Carnell Tate, Jeremiah Smith injuries: Star wide receivers out for Rutgers game
COLUMBUS — Ohio State will be without both of its star wide receivers for the home finale against Rutgers on Saturday afternoon. Both Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will miss the game with undisclosed injuries.
Neither are feared to be long-term issues for the receivers, high-level sources with knowledge of the situation tell Lettermen Row.
It will be the third straight game missed by Carnell Tate, who warmed up with the team at Purdue on Nov. 1 but did not play in that game. He hasn’t suited up since, but he has been at Buckeyes practice. Tate has 39 grabs for 711 receiving yards and seven touchdowns so far this season, teaming up with Smith as the best wide receiver duo in college football.
After a career-high 10-catch performance in the win at Purdue two weeks ago, Jeremiah Smith only played three series last weekend, hauling in four catches for 40 yards in the blowout win over UCLA. Jeremiah Smith has 69 receptions for 902 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on the year.
Smith has never missed a game since arriving at Ohio State, starting in all 26 games of his career. He has 25 career touchdown receptions and is a Heisman Trophy candidate this season for the Buckeyes. With Smith out, the receiver depth will be tested — especially with Tate out. Look for Mylan Graham and Bryson Rodgers to have a much larger role in the offense this week. Of course, junior receiver Brandon Inniss is ready for action and could see a bigger target share. So could tight end Max Klare.
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Those wide receivers will be the compliment of weapons for quarterback Julian Sayin and this passing offense, which will face a Rutgers group that is one of the worst in the Big Ten against the pass.
Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will miss the home finale against Rutgers, leaving the Ohio State wide receiver room thin a week before The Game against Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The full availability report from the program is now confirmed, making note that Ohio State doesn’t detail injury or disciplinary matters.
Questionable for Ohio State
N/A
Out
DT Jarquez Carter
DE Logan George
SAF Malik Hartford
WR De’Zie Jones
QB/RB Mason Maggs
WR Quincy Porter
WR Jeremiah Smith
WR Carnell Tate
DT Maxwell Roy
DT Ahmen Tounkara