The Buckeyes will be down a defensive lineman for most of the season.
Ohio State defensive end Tyler Friday will be out for fall camp and most of the upcoming season with an undisclosed injury, head coach Ryan Day announced on Wednesday.
Friday was a heavy part of the Buckeyes' defensive end rotation last season as one of five defensive ends to play more than 140 snaps, along with Jonathon Cooper, Tyreke Smith, Zach Harrison, and Javontae Jean-Baptise.
With Cooper – who led the entire defense with 361 snaps played in 2020 – now in the NFL, Friday figured to be a bigger part of the defensive end rotation this season.
With Friday now sidelined, the door is now open for some younger, unproven players to emerge and make an impact, such as five-star freshmen Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau.
“They're gonna have to get on the field a little sooner than maybe we thought before,” Day said of the two five-star freshmen following Friday's injury.
Ohio State opens the season on the road against Minnesota on Sept. 2 at 8 p.m.
