Snap Counts: Luke Wypler, C.J. Stroud and Denzel Burke Among Ohio State’s Leaders in Playing Time for 2021 Season

Across all 13 of Ohio State’s games this season, starting center Luke Wypler played the most total snaps of any player on offense (860) while true freshman cornerback Denzel Burke played the most snaps of any Buckeye on defense (731). A total of nine Buckeyes topped the 600-snap mark on offense – Wypler, C.J. Stroud, Dawand Jones, Paris Johnson Jr., Nicholas Petit-Frere, Jeremy Ruckert, Thayer Munford, Chris Olave and Jaxon Smith-Njigba – while Burke, Ronnie Hickman and Bryson Shaw were the three Buckeyes to play over 600 snaps on defense. Cade Stover led all Buckeyes by playing 250 snaps on special teams.

As for the Rose Bowl itself, a total of 55 Buckeyes saw playing time against Utah – the second-lowest of the season, behind only the previous game against Michigan – as Ohio State played its final game of the season without 25 scholarship players (five who have entered the transfer portal, four who opted out and 16 who were otherwise unavailable) who were on the roster at the end of the regular season.

Despite being shorthanded, the Buckeyes came back from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Utah, 48-45, as numerous Buckeyes on both sides of the ball – including Marvin Harrison Jr. at wide receiver, Stover at linebacker and Kourt Williams at safety, among others – stepped up to play their biggest roles yet as Buckeyes in the final game of the season.

Our breakdown of every snap each Buckeye played in the Rose Bowl, along with how many snaps they played over the course of the entire season, follows below in the final Snap Counts of the year. All offensive and defensive snap counts are courtesy of Pro Football Focus’ premium statistics, while special teams snap counts were compiled by Eleven Warriors data analyst Matt Gutridge.

Quarterbacks

C.J. Stroud: 69

For the eighth time in 12 starts this season, Stroud played every one of Ohio State’s offensive snaps. He attempted passes on exactly two-thirds of them, completing 37 of his 46 pass attempts for a school-record 573 yards and six touchdowns in a spectacular performance that showcased why he’ll continue to take every meaningful snap at quarterback next season as long as he stays healthy.

Running Backs

T​​reVeyon Henderson: 56
Miyan Williams: 11
Master Teague: 1

Henderson continued to handle most of the workload as Ohio State’s feature running back in the Rose Bowl. While the Buckeyes only ran the ball 20 times against Utah, Henderson took 17 of those carries for 83 yards while also catching four passes for 27 yards.

Williams also mixed in for occasional snaps and gained 17 yards on just two carries. Teague, who got on the field for just the third time in the final seven games of the season, did not touch the ball on the one snap he played in the fourth quarter.

Wide Receivers

Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 64
Marvin Harrison Jr.: 63
Julian Fleming: 47
Emeka Egbuka: 18
Chris Booker: Special teams only
Xavier Johnson: Special teams only
Sam Wiglusz: Special teams only

As expected, Smith-Njigba played the most snaps of any wide receiver after Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson opted out of the Rose Bowl. He absolutely made the most of his 64 snaps, tying his own school record with 15 catches, including three touchdown receptions, while shattering the school record with 347 receiving yards.

That said, Harrison played only one fewer snap than Smith-Njigba and also made the most of his career-high 63 snaps, catching six passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns in the first big game of his Ohio State career.

Fleming started opposite Harrison at outside receiver and played his second-highest snap count of the season, catching a career-high five passes for 53 yards. Egbuka also mixed in for double-digit snaps for the first time since Ohio State’s seventh game of the season against Indiana and caught three passes for 46 yards.

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Tight Ends

Jeremy Ruckert: 67
Mitch Rossi: 18
Joe Royer: Special teams only
Gee Scott Jr.: Special teams only

With Cade Stover making the move to linebacker (more on that to come), Ruckert rarely ever left the field in his final game as a Buckeye, playing all but two of Ohio State’s offensive snaps. The only other tight end who saw playing time against Utah was Rossi, who played his third-highest snap count of the year and caught a pass for a career-long 22-yard gain.

Offensive Line

Thayer Munford: 69
Matt Jones: 69
Luke Wypler: 69
Paris Johnson Jr.: 69
Dawand Jones: 69
Donovan Jackson: Special teams only
Jakob James: Special teams only
Enokk Vimahi: Special teams only

After rotating six offensive linemen among five spots for most of the 2021 season, Ohio State kept things consistent in the final game of the year. Since Nicholas Petit-Frere opted out of the game, Munford moved back to his old position of left tackle for his final game as a Buckeye while Matt Jones entered the starting lineup and played every snap at left guard. Wypler played every snap at center, Johnson played every snap at right guard and Dawand Jones played every snap at right tackle.

