COLUMBUS — A handful of Ohio State players met with the media on Wednesday ahead of the Buckeyes’ matchup against Oregon this Saturday.
Here are some highlights from the player interviews.
Taron Vincent
+ It was great to get his first start. He is blessed to be able to play. He learned he would start on Wednesday and he talked to his parents about it.
+ They had a lot of packages on defense last week but they got everything fixed. They had a lot of first week jitters.
+ Tommy Eichenberg is a leader on and off the field. He gets them lined up and they all go off of him. He is a vocal leader, like the quarterback of the defense.
+ “Anytime a defense can score, it’s a plus in our room. We scored before the DB’s — that’s all I gotta say.”
+ Haskell Garrett was over the touchdown by Sunday. He is focused on Oregon.
+ He is looking forward to playing against just five offensive lineman this week. “It was definitely banging out there, double teams all game.”
Ronnie Hickman
+ His main goal was to help the team but he was fortunate to start and contribute.
+ He grew up watching Oregon and is excited to play them.
+ On 11 tackles, Hickman was surprised he had that many. He was excited.
+ On a full-strength secondary, Hickman said he thinks all of his players are capable of being out there. But the veteran guys help because they have real experience. Also because they rotate a lot, any healthy DB is good for them.
+ The speed of Oregon’s wide receivers is one thing that stands out to him.
+ He is excited to have fans in the stadium again.
+ Denzel Burke was making plays even when he was injured. Hickman told Bryson Shaw after the first spring practice that Burke is special.
TreVeyon Henderson
+ Thursday’s game against Minnesota was just the beginning for him. He is always trying to get better at all aspects of his game.
+ “Miyan [Williams] is a dawg. He is a great player.”
+ The coaches got on him about his touchdown celebration.
Noah Ruggles
+ His decision to come to Ohio State was a no-brainer. He spent a lot of time in the transfer portal and turned down other offers but it worked out.
+ There are a lot of similarities between golf and kicking. But he is definitely better at kicking.
+ He is calm and confident. He doesn’t really get nervous anymore because he trusts his preparation. He has only missed one field goal in all of their practices.
+ He kept an open mind in the kicking competition and focused on himself. He enjoyed competing with Jake Seibert. Ruggles thinks Seibert has a bright future ahead of him. He found out he won the job a couple of days before the Minnesota game.
+His grandfather always wanted him to play for Ohio State. His grandfather had season tickets growing up and his family were Ohio State fans. He has a lot of family in the area.
+ Ruggles is excited to kick in Ohio Stadium. “I’m ready to go out there and do my thing.”
Luke Wypler
+ His first start was a great experience. He found out he was starting during the mid-week practices but he has always been preparing to start. Last year and learning to always be prepared really helped him. He was ready to roll and he knew his job.
+ Josh Myers and Wyatt Davis reached out to talk to him.
+ There were a few plays he wishes he could have changed but it was a good learning lesson. He is proud of the win.
+ On the size of the offensive line, Wypler said he felt like he was the midget of the group. He’s the short guy in the middle but he has four great guys playing next to him.
+ The whole offensive line has chemistry whether it’s the first or second team. It only took a day or two to work on communicating and getting a feel for playing together.
+ C.J. Stroud came out strong in the second half and he kept the offense focused. He was ready to go, he wasn’t doubting himself, and he had something to prove. He is a great leader.
+ Oregon will be a great challenge. He hopes the fans disrupt this game.
