Buckeyes star receiver Garrett Wilson unavailable against Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. — The first breakout moment for Garrett Wilson with Ohio State happened at Nebraska two years ago.
The superstar wide receiver won’t have a chance at an encore on Saturday afternoon.
The Buckeyes officially ruled out their leader in catches and receiving yardage shortly before kickoff on the road in a key Big Ten showdown with Nebraska. The program didn’t provide any specifics of the injury, but multiple sources with direct knowledge indicated Wilson had been dealing with concussion-like symptoms after taking several vicious shots last week against Penn State.
Ohio State has more five-star talents waiting in the wings. And the expectation is that Wilson will be replaced in the starting lineup by Julian Fleming — who has been dealing with his own injury issues but appears to be finally healthy.
“I’m sure at times, it’s been pretty hard [for Fleming] with how competitive he is,” Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline said. “I think he’s feeling a lot better now. And we’ll see what this week holds. But he had a great camp, and you could see everything going for him.
“He comes back now and he’s feeling better. He’s been good and making a couple plays [at practice] and we all just kind of look around at each other like: Did everyone see that? We’ll just keep progressing, and I think we will be in a good spot.”
The Buckeyes would obviously be in a better one with Garrett Wilson available, and his status moving forward will bear monitoring for the reigning Big Ten champions. The issue is not expected to be a long-term absence, but it’s definitely going to last at least one game in a place where he first started shining as a freshman.
Garrett Wilson is the headliner on the Ohio State availability report, but he’s not alone. The full list of Buckeyes ruled out is below, making note that the program doesn’t designate injury or disciplinary details.
Ohio State Game-Time Decisions
- None
Unavailable Buckeyes
- WR Kamryn Babb
- RB Marcus Crowley
- DB Jantzen Dunn
- DE Tyler Friday
- DL Darrion Henry-Young
- DB Jakailin Johnson
- DB Jaylen Johnson
- DT Jaden McKenzie
- LB Mitchell Melton
- OL Harry Miller
- DL Noah Potter
- DB Josh Proctor
- WR Garrett Wilson
- QB Jack Miller
