Snap Counts: Chris Olave, Baron Browning and Marcus Hooker Among Every-Down Players As 61 Total Buckeyes Play at Penn State

On offense, seven Buckeyes played 80-plus snaps as Justin Fields and the five starting offensive linemen were on the field for every offensive play while wide receiver Chris Olave was on the field for every play but one. On the other side of the ball, four Buckeyes were on the field for all 62 defensive snaps: linebackers Baron Browning and Pete Werner, cornerback Shaun Wade and safety Marcus Hooker.

Even so, a total of 61 Ohio State players – 14 fewer than in the season opener against Nebraska – saw the field for at least one snap on offense, defense or special teams in Saturday’s game, as the Buckeyes still used the vast majority of players who made their travel roster in some capacity.

We take a look at how many snaps each of them played and what roles each of them played below in the year’s second edition of Snap Counts.

Only offensive and defensive snaps are counted in the totals, though participants on each special teams unit are listed at the bottom of the article. All snap counts were compiled by Eleven Warriors and should be considered unofficial.

Quarterbacks

Justin Fields: 81

As Ohio State never put this game completely out of reach, there were no opportunities for the Buckeyes’ backup quarterback to play in this one. Fields played every snap of the game and was spectacular, completing 28 of his 34 passing attempts for 318 yards and four touchdowns to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Running Backs

Master Teague: 44
Trey Sermon: 37
Steele Chambers: Special teams only
Xavier Johnson: Special teams only

Ohio State leaned solely on its top two running backs to split the snaps alongside Fields in the backfield at Penn State. Teague made his second consecutive start to begin the season, but Sermon also rotated in regularly, as they mostly alternated series over the course of the game. That said, Teague ended up carrying the ball 10 more times and rushing for nearly twice as many yards, as the starter had 110 yards on 23 rushing attempts while Sermon had only 56  rushing yards on 13 attempts.

Wide Receivers

Chris Olave: 80
Garrett Wilson: 70
Jameson Williams: 36
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 23
Julian Fleming: 1
Kamryn Babb: Special teams only
Chris Booker: Special teams only
Demario McCall: Special teams only
Gee Scott Jr.: Special teams only

The only time Olave left the field in Saturday’s game was on the Buckeyes’ final offensive possession of the game, when Fleming replaced him in the lineup for one snap. Other than that, he was a mainstay on the field, playing a career-high 80 snaps on which he caught seven passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

Wilson, who had 11 receptions for 111 yards and a 62-yard run against Penn State, was also on the field for the vast majority of plays, lining up opposite Olave in two-receiver sets and in the slot in three-receiver formations.

Williams and Smith-Njigba were the only other receivers to see significant playing time against the Nittany Lions – mostly as the second outside receiver in three-receiver packages, though both also played multiple snaps in two-receiver sets with Olave.

Chris Olave played all but one snap at wide receiver against Penn State. (Photo: Matthew O'Haren – USA TODAY Sports)

Tight Ends

Jeremy Ruckert: 55
Luke Farrell: 44
Jake Hausmann: 15
Mitch Rossi: Special teams only
Cade Stover: Special teams only

Ruckert and Farrell both started the game for the second week in a row, and both ended up playing more than half of the Buckeyes’ snaps as Ohio State kept two or more tight ends on the field for 32 of their 81 offensive plays against the Nittany Lions. Farrell left the game with an apparent lower-body injury in the third quarter, but he returned to play the final nine snaps of the fourth quarter.

Twelve of Hausmann’s 15 snaps came in two-tight end sets, and 12 of them also came in the span between when Farrell left the game in the third quarter and returned in the fourth quarter.

Offensive Linemen

Thayer Munford: 81
Harry Miller: 81
Josh Myers: 81
Wyatt Davis: 81
Nicholas Petit-Frere: 81
Paris Johnson Jr.: Special teams only
Dawand Jones: Special teams only
Matthew Jones: Special teams only
Enokk Vimahi: Special teams only
Max Wray: Special teams only

All five of Ohio State’s starting offensive linemen played all 81 of the Buckeyes’ offensive snaps at Penn State, with Munford at left tackle, Miller at left guard, Myers at center, Davis at right guard and Petit-Frere at right tackle. All of them were named champions for their performances against the Nittany Lions.

Defensive Ends

Jonathon Cooper: 35
Zach Harrison: 28
Tyreke Smith: 28
Tyler Friday: 27
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: 10

Cooper started the game and led Ohio State’s defensive ends in snaps for the second game in a row to start the season. Harrison, who played only the fifth-most snaps among defensive ends in the season opener, started opposite Cooper against Penn State and played the same number of snaps as Smith, while Friday played one less snap than each of them.

