Snap Counts: 73 Buckeyes Play in Blowout Win over Toledo

Only 51 total Buckeyes saw playing time as they grinded out a 21-10 win over Notre Dame in their season opener. A dozen more Buckeyes saw action in Week 2 as Ohio State coasted to a more comfortable 45-12 win over Arkansas State. This past Saturday, the Buckeyes played even deeper into their depth chart as they steamrolled Toledo in their non-conference finale.

The Buckeyes didn’t play quite as many players as they scored points in their 77-21 win over the Rockets, but they came close. A total of 72 Ohio State players saw game action in Week 3, including 35 different players on offense and 28 different players on defense as well as nine other Buckeyes who appeared only on special teams.

Fifteen Buckeyes, including eight true freshmen playing the first snaps of their career, made their season debuts against Toledo. Jaxon Smith-Njigba also returned to action after missing the Arkansas State game due to the hamstring injury he suffered against Notre Dame. Seven Buckeyes who played against Arkansas State did not play against Toledo due to injuries: tight end Joe Royer, defensive end Omari Abor, defensive tackle Mike Hall, linebacker Teradja Mitchell and safeties Tanner McCalister, Josh Proctor and Jantzen Dunn.

For the 72 Buckeyes who did play against the Rockets, you can see how many snaps each and every one of them played on offense, defense and special teams below. 

Pro Football Focus’ premium statistics were used for offensive and defensive snap counts, though a few adjustments have been made to account for discrepancies noticed by Eleven Warriors while rewatching the game. Special teams snap counts were tabulated by Eleven Warriors data analyst Matt Gutridge, though we were forced to make our best-educated guesses for who was on the field on multiple special teams plays in which TV camera angles did not show all 11 players. All snap counts should be considered unofficial as they were not provided by Ohio State.

Quarterbacks

C.J. Stroud: 57
Kyle McCord: 14
Devin Brown: 9

For the first time this season, all three of Ohio State’s scholarship quarterbacks got the opportunity to play against Toledo. 

After Stroud led the Buckeyes to eight touchdowns on their first nine drives of the game – five of which he threw for himself – McCord entered the game with the rest of the second-team offense for Ohio State’s final drive of the third quarter. He remained in the game for two possessions and completed five of seven passing attempts for 115 yards, highlighted by a 72-yard touchdown connection with Jayden Ballard.

Brown took his first snaps as a Buckeye on Ohio State’s final two possessions of the night. He did not attempt a pass but converted a 4th-and-1 with his legs on the game’s final series.

Running Backs

Dallan Hayden: 36
Miyan Williams: 25
TC Caffey: 9
TreVeyon Henderson: 8
Cayden Saunders: 2

Henderson started the game as usual in the Buckeyes’ backfield but left the game with an apparent foot injury and did not return after capping Ohio State’s opening drive with a 7-yard touchdown run.

Williams took over on Ohio State’s second possession and played all the snaps at running back on the Buckeyes’ next four possessions, gaining 87 yards on 11 touches. Hayden checked in on Ohio State’s final possession of the first half and played all the snaps at running back for the Buckeyes’ next five drives, running the ball 17 times for 108 yards and a touchdown.

Caffey, a true freshman walk-on, made his Ohio State debut in the fourth quarter and carried the ball on six of his nine plays in the game, including one carry that he turned into a spectacular 49-yard touchdown. Saunders, a redshirt freshman walk-on, played his first two snaps as a Buckeye on the last of Ohio State’s 13 possessions.

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Wide Receivers

Marvin Harrison Jr.: 50
Emeka Egbuka: 42
Xavier Johnson: 27
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 23
Julian Fleming: 18
Jayden Ballard: 17
Kaleb Brown: 9
Kyion Grayes: 8
Kojo Antwi: 6
Reis Stocksdale: 5

Smith-Njigba returned to the starting lineup against Toledo, but played only in the first half – mostly in the first quarter – as the Buckeyes eased him back into action. The Buckeyes took a similar approach with Fleming, who rotated in for 18 snaps in the first half (and caught two touchdowns of them) but did not play in the second half after missing the first two games of the year with an injury of his own.

