Snap Counts: 63 Buckeyes Play in First Road Game of 2022 As Ohio State Blows Out Michigan State

Six of those Buckeyes were freshmen who could redshirt this season: quarterbacks Devin Brown and Mason Maggs, offensive linemen Carson Hinzman and Tegra Tshabola, defensive end Kenyatta Jackson and defensive tackle Hero Kanu. Others who did not play despite making the trip to East Lansing were linebackers Jackson Kuwatch and Palaie Gaoteote IV, safety Jantzen Dunn, punter Michael O’Shaughnessy and long snapper Mason Arnold.

All of the other 63 Buckeyes who were chosen to travel to East Lansing saw at least some playing time on offense, defense and/or special teams as Ohio State dominated Michigan State, 49-20, to finish off its first half of the regular season with a blowout win.

In the process, nine offensive players crossed the 300-snap threshold for the first half of the regular season while Tommy Eichenberg became the first defensive Buckeye to play more than 300 snaps this season.

Our full report on how many snaps every Buckeye played against Michigan State and how many snaps each Buckeye has played through the first six weeks of the 2022 season can be found below. Data from Pro Football Focus’ premium statistics was used to compile the offensive and defensive snap counts, while Eleven Warriors data analyst Matt Gutridge added up the special teams snap counts. All snap counts should be considered unofficial as they were not provided by Ohio State.

Quarterbacks

C.J. Stroud: 60
Kyle McCord: 16

Stroud played eight possessions against Michigan State and led the Buckeyes on touchdown drives on seven of them, throwing for six of the touchdowns himself to set a new Ohio State record with three career six-touchdown games. He threw passes on just under half of his 60 plays in the game, completing 21 of 26 attempts for 361 yards and six touchdowns with one interception and one sack.

While Stroud took every snap at quarterback with the game on the line during the first half of the regular season, McCord saw playing time in backup duty for the fifth game in a row. He attempted a pass on only two of his six 16 snaps, completing both of them for 16 combined yards, as the Buckeyes ran out the clock on his four drives in the game.

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Running Backs

TreVeyon Henderson: 37
Dallan Hayden: 26
TC Caffey: 6

With Miyan Williams unavailable due to injury, Henderson returned to the starting lineup against Michigan State and played all but three snaps of the first half. He played only one play in the second half before taking a low hit and limping off the field, though Ryan Day said after the game that Henderson could have returned to the game if needed.

Hayden replaced Henderson on the second play of the third quarter and was Ohio State’s primary running back for the rest of the game until its final two possessions, when Caffey entered the game.

Xavier Johnson, who plays primarily as a wide receiver, also played four snaps at running back (three in the first half) against Michigan State, running the ball three times for 23 yards. Tight end Mitch Rossi also lined up as a running back on multiple plays, though his lone carry for one yard came from the fullback spot.

Wide Receivers

Marvin Harrison Jr.: 56
Julian Fleming: 50
Emeka Egbuka: 47
Xavier Johnson: 20
Jayden Ballard: 16
Reis Stocksdale: 16
Kojo Antwi: 3
Kaleb Brown: Special teams only

Harrison, Fleming and Egbuka played nearly all of the first-team snaps at wide receiver, with Johnson also mixing in for a few first-team snaps at wide receiver along with his playing time at running back, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba missed his fourth game of the year due to the hamstring injury he’s been battling since the season opener against Notre Dame. The starting trio of receivers combined to catch 16 passes for 355 yards and five touchdowns against Michigan State.

Johnson, Ballard and Stocksdale were the receivers for each of McCord’s four drives in the game except the Buckeyes’ final possession, when Antwi replaced Johnson for his only offensive snaps of the game. 

Xavier Johnson took his first three carries of the season while also playing wide receiver against Michigan State.

Tight Ends

Cade Stover: 59
Mitch Rossi: 20
Gee Scott Jr.: 18
Sam Hart: 3
Bennett Christian: Special teams only
Patrick Gurd: Special teams only

Stover became one of nine offensive players for Ohio State to cross the 300-snap threshold for the season as he played all but one snap while Stroud was on the field against Michigan State. Rossi also mixed in for 20 snaps with the first-team offense, lining up as a tight end, fullback and running back in various formations. Scott played five snaps with Stroud in multi-tight end packages – catching the first touchdown pass of his career on Stroud’s final play of the game – and played three more series with McCord before being replaced by Hart for the Buckeyes’ final possession.