Defensive Ends

Tyreke Smith: 66
Zach Harrison: 50
J.T. Tuimoloau: 22
Jack Sawyer: 4
Cormontae Hamilton: Special teams only
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: Special teams only

Smith rarely ever left the field in his final game as a Buckeye, playing a career-high 66 snaps – all but four of Ohio State’s defensive snaps – in the Buckeyes’ defensive end rotation. Harrison played exactly 50 snaps, his fifth-highest snap count of the season, including four plays where he kicked inside to play defensive tackle in pass-rush situations.

Javontae Jean-Baptiste did not play any defensive snaps after being listed as a game-time decision due to injury, while Sawyer was ejected for targeting in the second quarter, leaving Smith, Harrison and Tuimoloau to play nearly all of the defensive end snaps in the final game of the season.

Defensive Tackles

Taron Vincent: 53
Jerron Cage: 49
Ty Hamilton: 19
Tyleik Williams: 17

With Haskell Garrett and Antwuan Jackson both unavailable, Vincent and Cage both started at defensive tackle and played career-high snap counts in the Rose Bowl. Hamilton rotated in with Cage at nose tackle while Williams rotated with Vincent at 3-technique, but Vincent and Cage were both on the field for a majority of defensive snaps.

Linebackers

Steele Chambers: 60
Tommy Eichenberg: 55
Cade Stover: 46
Teradja Mitchell: 13
Palaie Gaoteote: 11
Ryan Batsch: Special teams only

Chambers played the most snaps among linebackers for a fourth game in a row as he played exactly 60 snaps for a second game in a row to end the season. Eichenberg started at middle linebacker in place of Cody Simon, who was unavailable for the final game of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery, and racked up a whopping 17 tackles while playing a career-high 55 snaps to earn Rose Bowl defensive player of the game honors.

Stover, who had not played any defensive snaps all season before playing one goal-line snap against Michigan, started the game at Sam linebacker and played 46 snaps as the Buckeyes had three linebackers on the field for a majority of their defensive plays.

Mitchell, who began the season as the starting Will linebacker but did not play any defensive snaps in the Buckeyes’ final two games of the regular season, rotated in for 13 snaps off the bench. Gaoteote, who also did not play at all in the final two games of the regular season, rotated in to play double-digit snaps at linebacker for only the fourth time all year.

Cornerbacks

Denzel Burke: 70
Cameron Brown: 59
Lejond Cavazos: Special teams only
Jordan Hancock: Special teams only
Demario McCall: Special teams only

With Sevyn Banks unavailable for a third consecutive game, Ohio State didn’t rotate at all at outside cornerback for a second straight game to end the season. Burke was on the field for every defensive play to finish the season as Ohio State’s leader in defensive snaps played. Ohio State didn’t always have two cornerbacks on the field against Utah – when the Utes had three tight ends on the field, the Buckeyes countered by playing three linebackers and three safeties – but Brown was on the field for every play where two cornerbacks were in the game.

Safeties

Bryson Shaw: 61
Kourt Williams: 47
Ronnie Hickman: 35
Cameron Martinez: 24
Lathan Ransom: 9
Marcus Hooker: Special teams only
Andre Turrentine: Special teams only

Shaw continued to be one of Ohio State’s defensive mainstays against Utah, though Martinez did take his place at free safety for nine plays. Martinez also played 15 snaps at cover safety after Ransom suffered a leg fracture in kickoff coverage during the second quarter.

Hickman was in the starting lineup as he has been for every game this season but played his second-lowest snap count of the year in the Rose Bowl as Williams – a bigger safety well-suited to play in the box against a tight end-heavy offense – also started and played a career-high 47 snaps as he saw substantial playing time with Ohio State’s first-team defense for the first time in his career.

Field Goals/Extra Points

Noah Ruggles (kicker): 8
Jesse Mirco (holder): 8
Bradley Robinson (long snapper): 8
Mitch Rossi (wing): 8
Matt Jones (end): 8
Enokk Vimahi (tackle): 8
Dawand Jones (guard): 8
Donovan Jackson (guard): 8
Paris Johnson Jr. (tackle): 8
Jakob James (end): 8
Cade Stover (wing): 8

Vimahi returned to the field goal unit, which he previously played on in all of Ohio State’s first six games of the season, to replace Josh Fryar, who was unavailable for the Rose Bowl due to injury. Otherwise, the Buckeyes made no changes to their field goal lineup from previous games. Ruggles made all eight of his kick attempts In Pasadena – two field goals, including the game-winner from 19 yards out, as well as six extra points.

Kickoffs

Chris Booker: 9
Tommy Eichenberg: 9
Xavier Johnson: 9
Cameron Martinez: 9
Demario McCall: 9
Kourt Williams: 9
Jordan Hancock: 8
Marcus Hooker: 8
Cade Stover: 8
Noah Ruggles (kicker): 7
Emeka Egbuka: 6
Lathan Ransom: 3
Dominic DiMaccio (kicker): 2
Andre Turrentine: 2
Ryan Batsch: 1

Booker, Eichenberg, Johnson, Martinez, McCall and Williams were all on the field for every Ohio State kickoff against Utah, while Hancock, Hooker and Stover were all in kickoff coverage on all but one. Ruggles was replaced by DiMaccio for two kickoffs after the Buckeyes gave up a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown, but kickoff duties went back to Ruggles after a kickoff out of bounds by DiMaccio.