Smith and Cooper were the defensive ends on the field for most plays when the Buckeyes had their 3-3-5 nickel defense on the field against the Nittany Lions, though Friday also saw some snaps in that subpackage while Harrison played a few snaps at nose tackle in that formation.

Jean-Baptiste was the fifth defensive end to get in the game and played less than half as many snaps against Penn State as any of the top four defensive ends.

Defensive Tackles

Tommy Togiai: 42
Haskell Garrett: 33
Antwuan Jackson: 16
Taron Vincent: 11
Jerron Cage: 3

Togiai played the majority of snaps at nose tackle for the second game in a row and had a breakout game against the Nittany Lions, recording seven total tackles including the first three sacks of his Ohio State career to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. Garrett, who rotated in off the bench against Nebraska, started alongside Togiai at 3-technique and played just over half of the Buckeyes’ defensive snaps.

Jackson, who started alongside Togiai against Nebraska, moved into a backup role against Penn State and saw snaps at both nose tackle and 3-technique. Vincent, who didn’t play in the season opener after missing the entire 2019 season with a torn labrum in his shoulder, saw his first playing time since 2018 as a backup 3-technique. Cage, the second-team nose tackle against Nebraska, played just three consecutive snaps in the third quarter as the third-team nose tackle against Penn State. 

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Linebackers

Baron Browning: 62
Pete Werner: 62
Tuf Borland: 41
Teradja Mitchell: 15
Craig Young: 1
Dallas Gant: Special teams only
Cade Kacherski: Special teams only
K’Vaughan Pope: Special teams only
Cody Simon: Special teams only

Browning and Werner both played all 62 of Ohio State’s defensive snaps against Penn State, with Browning at Sam linebacker and Werner at Will linebacker – though they occasionally switched spots so Werner could cover Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth – in the base defense, while they also both remained on the field for all nickel packages.

Borland played every snap at middle linebacker in the Buckeyes’ 4-3 base defense, but went off the field for subpackage plays. Mitchell checked into the game to be the third linebacker in the Buckeyes’ 3-3-5 nickel defense, in which he and Browning played as the outside linebackers – sometimes lining up as edge rushers – while Werner moved to Mike linebacker in that package.

Ohio State also used its four-linebacker package for one play, with Young checking into the game to play the outside linebacker role that was typically occupied last year by Justin Hilliard, who was unavailable for Saturday’s game due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Cornerbacks

Shaun Wade: 62
Sevyn Banks: 53
Marcus Williamson: 39
Cameron Brown: 16
Lathan Ransom: 9
Ronnie Hickman: Special teams only

Wade was on the field for every one of Ohio State’s defensive snaps against Penn State, while Banks lined up opposite him for all but nine snaps of the game. Brown replaced Banks for two series in the third and fourth quarters, after playing seven snaps earlier in the night at slot cornerback in nickel packages, but his game – and unfortunately his season – came to an end when he tore his Achilles early in the fourth quarter.

Williamson started the game at slot cornerback and played every snap in the Buckeyes’ base defense in the first three quarters of Saturday’s game, but Josh Proctor – who also played as a second safety in nickel packages – took over that role for part of the fourth quarter while Ransom checked in at slot corner for the Buckeyes’ final nine defensive plays.

Safeties

Marcus Hooker: 62
Josh Proctor: 27
Bryson Shaw: Special teams only

Hooker appears to have solidified himself as Ohio State’s full-time starter at deep safety, as he played every single snap of Saturday’s game at the back end of the Buckeyes’ defense. Proctor checked in occasionally as a second safety in nickel packages over the first three quarters of the game before playing all of the Buckeyes’ final 18 snaps of the game, including six snaps at slot cornerback/cover safety in the base defense as aforementioned.

Field Goals/Extra Points

Blake Haubeil or Dominic DiMaccio (kicker)
Drue Chrisman (holder)
Bradley Robinson (long snapper)
Jeremy Ruckert (wing)
Matthew Jones (rocker)
Paris Johnson Jr. (tackle)
Dawand Jones (guard)
Jerron Cage (guard)
Max Wray (tackle)
Enokk Vimahi (rocker)
Luke Farrell or Mitch Rossi (wing)

Haubeil started the game at placekicker for Ohio State despite a groin injury, but was pulled from the game after he missed a 20-yard field goal early in the second quarter. DiMaccio, a walk-on, took his place for the rest of the game and made his first career field goal from 22 yards out but later missed a field goal from 23 yards out.