Offensive Linemen

Paris Johnson Jr.: 63
Donovan Jackson: 63
Luke Wypler: 63
Dawand Jones: 63
Matt Jones: 53
Enokk Vimahi: 23
Josh Fryar: 16
Zen Michalski: 13
Toby Wilson: 13
Jakob James: 13

Johnson, Jackson, Wypler and Dawand Jones played every snap of the first three quarters at their respective positions on the offensive line, even remaining in the game to play a series with McCord for the first time all season. Matt Jones started the game at right guard and played 53 of the first 60 snaps at that spot but subbed out of the lineup and was replaced by Vimahi on multiple occasions during the first three quarters. Fryar also played three snaps with the first-team offense as a sixth offensive lineman in goal-line situations before finishing out the game at right tackle on Ohio State’s final three possessions.

Ohio State made a change to its second-team offensive line for the first time all season, inserting Wilson at left guard and keeping Vimahi at right guard. Tegra Tshabola, who played second-team snaps at right guard in each of the previous four games, did not play against Michigan State – keeping him eligible to redshirt this season if he does not play in another game this year. 

Defensive Ends

Jack Sawyer: 28
Zach Harrison: 26
J.T. Tuimoloau: 24
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: 21
Caden Curry: 11

Tuimoloau returned to the starting lineup against Michigan State after being replaced as a starter by Sawyer for the previous two games. Sawyer still ended up playing the most snaps among defensive ends against the Spartans, but many of those snaps came later in the game with the backup defensive line, as the Buckeyes did not use the Jack linebacker package as frequently against Michigan State as they did in their first five games of the year.

All of Curry’s snaps came on the Buckeyes’ final two defensive series of the game as Harrison, Tuimoloau, Sawyer and Jean-Baptiste played all of the snaps with the first-team defense as Tyler Friday missed his second game in a row.

Defensive Tackles

Ty Hamilton: 29
Taron Vincent: 29
Jerron Cage: 17
Tyleik Williams: 13
Jaden McKenzie: 11
Mike Hall Jr.: 7

In a surprise twist, Hall played only seven snaps against Michigan State – with almost all of them coming on third downs – after leading all defensive tackles with 40 snaps against Rutgers. He made the most of the situational pass-rusher role, recording 2.5 sacks on his seven plays.

Cage started in Hall’s place, but Hamilton ended up playing more than half of Ohio State’s defensive snaps at nose tackle as he continued to play into the late fourth quarter. Vincent also played more than half of Ohio State’s defensive plays against Michigan State as he made his sixth consecutive start to begin the season.

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Linebackers

Steele Chambers: 42
Tommy Eichenberg: 42
Cody Simon: 12
Chip Trayanum: 12
Reid Carrico: Special teams only
C.J. Hicks: Special teams only

Chambers and Eichenberg played every snap with the first-team defense at the Will and Mike linebacker positions for the second week in a row, as both of them were on the field for all of Ohio State’s defensive plays until Michigan State’s final two possessions of the game.

Simon, who rotated with Chambers at Will linebacker earlier in the season and played some snaps as a Sam linebacker in three-linebacker packages against both Wisconsin and Rutgers, played only on the final two defensive series alongside Trayanum against Michigan State.

Cornerbacks

Denzel Burke: 36
Cameron Brown: 27
JK Johnson: 25
Jyaire Brown: 15
Ryan Turner: 5

Cameron Brown returned to the starting lineup against Michigan State after he was unavailable for both the Wisconsin and Rutgers games. He was subbed out in favor of Johnson multiple times after committing penalties, but ultimately returned to the game and played through the end of the third quarter.

Burke was on the field for every play of Ohio State’s first eight defensive series of the game before checking out in favor of Johnson, who was replaced for the Buckeyes’ final five defensive plays by Turner. Jyaire Brown played all 15 snaps of the fourth quarter opposite either Johnson or Turner.

Safeties

Ronnie Hickman: 42
Tanner McCalister: 36
Lathan Ransom: 36
Josh Proctor: 18
Kye Stokes: 12
Sonny Styles: 12
Cameron Martinez: 6
Kourt Williams: Special teams only

Like Chambers and Eichenberg, Hickman was on the field for every play until Ohio State’s final two defensive series of the game, at which point Stokes took his place in the lineup.

Ransom, who made his second start of the season in place of Proctor at bandit, and McCalister were both on the field for every defensive play through the Buckeyes’ first defensive series of the second half. Proctor replaced Ransom for Ohio State’s final four defensive series. Martinez initially replaced McCalister at nickel safety and played two defensive series before he gave way to Styles for Michigan State’s final two possessions of the game.

