Quick Hits: Josh Fryar Calls O-Line’s Week 1 Performance “Mediocre,” Steele Chambers Says Defense is “A Lot Closer” This Season and Davison Igbinosun Believes “The Silver Bullets Are Back”

Following the Buckeyes' midweek practice, Josh Fryar, Davison Igbinosun, Steele Chambers, Julian Fleming, Chip Trayanum, Jordan Hancock, Cade Stover and Jayden Fielding participated in individual press conferences on the Woody Hayes Athletic Center indoor field.

Among the many topics discussed in the interviews, Fryar called Ohio State's offensive line performance against Indiana “mediocre,” Chambers said the Buckeyes' defense is already “a lot closer” this season compared to last season and Igbinosun shared his belief that “the Silver Bullets are back” in 2023.

Videos from all eight media sessions and bullet-point recaps of what each of those Ohio State players had to say can be found below.

RT Josh Fryar

• Fryar called Ohio State’s offensive line play on Saturday “mediocre.” He continued: “But at the same time, I don’t think a lot of people take into account that it’s the first week. You don’t know what they are running. You (only) have previous film.” Fryar added that Indiana has former Ohio State assistant Matt Guerrieri on its staff and added lots of transfers in the offseason, which made scouting the Hoosiers more difficult.
• When asked to summarize his previous description of the offensive line's efforts, Fryar said, “Mediocre, but we have a lot of stuff to improve on.”
• Fryar said “Week 1 to Week 2 should be a major difference” in Ohio State’s offensive line performance and the team’s overall performance on offense.
• Fryar said all of Ohio State’s offense line issues are correctable. “It’s more of a communication issue than anything… Indiana is going to a bowl game this year easily. They are gonna be a good team, a really good team, actually, with that defense. Everything is correctable. It was slight communication errors that we have to fix.”
• On being Ohio State’s only offensive lineman to grade out as a Champion: “You have to keep working. If you stop and sit on the top of the mountain and don’t keep climbing, somebody is going to get you real good.”

CB Davison Igbinosun

• Igbinosun said he was “nervous” after he was called for targeting on Ohio State’s first defensive possession. Igbinosun mentioned that he “started praying” the call would be reversed, and after the replay review, the penalty was overturned.
• On his performance against Indiana: “I thought I played OK. … I gave up a couple of tackles. I don’t want to give up any tackles.” Igbinosun said he was a little too physical with Indiana’s receivers, which led to a pass interference call that extended a drive for the Hoosiers in the season opener.
• On how he will handle balancing physical play with technical play: “Now that I know (pass interferences and flags) have occurred, I will probably start running with the receivers' (in their) routes rather than being overly physical.”
• Igbinosun said Ohio State’s defensive performance wasn’t surprising: “It all started in practice. … It translated to the first game of the season.”
• Igbinosun said Ohio State’s cornerbacks are still working to earn the moniker of BIA. However, he thinks the Buckeyes’ defense has earned the nickname of the “Silver Bullets.” He said: “I personally feel like the Silver Bullets are back.”
• Igbinosun said Ohio State’s defensive line is the favorite part of the Buckeyes’ defense. He said Ohio State’s defensive ends and defensive tackles made life easier for Ohio State’s cornerbacks and safeties against Indiana with the way they got after the quarterback and caused disruption in the backfield.

LB Steele Chambers

• Chambers was not happy to see Indiana come out in a triple-option look Saturday. “I didn’t say anything to Tommy (Eichenberg), but I looked at him and I was pretty pissed. A whole bunch of work (in practice), we saw two triple-option plays.”
• Responding to the scheme was a matter of communicating well with the coaching staff and then executing on the field, Chambers said. He added that he doesn’t feel it’s something the defense would have been able to do a year ago.
• Chambers is among the Ohio State defenders disappointed the team allowed three points against Indiana. “We’re a lot closer, I think, as a defense compared to last year. Our mindset going into every single game is, ‘Don’t let up any points.’”
• On what’s different from year one to year two starting alongside Eichenberg: “I think our communication has gotten a lot better. I know that’s something I struggled with last year.”
• Ohio State’s defense would have been running around “like a chicken with its head cut off” last year for at least a half if a team came out with an unexpected triple option look, Chambers said. “We just understand the defense more. Last year, if you asked me to fit the fullback in a triple option, I would have no idea what I’m doing. Probably just end up on my ass or something.”
• On the versatility Chip Trayanum has shown at running back since switching over from linebacker: “It’s not surprising. It’s Chip. If you see him, he’s probably walking around here with his shirt off, he looks shredded. Dude’s just an athlete.”
• Chambers referred to Malik Hartford as a “sparkplug.” “All during camp, he was all over the ball, bunch of picks, forcing fumbles. He’s a lot better than I was as a freshman.”
• Making an early open-field tackle against the Hoosiers was a confidence boost for Chambers. “We do that drill out here in practice every Tuesday, then the third play of the season, it happens. It just shows you that the stuff you do out here on the practice field really translates to the game.”
• On how he reflects on his early days as part of Ohio State’s running back room: “Life sucked back then, man. I was playing running back, I wasn’t doing anything. I didn’t have a dog or anything. So I was just sitting around sulking.”