The rest of the Buckeyes’ field goal unit remained the same from the season opener except for when Farrell had to leave the game, which resulted in Rossi replacing him on the edge of the line for two DiMaccio kicks.

Kickoffs

Dominic DiMaccio (kicker)
Cade Kacherski (gunner)
Cody Simon (gunner)
Ronnie Hickman (gunner)
Jameson Williams or Chris Booker (gunner)
Teradja Mitchell or Cade Stover (gunner)
K’Vaughan Pope (gunner)
Cameron Brown or Lathan Ransom (gunner)
Marcus Williamson or Jaxon Smith-Njigba (gunner)
Marcus Hooker or Steele Chambers (gunner)
Xavier Johnson (gunner)

DiMaccio handled Ohio State’s kickoffs for the entirety of Saturday’s game due to Haubeil’s injury. Simon replaced Craig Young as a starter on the kickoff unit, but the rest of the starting kickoff coverage unit remained the same from the Nebraska game, and every player who saw snaps on the unit at Penn State was also on the field for at least one kickoff against Nebraska.

Kickoff Returns

DeMario McCall (returner/blocker)
Xavier Johnson (blocker)
Steele Chambers (blocker)
Cade Stover (blocker)
Mitch Rossi (blocker)
Cade Kacherski (blocker)
Dallas Gant (blocker)
Gee Scott Jr. (blocker)
Ronnie Hickman (blocker)
Chris Booker (blocker)
Kamryn Babb (blocker)

Ohio State did not make any changes to its kickoff return unit from the season opener. McCall did not actually return any kicks against Penn State.

Onside Kick Hands Team

Demario McCall (returner)
Chris Olave (receiver)
Garrett Wilson (receiver)
Tuf Borland (blocker)
Jeremy Ruckert (blocker)
Shaun Wade (blocker)
Marcus Hooker (blocker)
Pete Werner (blocker)
Luke Farrell (blocker)
Baron Browning (blocker)
Dallas Gant (blocker)

Ohio State’s hands team made its debut following Penn State’s final touchdown of Saturday’s game, as the Nittany Lions attempted an onside kick trailing by two scores with 6:27 to play. That onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, however, as Olave fielded the ball cleanly.

In addition to making big plays at wide receiver, Chris Olave also cleanly caught Penn State's onside kick attempt on Saturday night. (Photo: Penn State Athletics)

Punts

Drue Chrisman (punter)
Bradley Robinson (long snapper)
Tuf Borland (upback)
Jake Hausmann (upback)
Luke Farrell (upback)
Baron Browning (guard)
Dallas Gant (guard)
Pete Werner (tackle)
Xavier Johnson (tackle)
Chris Olave (gunner)
Josh Proctor or Marcus Williamson (gunner)

Ohio State did not make any changes to its starting punt team from the season opener against Nebraska. Williamson saw his first snap as a punt gunner this year on Chrisman’s second of two punts in the game.

Punt Blocks/Returns

Garrett Wilson (returner)
Sevyn Banks or Shaun Wade (rusher/blocker)
Chris Booker (rusher/blocker)
Dallas Gant (rusher/blocker)
Gee Scott Jr. (rusher/blocker)
Cade Stover (rusher/blocker)
Kamryn Babb (rusher/blocker)
Steele Chambers (rusher/blocker)
Xavier Johnson (rusher/blocker)
Bryson Shaw (rusher/blocker)
Cameron Brown (rusher/blocker)

Stover, who earned special teams player of the game honors for his efforts on three special teams units against Penn State, replaced Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the punt block team against the Nittany Lions. The rest of the starting punt block/return team remained the same as the Nebraska game.

Field Goal/PAT Block

Sevyn Banks (lineman)
Josh Proctor (lineman)
Teradja Mitchell (lineman)
Tommy Togiai (lineman)
Paris Johnson Jr. or Pete Werner (lineman)
Haskell Garrett (lineman)
Zach Harrison (lineman)
Jonathan Cooper (lineman)
Shaun Wade (lineman)
Tuf Borland (safety)
Marcus Hooker or Marcus Williamson (safety)

Johnson, in a role similar to one which Dawand Jones played at times last season, lined up in the middle of Ohio State’s field goal block unit for each of Penn State’s two first-half field goals, using his 6-foot-6 frame to try to get a hand on the Nittany Lions’ kicks. He came close on one of them, but Werner – who’s shown a skill for jumping over the line and into the backfield as a kick-blocker early this season – came closer after replacing Johnson in the lineup on Penn State’s lone extra point kick of the game.

Williamson also replaced Hooker on that extra point after Hooker had to make a trip to the medical tent, but otherwise, the field goal block team remained the same from the Nebraska game.