the receivers, but it’s enough to still have them as a question for this week going into their next matchup, in the penultimate game of the season, against the Scarlet Knights.

Together, Smith and Tate have combined for 108 catches for 1,613 yards and 17 touchdowns, with them accounting for 45.7% of the offense’s receptions, 57.5% of their receiving yardage, and 65.4% of their reception scores this season, powering one of the best passing offenses in the country, for Ohio State. Smith is on pace to surpass his freshman statistics with a sensational season as a sophomore, being in contention for the Heisman Trophy, with 69 catches for 902 yards, averaging 90.2 per game and 13.1 per reception, and 10 touchdowns. Tate is then also having a career-best year as a junior with 39 catches for 711 yards, posting 88.9 per game and 18.2 per reception, and seven touchdowns.

More should be known later in the week, and certainly so before kickoff this weekend, on Smith and Tate. But, it still sounds as though there’s a chance that Ohio State could be without both of their top-two targets in their final game of the season inside The ‘Shoe.