Extra Points

Noah Ruggles (kicker): 7
Jesse Mirco (holder): 7
Bradley Robinson (long snapper): 7
Caden Curry (wing): 7
Zen Michalski (end): 7
Paris Johnson Jr. (tackle): 7
Donovan Jackson (guard): 7
Enokk Vimahi (guard): 7
Dawand Jones (tackle): 7
Jakob James (end): 7
Cade Stover (wing): 7

Ohio State’s placekicking unit remained unchanged for the fourth game in a row as Ruggles made all seven of his extra point attempts and kicked zero field goals against Michigan State.

Kickoffs

Jayden Fielding (kicker): 8
Reid Carrico: 8
C.J. Hicks: 8
Xavier Johnson: 8
Cameron Martinez: 8
Cody Simon: 8
Sonny Styles: 8
Chip Trayanum: 8
Tanner McCalister: 7
Jayden Ballard: 6
Kourt Williams: 5
JK Johnson: 3
Kye Stokes: 2
Kojo Antwi: 1

Fielding handled all of Ohio State’s kickoffs against Michigan State as he has all season, sending two of his eight kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks while kicking one out of bounds. Martinez returned to the starting kickoff unit against the Spartans after two games off of it.

Kickoff Returns

Steele Chambers: 4
C.J. Hicks: 4
Xavier Johnson: 4
Mitch Rossi: 4
Gee Scott Jr.: 4
Cody Simon: 4
Sonny Styles: 4
Jayden Ballard: 3
Julian Fleming: 3
Chip Trayanum (returner): 3
Kourt Williams: 3
Kojo Antwi: 1
Emeka Egbuka (returner): 1
Patrick Gurd: 1
Kye Stokes: 1

Trayanum continued to handle lead kickoff returner duties for Ohio State until Michigan State’s final kickoff in the fourth quarter, which was fielded by Egbuka. Gurd played his only snap of the game on the Spartans’ final kickoff.

Punts

Jesse Mirco (punter): 3
Bradley Robinson (long snapper): 3
Tommy Eichenberg (upback): 3
Mitch Rossi (upback): 3
Steele Chambers (guard): 3
Chip Trayanum (guard): 3
Emeka Egbuka (tackle): 3
Xavier Johnson (tackle): 3
Bennett Christian (wing): 2
Jayden Ballard (gunner): 2
Reis Stocksdale (gunner): 2
Kojo Antwi (gunner): 1
Kye Stokes (gunner): 1
Cade Stover (wing): 1

Trayanum replaced Kourt Williams, who played on other special teams against Michigan State but has been dealing with an injury, on Ohio State’s punting unit in East Lansing. Christian also made his debut on the punt team, replacing Stover on the wing for each of the Buckeyes’ final two punts, while Ballard, Stocksdale, Antwi and Stokes split gunner duties across Mirco’s three punts, which all came in the fourth quarter.

Punt Blocks/Returns

Jyaire Brown: 6
JK Johnson: 6
Chip Trayanum: 6
Kaleb Brown: 5
Reid Carrico: 5
Emeka Egbuka (returner): 5
C.J. Hicks: 5
Gee Scott Jr.: 5
Sonny Styles: 5
Xavier Johnson: 4
Kourt Williams: 3
Caden Curry: 2
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: 2
Cody Simon: 2
Reis Stocksdale (returner): 2
Denzel Burke: 1
Steele Chambers: 1
Tommy Eichenberg: 1
Mike Hall: 1
Ty Hamilton: 1
Ronnie Hickman: 1
Tanner McCalister: 1
Jaden McKenzie: 1
Josh Proctor: 1
Lathan Ransom: 1
Jack Sawyer: 1
Kye Stokes: 1
Ryan Turner: 1
Taron Vincent: 1

Egbuka continued to handle punt return duties for the first three quarters against Michigan State while Stocksdale was deployed deep as the punt returner for both of the Spartans’ fourth-quarter punts. Egbuka was the only Buckeye to actually return a punt against MSU, gaining one yard on his lone return.

Extra Point Block

Sonny Styles: 3
Denzel Burke: 2
Jerron Cage: 2
Steele Chambers: 2
Tommy Eichenberg: 2
Zach Harrison: 2
Ronnie Hickman: 2
Lathan Ransom: 2
J.T. Tuimoloau: 2
Tyleik Williams: 2
Cameron Brown: 1
Jyaire Brown: 1
Caden Curry: 1
Ty Hamilton: 1
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: 1
JK Johnson: 1
Josh Proctor: 1
Cody Simon: 1
Kye Stokes: 1
Ryan Turner: 1
Chip Trayanum: 1
Taron Vincent: 1

Styles took Tanner McCalister’s place in the lineup alongside Ohio State’s other defensive starters for each of Michigan State’s first two extra points, the first of which came after a pick-six. Otherwise, the players on the kick-blocking team were the same players who were on the field for the Spartans’ two offensive touchdowns.