Harrison and Egbuka both started the game and played the most snaps among wide receivers as they have in all three of Ohio State’s games so far this season. With Smith-Njigba on a pitch count, Egbuka played some of his snaps in the slot while Johnson also played some snaps with the first-team offense.

Ballard played all of his snaps with the second-team offense but made the most of his playing time, catching four passes for 113 yards and a score. Johnson also played snaps with the second-team offense as an outside receiver while Stocksdale, a walk-on, joined them on the field for five snaps as a slot receiver on McCord’s first drive in the game.

Grayes, Brown and Antwi all made their Ohio State debuts in the fourth quarter, with Grayes catching a two-yard pass on his very first play as a Buckeye.

Tight Ends

Cade Stover: 52
Gee Scott Jr.: 23
Mitch Rossi: 19
Bennett Christian: 9
Patrick Gurd: 2
Sam Hart: 2
Zak Herbstreit: 2

Stover continued to be a mainstay with the first-team offense, playing all but five snaps while Stroud was in the game and catching three passes for a career-high 83 yards.

Rossi saw playing time as both a tight end and a fullback, lining up in the I-formation for six goal line plays and taking his first career rushing attempt on one of those snaps for a 1-yard touchdown run. Scott also mixed in for playing time with the first-team offense for the second week in a row and continued to play with the second-team offense, resulting in the highest snap count of his Ohio State career to date.

Christian saw his first playing time as a Buckeye as the fourth tight end in the game while Gurd, Herbstreit and Hart each played two snaps on the game’s final drive.

Gee Scott Jr. mixed in with the first-team offense at tight end for the second week in a row against Toledo.

Offensive Linemen

Paris Johnson Jr.: 57
Donovan Jackson: 57
Luke Wypler: 57
Matt Jones: 57
Dawand Jones: 57
Josh Fryar: 29
Zen Michalski: 23
Enokk Vimahi: 23
Jakob James: 23
Tegra Tshabola: 23
Toby Wilson: Special teams only

There were no changes on either the first- or second-team offensive lines against Toledo. Johnson, Jackson, Wypler, Jones and Jones were the five primary offensive linemen for all of Stroud’s 57 snaps in the game, while the second-team offensive line consisted of Michalski, Vimahi, James, Tshabola and Fryar from left to right.

Fryar played six additional snaps as a sixth offensive lineman – the same six plays that featured Rossi lining up as a fullback – as a part of the goal line package the Buckeyes utilized against Toledo.

Defensive Ends

J.T. Tuimoloau: 26
Jack Sawyer: 25
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: 23
Caden Curry: 18
Zach Harrison: 17
Kenyatta Jackson: 6

Tuimoloau and Harrison were Ohio State’s starting defensive ends for the third week in a row, but Harrison ended up playing only the fifth-most snaps among defensive ends in a game where either Sawyer or Jean-Baptiste lined up as a Jack linebacker on a majority of the Buckeyes’ defensive plays.

Curry was on the field for every play of Ohio State’s final four defensive series while Jackson played his six snaps on Toledo’s final possession of the game.

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Defensive Tackles

Taron Vincent: 28
Ty Hamilton: 19
Tyler Friday: 18
Tyleik Williams: 18
Jerron Cage: 14
Jaden McKenzie: 9
Hero Kanu: 3

Cage made his first start of the season in place of Mike Hall, who was held out of Saturday’s game for precautionary reasons after leaving the Arkansas State game with an apparent shoulder injury. He ended up playing only a quarter of the Buckeyes’ 56 defensive snaps, though, in a game where they often played with only three down linemen.

Vincent made his third consecutive start to begin the year and played exactly half of Ohio State’s defensive snaps, lining up as the nose tackle in three-man fronts when the Buckeyes had a Jack linebacker on the field. Hamilton also saw regular playing time in the nose tackle rotation to play the second-most snaps among defensive tackles for the second week in a row.