Ransom was on the field for each of Ohio State’s first three kickoffs, but was replaced by Egbuka after suffering his injury on the kickoff return touchdown. Batsch also did not return to the game after he was also injured on that play.

Kickoff Returns

Emeka Egbuka (returner): 8 
Marvin Harrison Jr.: 8
Xavier Johnson: 8
Mitch Rossi: 8
Joe Royer: 8
Sam Wiglusz: 8
Miyan Williams: 8
Julian Fleming: 7
Cade Stover: 6
Kourt Williams: 5
Gee Scott Jr.: 4
Andre Turrentine: 4
Ryan Batsch: 3
Teradja Mitchell: 2
Chris Booker: 1

Egbuka was the primary kickoff returner for all eight of Utah’s kickoffs, and he returned all but one of them for a total of 163 yards. On a day where Ohio State didn’t fair catch any kickoffs, Johnson also fielded one kickoff and returned it 15 yards. Harrison, Rossi, Royer, Wiglusz and Miyan Williams were also on the field for every Utah kickoff, while Fleming was on the return team for all but one.

Batsch was on the field for each of Ohio State’s three kickoff returns before he was injured. He, Wiglusz, Scott and Turrentine were all new additions to the kickoff return unit, as three players who were regulars on the kickoff return unit during the regular season – Ryan Watts, Marcus Williamson and Craig Young – left the team prior to the Rose Bowl.

Punts

Jesse Mirco (punter): 2
Bradley Robinson (long snapper): 2
Tommy Eichenberg (upback): 2
Mitch Rossi (upback): 2
Steele Chambers (guard): 2
Kourt Williams (guard): 2
Xavier Johnson (tackle): 2
Lathan Ransom (tackle): 2
Jeremy Ruckert (wing): 2
Chris Booker (gunner): 2
Julian Fleming (gunner): 2

Williams became the fourth player to man the guard spot opposite Chambers this season in the Rose Bowl, replacing Cody Simon (who replaced Cade Kacherski after his season-ending injury, who himself replaced Dallas Gant after he entered the transfer portal). Fleming took Chris Olave’s longtime role as a gunner.

The rest of the punting unit – which was only needed after Ohio State’s first two possessions of the game – was unchanged from the Michigan game.

Punt Blocks/Returns

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (returner): 4
Denzel Burke: 4
Cameron Brown: 3
Steele Chambers: 3
Tommy Eichenberg: 3
Cormontae Hamilton: 2
Ty Hamilton: 2
Zach Harrison: 2
Ronnie Hickman: 2
Cameron Martinez: 2
J.T. Tuimoloau: 2
Taron Vincent: 2
Jerron Cage: 1
Lejond Cavazos: 1
Emeka Egbuka: 1
Jordan Hancock: 1
Marvin Harrison Jr.: 1 
Xavier Johnson: 1
Demario McCall: 1
Lathan Ransom: 1
Joe Royer: 1
Bryson Shaw: 1
Kourt Williams: 1
Tyleik Williams: 1

Ohio State played punt safe on all but one of Utah’s four punts, which meant the Buckeyes kept a defensive lineup on the field (with the exception of Smith-Njigba) to guard against a potential fake punt.

The one time the Buckeyes deployed their punt block unit, it consisted of Burke, Cavazos, Egbuka, Hancock, Marvin Harrison Jr., Johnson, McCall, Royer, Shaw and Wiglusz, and they helped force a fumbled punt snap, which Shaw recovered at the 11-yard line to set up the first touchdown of Ohio State’s second-half comeback.

Field Goal/Extra Point Block

Cameron Brown: 7
Denzel Burke: 7
J.T. Tuimoloau: 7
Steele Chambers: 6
Zach Harrison: 6
Bryson Shaw: 6
Taron Vincent: 5
Jerron Cage: 4
Kourt Williams: 4
Tommy Eichenberg: 3
Ty Hamilton: 3
Ronnie Hickman: 3
Cameron Martinez: 3
Teradja Mitchell: 3
Lathan Ransom: 3
Tyleik Williams: 2
Palaie Gaoteote: 1
Jordan Hancock: 1
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: 1
Tyreke Smith: 1

As he was for most of the regular season, Tuimoloau was a ringer on the field goal block unit in the Rose Bowl, coming on the field for Utah’s lone field goal attempt and all of its extra point attempts. Brown and Burke were also on the field for all of Utah’s kicks, while Chambers, Harrison and Shaw were both on the field for all but one Jadon Redding extra point.