WR Julian Fleming

• On Ohio State’s offense: “We started off a little slower than we expected. With the run game and passing game, we were just building that comfortability and it was a feeling out process for the first quarter considering they had so many transfers and wondering what scheme they were going to run compared to last year. I’m excited for our team as a whole to build week by week.”
• Fleming said while Ohio State would like to have established a rhythm, goal No. 1 was to win the game, and he expects the team to keep building as the season goes on.
• On the quarterbacks: “We’ve built (chemistry) with both of them as the season goes on. I think they’re pushing each other week by week and they’re pushing each other to be better leaders. They’re both going to continue to improve.”
• On Carnell Tate: “It was awesome for him (to get out there), he’s put in all the work. He’s a freshman but doesn’t carry himself like a freshman. He’s got a really bright future and I’m excited for him.
• On Kyle McCord: “I think he did really well. He showed leadership qualities and I thought it was a good first game for him with a lot to build on. He stays calm under pressure, he threw a pick at one point and came back the next drive ready to go. Seeing him build that poise was really good.”

RB Chip Trayanum

• After playing both running back and fullback against Indiana, Trayanum said he’s happy playing wherever the Buckeyes want to play him. “I just like being on the field regardless, and I’m a competitor. So whatever role I can compete and maximize on the field, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
• Trayanum said the hybrid role is something he has been working on since this summer. He said he’s spent time in the tight end room as well as with the running backs. He thinks his knowledge of the game is what enables him to succeed playing multiple roles.
• Asked if he’s just as happy lead blocking for a Miyan Williams touchdown run as he would be scoring one himself, Trayanum replied “Of course. We love to see each other succeed. I mean, as long as somebody in the running back room is on the field, doing the job, succeeding, that just reflects us as a whole, as a unit.”
• Trayanum said he had never played fullback before the Indiana game. He said he doesn’t know what he would have thought if he had been told a year ago that he’d be playing fullback now, but said “I love my role here, because I love my brothers. So whatever the role’s called for, that’s what I’m gonna fulfill and I’m gonna do my due diligence 110%.”
• Trayanum, whose full name is DeaMonte, said the nickname “Chip” came from being called “Blue-Chip” when he was eight years old. He said he “carries a chip on my shoulder every play, every snap, every game.”
• Trayanum said Ryan Day has preached execution all week after the offense scored only two touchdowns in Week 1.
• Trayanum said he was grateful for the praise he received on social media from Maurice Clarett, especially since they’re both from Northeast Ohio, “but I mean, it’s Week 1. I got to build on it.”

CB Jordan Hancock

• Hancock said he expected Indiana to pass a lot more than it did in Week 1 because of what they had seen from the Hoosiers previously, but said it was “weird” that Indiana came out in a speed option instead.
• On staying focused as a cornerback despite most of the plays being run plays: “You have to take it play by play. You don’t want to get out there and look bad. They could hit you with anything on any play.”
• On being healthy to start the year: “It felt really good to be able to explode, read routes and be out there with a lot of confidence.”
• On Indiana running the option: “They really caught us off guard. For me I like hitting though, so no matter if they ran Wing-T or speed option, I’ll be excited to play against that challenge.”
• On Davison Igbinosun: “He’s very physical. He’s got that dog mentality in him. He clamps down on the outside so I’m happy to have him on my team.”
• On Ohio State's defensive line: “We saw everything that we saw in fall camp, a lot of people out there making plays. We had a great rotation so all those guys were fresh. They made my job a lot easier.”
• On Ohio State rotating between cornerbacks: “It helps a lot keeping our legs fresh. Everybody stays locked in and maybe will see something from the sideline we wouldn’t see in the game. We just move from there.”
• On if he expects to play some nickel this week: “I’m not too sure, but if they throw me in there I’ll be ready.”

TE Cade Stover

• Stover’s expectation isn’t to approach 100 yards every game this season, even after a six-catch, 98-yard performance in Week 1. “I’m just going to catch whatever they throw me and get whatever yards they give me.”
• Tight ends coach Keenan Bailey gets credit for Stover’s development as a route runner, he said.
• On how it felt to notice his progress on film: “Seeing what you do in the sand out there in the summer come to life a little bit, when that happens it’s nice to see. But then again, if you only do it one time it doesn’t do you much good, so I’m going to try to keep stacking (games).”
• On his 49-yard reception against Indiana: “It was a good play-action play call, got the linebackers to bite. I got lucky, got put in a good position to do well.”
• Stover feels that quarterbacks Kyle McCord and Devin Brown do a good job shutting out fan criticism. “As much as fans want to think that they are qualified enough to call plays and come out there and do our job, good for them, but I can promise you that nobody here cares at all about what they say. We appreciate all their support and everything else, but when it comes down to the X’s and O’s, they don’t see the thousands of reps that we’re putting in and Kyle and Devin, those guys are putting in.”
• On whether McCord settled in during the second half Saturday: “I felt like he was settled in most of the game. We’ve got to protect a little better up front and make things easier for him, but the situation that he had, I think he played a hell of a game and I’m happy to see Week 1 to Week 2 strides and Week 2 to Week 3 strides and from then on out.”

K Jayden Fielding

• Fielding said being Ohio State’s starting kicker is “a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to play big-time college football, and there’s no place to do it like Ohio State. It’s the best in the country. Best players in the country, best coaches, just the best environment, too.”
• He said he “felt really, really comfortable” after making his first field goal, a 40-yarder just before halftime.
• After his name was pronounced “Felding” on Saturday’s TV broadcast, Jayden confirmed that his name is in fact pronounced “Fielding, like in baseball.”
• Fielding said Parker Lewis “really pushed me to be a better kicker” as they competed for the starting kicker job this offseason. “Parker’s a great kicker, and I feel like I had to prove myself every day.”
• Fielding said he chose to walk on at Ohio State last year because “I’ve always bet on myself.” He said he wants to emulate Xavier Johnson’s story of starting his Ohio State career as a walk-on and becoming a valuable player for the Buckeyes.
• Fielding said he feels comfortable kicking field goals anywhere inside of 60 yards. He said his longest field goal in high school was 55 yards.