With Hall out of the lineup, Friday kicked inside to play occasional snaps as a 3-technique defensive tackle, though most of his playing time against Toledo came at the defensive end spot Hall typically occupies in three-man fronts. Williams also saw regular playing time at both of those spots against the Rockets.

McKenzie played snaps on each of the Buckeyes’ final three defensive series against the Rockets while Kanu played three snaps on Toledo’s last possession of the game.

Linebackers

Tommy Eichenberg: 44
Steele Chambers: 28
Cody Simon: 28
Palaie Gaoteote IV: 12
Reid Carrico: Special teams only
C.J. Hicks: Special teams only
Jackson Kuwatch: Special teams only
Gabe Powers: Special teams only
Chip Trayanum: Special teams only

While Ohio State played most or all of its available scholarship players at every other position against Toledo, Jim Knowles continued to keep things tight in his unit by playing only four linebackers on defense.

Eichenberg played every snap at Mike linebacker through the first defensive series of the fourth quarter. Gaoteote replaced Eichenberg in the lineup on Toledo’s final two possessions for his first defensive snaps of the season.

Chambers and Simon continued to rotate at Will linebacker as they have throughout the season. Chambers played the majority of snaps with the first-team defense, but both linebackers ended up playing exactly half of the defensive snaps as Simon was on the field for the entire fourth quarter.

Cornerbacks

Denzel Burke: 44
JK Johnson: 33
Cameron Brown: 17
Jyaire Brown: 12
Ryan Turner: 6

Like Eichenberg, Burke never left the field for Ohio State’s defense until Toledo’s final two possessions of the game, at which point he was replaced by Brown.

Brown started opposite Burke but left the game early in the second quarter and did not return after making a trip back to the locker room. Johnson took Brown’s place in the lineup and remained in the game until Toledo’s final possession, when Turner played his first snaps as a Buckeye.

JK Johnson was among Ohio State’s top two cornerbacks in playing time for the second week in a row against Toledo.

Safeties

Lathan Ransom: 45
Ronnie Hickman: 44
Cameron Martinez: 44
Kye Stokes: 12
Kourt Williams: 12
Sonny Styles: 11

Ransom and Martinez made their first starts of the season against Toledo in place of Josh Proctor and Tanner McCalister, who were both held out of the game due to minor injuries.

Like Burke and Eichenberg, all three starting safeties – Hickman, Ransom and Martinez – played every snap through Toledo’s first possession of the fourth quarter.

Stokes replaced Hickman at adjuster, Williams replaced Ransom at bandit and Styles replaced Martinez at nickel safety on the Rockets’ final two drives of the night. Ransom checked back into the game for one more play after Styles’ helmet came off, resulting in Ransom playing the most defensive snaps of any Buckeye against Toledo.

Extra Points

Noah Ruggles (kicker): 11
Jesse Mirco (holder): 11
Bradley Robinson (long snapper): 11
Caden Curry (wing): 11
Zen Michalski (end/tackle): 11
Enokk Vimahi (guard): 11
Jakob James (end): 11
Cade Stover (wing): 9
Donovan Jackson (guard): 8
Paris Johnson Jr. (tackle): 8
Dawand Jones (tackle): 8
Toby Wilson (end): 3
Tegra Tshabola (guard): 3
Josh Fryar (tackle): 3
Bennett Christian (wing): 2

The Buckeyes made no changes to their primary placekicking unit, which took the field for zero field goals but 11 extra points against Toledo, but gave some other players the opportunity to get snaps on the unit in the fourth quarter. Wilson, Tshabola and Fryar took the places of Johnson, Jackson and Jones after the starting offensive line checked out of the game, with Wilson playing his only snaps of the night on the extra point unit. Christian took Stover’s place on the wing for Ruggles’ final two extra points.

