Ja’Had Carter went down with a right leg injury during Ohio State’s Student Appreciation Day scrimmage at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center Saturday.
The Syracuse transfer safety needed the help of two trainers to limp off the field after a 7-on-7 play and initially didn’t appear able to bear weight on his injured leg. Carter eventually came back onto the field under his own strength, but didn’t return to action and continued to favor his right leg.
After practice, Ryan Day said Carter sustained a knee injury but remains hopeful it won’t be a long-term issue following positive indications from the Buckeye medical staff’s early inspection. However, Day said Ohio State won’t be certain about the severity until Carter undergoes further evaluations.
“It's never good. The first thing you ask is, ‘How stable is that knee?’ We got good information back,” Day said. “We'll have to get it evaluated, but you hold your breath, because just don't know how stable that knee is until (he gets further testing). It felt like it was. We'll get it evaluated for sure, make sure we cross every T on this thing and dot every I. But you hold your breath in moments like this. That play was in seven-on-seven, so we try to have as many controlled situations as possible. But we also want to play the game. So it's back and forth.”
Day commended Carter, who has mostly seen reps as a second-team nickel safety this spring, for his early progress at Ohio State and hopes Carter can get back on the field in short order.
“Ja'Had's had a really good spring and hopefully we'll get him back here soon,” Day said.
