Latest on Ohio State approach to injuries, health updates

COLUMBUS — Now-former Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba tried to get back on the field last season after suffering a hamstring injury in the 2022 opener against Notre Dame. He tried to play two weeks later against Toledo and then five weeks after that against Iowa. He still wasn’t 100% and ended up not being able to play the rest of the year.

Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson fractured a sesamoid bone in his foot in that Week 3 matchup versus Toledo. He tried to play through the injury, but it just got worse — to the point where Henderson’s change of direction became significantly limited, and he couldn’t go in four of the final five games, including the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal.

This year, when Henderson got hurt at Notre Dame in Week 4 from what he called a “cheap shot,” Henderson and the Buckeyes were patient with his return. He sat out three games despite being available for all three of them.

Likewise, when wideout Emeka Egbuka went down with an ankle injury against Maryland in Week 5, he missed the next three games, even though he was technically available against Penn State and Wisconsin.

Most recently, the injury absence of tight end Cade Stover at Rutgers was another case of a Buckeyes player being “available” but still not playing.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was asked Tuesday if there’s been a philosophy shift in terms of how the Buckeyes are handling injuries because of the way last season went.

“I don’t think it really has much to do with last year. I think in the situations that you’re talking about, you’re talking about guys who will do anything to get back on the field,” Day said, in reference to Egbuka and Stover.

“I just think those are two very unique situations. And both guys are available and are just like, ‘Coach, I’m ready to go into the game.’ And we identify and say, ‘Yeah, you could probably in an emergency role. And you are available in case something happens. But you’re not at 100%.'”

Day continued: “So it’s the training staff’s job to make that decision. And then inform me, ‘Hey, listen, he’s not where he needs to be. If he needed to play 10-to-15-to-20 plays, he could do that. But certainly in the long run, it’d be better off if he didn’t.’ That’s the conversation. And so every situation is unique. That’s why I lean to the doctors, and I lean to the sports medicine folks that give me that advice.”

Day was then asked what circumstances call for a player who is fighting through an injury to play 10-20 snaps in a game. The score of the game? The opponent at hand?

“All of the above,” he said. “Every week, you’re trying to figure out, ‘OK, how do you win this game?’ And then, ‘How does it affect the rest of the season?’ And you do everything you possibly can to put your guys in that position. All of those things come into play.”

So, with that in mind, Lettermen Row has a roundup of Tuesday’s updates on notable Buckeyes who are currently nursing injuries.

CB Denzel Burke & S Lathan Ransom

What to know: Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke played the full game at Wisconsin and even delivered a critical third down pass breakup that set the stage for Ohio State’s game-sealing touchdown. The previous week, however, Burke missed the Penn State game. And the week before that, he left the Purdue game in the third quarter with injury. The junior has been one of the most improved Ohio State players this season. He’s also become a top Big Ten corner and emerged as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the best defensive back in the country. True freshman Jermaine Mathews Jr. has stepped up with Burke sidelined.

Strong safety Lathan Ransom left the Wisconsin game with an apparent non-contact leg injury. The senior was taken to the locker room by wheelchair and cart. He did, notably, return to the field on his own power later in the fourth quarter, except he didn’t play the rest of the night. In Ransom’s absence, Sonny Styles filled in at the “bandit,” or strong safety position. Styles occupied that high safety role at Rutgers and impressed, especially in run defense.

Day: “Yeah, I don’t I don’t know. I think we’re expecting Denzel to have a pretty good week of work here. Lathan, I think we’re probably going to continue to identify kind of where he’s at, maybe later in the week. But yeah, Denzel will be out there today.”

S Josh Proctor

What to know: Free safety Josh Proctor has had a resurgent sixth season at Ohio State. He’s been responsible for two of the Buckeyes’ four defensive touchdowns this year. This past weekend at Rutgers, where he graded out as a “champion,” his heads-up hit and deflection deep in Ohio State territory caused a game-changing, 93-yard pick-six. The highlight-reel play came with a price, unfortunately. Proctor remained on the field for a bit after Hancock scored, was checked out by trainers and — despite feeling well enough to return — sat out the rest of the day in concussion protocol. True freshman Malik Hartford filled in for Proctor at the “adjuster,” or free safety position.

Day: “I think he’s gonna be ready to roll here. We’ll keep looking at it. But tough player, tough player.”

LB Tommy Eichenberg

What to know: Ohio State linebacker Tommy Eichenberg is as tough as they come. He didn’t miss a game last season while he had two broken hands. But Eichenberg left this past weekend’s game at Rutgers with an apparent forearm/elbow injury. Eichenberg, a Butkus Award semifinalist, is leading the Buckeyes in tackling for the second year in a row. Fellow veteran Cody Simon would likely replace Eichenberg at the MIKE linebacker spot if Eichenberg can’t play.

Day: “Everyone this time of year is struggling. But yeah, I mean, I expect [Tommy] to be out there [at practice] today. And we’ll kind of see how the week goes.”

DC Jim Knowles: “I’m not concerned about Tom. I mean, Tom, he’d play with one arm if he had to. I know between the trainers, they’ll make the decision for him because he’ll play. If we let him play, he’ll play.”

QB Devin Brown

What to know: Ohio State backup quarterback Devin Brown missed the Wisconsin game with an ankle injury he suffered against Penn State the week prior. The Buckeyes had just started using the 6-foot-3, 213-pound dual threat in a red zone package. Day turned to Brown for three straight red zone trips at Purdue, the first of which he capped with a rushing touchdown. Those were his first meaningful snaps since Week 2 against FCS Youngstown State, the final chapter of his longstanding competition with Kyle McCord for the QB1 role. Brown was available this past weekend at Rutgers, but he didn’t play.

Day: “Hopefully will have a full week this week and be available. He was available on Saturday. So that was good. But another week of not playing certainly allows him to heal even more. So he’ll be getting close to 100% here soon.”

TE Cade Stover

What to know: Ohio State tight end Cade Stover, the Buckeyes’ second-leading receiver, didn’t get targeted once at Wisconsin, but afterward Day noted that he was one of several Ohio State players to tough out the game. Stover didn’t play this past weekend at Rutgers.

Day didn’t say much about Stover — who notably has been wearing a knee brace — but he did talk about the tight end room Tuesday, when asked about the prospect of true freshman Jelani Thurman seeing the field.

Day: “We’re trying to build as much depth as we can in that room. I thought that Gee [Scott Jr.] and Pat [Gurd] both stepped up in a big way. But Jelani has an opportunity every day to show that he can be counted on in a game. He was ready to go in the game, if needed. And so we’ll keep pushing him to get better. We think he has a tremendous skill set, and he has a very bright future ahead of him. So we’re all in on him. As we’ve talked about before, the tight end position is a developmental position. There’s a lot there.”