Kickoffs

Jayden Fielding (kicker): 12
Reid Carrico: 12
C.J. Hicks: 12
Kojo Antwi: 8
Jayden Ballard: 8
Palaie Gaoteote IV: 8
Xavier Johnson: 8
Cameron Martinez: 8
Cody Simon: 8
Kourt Williams: 8
Ronnie Hickman: 7
Kye Stokes: 5
Jyaire Brown: 4
Patrick Gurd: 4
JK Johnson: 4
Jackson Kuwatch: 4
Gabe Powers: 4
Reis Stocksdale: 4
Sonny Styles: 4

Fielding handled all 12 of Ohio State’s kickoffs against Toledo and did not allow a return on any one of them. New additions to the starting kickoff unit alongside him were Carrico, Hicks and Ballard, who replaced Tanner McCalister, Teradja Mitchell and Chip Trayanum.

Antwi made his debut on the kickoff coverage unit when he replaced JK Johnson in the second quarter. Powers and Kuwatch played the first snaps of their Buckeye careers on Ohio State’s final four kickoffs of the night. 

Kickoff Returns

Jayden Ballard: 4
Steele Chambers: 4
Palaie Gaoteote IV: 4
C.J. Hicks: 4
Xavier Johnson: 4
Mitch Rossi: 4
Gee Scott Jr.: 4
Sonny Styles: 4
Kourt Williams: 4
Emeka Egbuka (returner): 2
Chip Trayanum (returner): 2
Bennett Christian: 2
Cody Simon: 2

Trayanum lined up as the deep returner for Toledo’s first two kickoffs but was replaced by Egbuka, who began the year as Ohio State’s lead kickoff returner, after its final two touchdowns.

Hicks took Tanner McCalister’s usual place on the kickoff return unit against Toledo while Christian took Simon’s place on the return unit for the Rockets’ latter two kickoffs.

Punts

Jesse Mirco (punter): 1
Bradley Robinson (long snapper): 1
Tommy Eichenberg (upback): 1
Mitch Rossi (upback): 1
Steele Chambers (guard): 1
Kourt Williams (guard): 1
Emeka Egbuka (tackle): 1
Xavier Johnson (tackle): 1
Cade Stover (wing): 1
Jayden Ballard (gunner): 1
Jyaire Brown (gunner): 1

Brown took Josh Proctor’s place as a gunner on Ohio State’s only punt of the Toledo game, which Mirco downed inside the 2-yard line with a beautifully placed coffin-corner punt.

Punt Blocks/Returns

Jyaire Brown: 5
Palaie Gaoteote IV: 5
JK Johnson: 5
Kourt Williams: 5
Emeka Egbuka (returner): 4
Reid Carrico: 4
Sonny Styles: 4
Zach Harrison: 3
Ronnie Hickman: 3
Cameron Martinez: 3
Lathan Ransom: 3
Gee Scott Jr.: 3
Kye Stokes: 3
Jayden Ballard (returner): 2
Denzel Burke: 2
Steele Chambers: 2
Tommy Eichenberg: 2
C.J. Hicks: 2
Cody Simon: 2
J.T. Tuimoloau: 2
Taron Vincent: 2
Reis Stocksdale (returner): 1
Cameron Brown: 1
Jerron Cage: 1
Caden Curry: 1
Patrick Gurd: 1
Ty Hamilton: 1
Kenyatta Jackson: 1
Xavier Johnson: 1
Jaden McKenzie: 1
Ryan Turner: 1
Tyleik Williams: 1

Egbuka handled punt return duties for each of Toledo’s first four punts before giving way to Ballard, who had a 14-yard return when he fielded the first punt of his Ohio State career. Stocksdale took the field at punt returner for the Rockets’ final punt in the fourth quarter.

Extra Point Block

Tommy Eichenberg: 3
Denzel Burke: 3
Steele Chambers: 3
Zach Harrison: 3
Ronnie Hickman: 3
Lathan Ransom: 3
Taron Vincent: 3
Cameron Brown: 2
Jerron Cage: 2
Cameron Martinez: 2
Tyler Friday: 1
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: 1
JK Johnson: 1
Jack Sawyer: 1
J.T. Tuimoloau: 1
Tyleik Williams: 1

Harrison was brought onto the field for each of Toledo’s three extra points. Otherwise, the Buckeyes on the field for the extra points corresponded with whichever defensive players were on the field for the touchdown scored by the Rockets.