A pair of injuries at the tackle position are raising some big questions for Ohio State along the offensive line.
Junior left tackle Thayer Munford is listed as a game-time decision for the Buckeyes’ game at Northwestern. That’s more of a concern than normal this week, because senior Josh Alabi, Munford’s normal backup, is listed as out for the game.
If Munford is able to play, Ohio State will be rolling out its usual starting five up front. However, if Munford misses the game, the Buckeyes will slide their backup left tackle, redshirt freshman Nicholas Petit-Frere, over to left tackle for his first career start.
Petit-Frere was a five-star recruit in 2018, ranked as the best tackle prospect in the country and the No. 7 player in the nation overall. Still, the possibility of a tackle making his first career start on the road, at a position where he hasn’t been practicing regularly, has to be a little bit of a concern for Ryan Day and his staff.
TE Jake Hausmann is also off this week’s depth chart due to injury. The tight end position has Luke Farrell listed as the starter this weekend, with Rashod Berry and Jeremy Ruckert as backups.
There are some injury issues on the other side of the ball as well.
LB Baron Browning, who has been making a push for the starting job at the MIKE position, is also listed as out this week. Junior Tuf Borland will get the start there. Sophomore Dallas Gant is listed as the backup.
With the WILL and MIKE positions considered more or less interchangeable in the OSU defense, sophomores K’Vaughan Pope and Teradja Mitchell are also options to play at MIKE if needed. Mitchell is listed as a game-time decision.
With all of the Buckeyes’ defensive ends finally back to full-strength, Chase Young and Jonathon Cooper are the starters, with Tyreke Smith and Tyler Friday as the top backups, and Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Zach Harrison as the third-team.
Most of the rest of the depth chart is unchanged.
You can see it below, or download a PDF copy of it by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post.
2019 Ohio State Depth Chart – Northwestern