Ohio State football down two starting defensive backs at Rutgers

Ohio State football will play Rutgers on Saturday without two veteran starters in the secondary.

Bandit safety Lathan Ransom was already known not to have made the trip. Cornerback Denzel Burke was also listed as out on the availability report the team released two hours prior to kickoff.

However, starting receiver Emeka Egbuka did not appear in any capacity, clearing the way for his first appearance since Oct. 7 against Maryland.

The missing starters in the secondary may not substantially affect OSU today against a Rutgers offense ranked in the lower half of the Big Ten. Both are critically important to the team’s long-term fortunes, though.

Burke missed a Sept. 21 win over Penn State but returned last week to play at Wisconsin. After an injury dampened 2022 season, he has returned to contend with an All-America caliber of play. He leads all Big Ten players in passes defended per game (1.43) and total pass breakups (nine).

True freshman Jermaine Mathews is expected to start in Burke’s place. That is necessary because Jordan Hancock is expected to start at nickel safety while Sonny Styles likely replaces Ransom at bandit.

Further helping with secondary depth, two defensive backs who did not play at Wisconsin — cornerback Denzel Burke and safety Ja’Had Carter — do not appear on Saturday’s report.

Egbuka missed the past three games with an ankle injury suffered during that win over Maryland. A 1,000-yard receiver last season, his return to the slot returns a playmaking dimension to an offense that has sought a consistent spark.

Backup quarterback Devin Brown, who did not travel to Wisconsin last week, does not appear on the report. He suffered an apparent ankle injury in the win over Penn State and was expected to miss a least a couple of weeks. While it would be a surprise if Brown plays today, it gives OSU another option in case starter Kyle McCord’s own ankle injury acts up in a significant way.

Tight end Joe Royer is also listed as out, continuing a season of bouncing on and off the availability report. His absence is more notable because starting tight end has been playing through a left leg issue while wearing a large knee brace.

The list below does not include players already declared out for the season. Running back Miyan Williams was added to that list earlier this week.