Ohio State will be without four of its best players in the Rose Bowl.
Ryan Day confirmed Monday that wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, left tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and defensive tackle Haskell Garrett were all opting out for the game, leaving the Buckeyes without three of their stars on the offensive side of the ball and their sacks leader on defense.
That said, their absences will create opportunities for other players at each of their respective positions to show what they can do in Saturday’s season finale against Pasadena.
Ohio State is loaded with talented wide receivers, already had six offensive linemen that were viewed as starters this season and already maintained a deep rotation at defensive tackle, so the Buckeyes have reason to believe their next men up can step up against Utah.
“What a great opportunity for those guys to show their teammates and show each other how productive they can be,” Day said Monday.
The following five players, in particular, are players who will likely be called upon to play bigger roles in the Rose Bowl because of the four players who opted out. Some of them are veterans who already have considerable playing experience as Buckeyes, while others are younger players who will be auditioning to earn bigger roles next season, but all of them could be key to Ohio State’s chances of finishing the year with a win over the Utes.
WR Julian Fleming
Even though he was ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in the recruiting class of 2020, Julian Fleming hasn’t made a big impact yet in his first two seasons at Ohio State, catching only 14 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown. Now that Olave and Wilson have completed their Buckeye careers, though, it might finally be Fleming’s time to shine.
Considering it was Fleming who got the start when Wilson was unable to play against Nebraska during the regular season, it’s likely he will be in the starting lineup again with both Wilson and Olave out. And it would be a big boon to both Ohio State’s chances of winning the Rose Bowl and his chances of playing a major role for the Buckeyes next season if he can start to show against Utah why he was such a highly touted prospect out of high school.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
This section really could be dedicated to either one of two true freshman wide receivers, as it’s likely Emeka Egbuka will also see a significant uptick in playing time against Utah with both Olave and Wilson out. Assuming Jaxon Smith-Njigba stays at slot receiver for at least the Rose Bowl, though, the likely frontrunner to start opposite Fleming outside is Harrison, who played the fourth-most snaps among wide receivers during the regular season.
Harrison entered the season with plenty of hype after impressing throughout his first offseason as a Buckeye, but like Fleming, he’s had to wait his turn behind Olave and Wilson, catching just five passes for 68 yards during the regular season. Now that Olave and Wilson are officially moving on, though, the door will be wide open for Harrison’s breakout to begin, and the Buckeyes will be counting on him to start making his presence felt in a bigger way on Saturday.
Marvin Harrison Jr. could make his first career start in the Rose Bowl with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson both out.
LT Thayer Munford
Munford made a sacrifice by moving inside to left guard so Petit-Frere could play left tackle and Dawand Jones could play right tackle this season, but with Petit-Frere skipping the Rose Bowl, Day confirmed Monday that Munford will move back to left tackle – the position he previously started at for the Buckeyes from 2018-20 – for the final game of his Ohio State career.
Munford was one of the best offensive tackles in the country in 2020, and he continued to see occasional playing time at left tackle this season, so there’s reason to believe the Buckeyes will be just fine at that position in the Rose Bowl. That said, it will be a big opportunity for Munford to showcase what he can do at his natural position after playing mostly guard this season, and he’ll certainly be motivated to finish his career on a high note – especially after ending up on the wrong end of an Aidan Hutchinson bull rush that’s gotten plenty of attention in the month since Ohio State’s loss to Michigan.
LG Matt Jones
Day didn’t say who would take Munford’s place in the starting lineup at left guard, but it’s presumable that will be Jones, who started at the position when Munford missed the Akron game and served as the Buckeyes’ sixth man on the offensive line throughout the regular season, regularly rotating in for playing time at guard.
Jones played 390 snaps during the regular season and had the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade (behind only Dawand Jones) of any Ohio State offensive lineman during the regular season, so the Buckeyes should feel comfortable plugging him into the starting lineup with Munford moving outside. For an offensive line that struggled to move the ball on the ground in big games this season, starting an actual guard rather than a converted tackle at guard could even prove to be what the doctor ordered – and for Jones, it’s an opportunity to prove he belongs in the lineup on a full-time basis in 2022.
Matt Jones should get his chance to enter the starting lineup with Thayer Munford moving back to left tackle in the Rose Bowl.
DT Taron Vincent
Vincent has already played a big role in Ohio State’s defensive tackle rotation all season, starting seven games and playing the second-most snaps of any DT, but he still hasn’t made the kind of breakthrough he’s long been expected to make as a five-star recruit. In 317 defensive snaps this year, Vincent has recorded just 17 total tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and a half-sack.
Since Garrett won’t be playing in the Rose Bowl, now would be a great time for Vincent to elevate his game to new heights. While he isn’t the only candidate to fill Garrett’s shoes as a disruptor at the 3-technique defensive tackle position – true freshman Tyleik Williams, who ranks second on the Buckeyes with five sacks this year, is another player who could take on a bigger role against Utah – Vincent will likely get the start and play the most snaps at the position, and he’s long overdue for a big game.
