Snap Counts: Josh Fryar, Will Howard, Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles Lead Ohio State in Snaps for National Championship Season

Right tackle Josh Fryar played the most snaps of any Buckeye, starting all 16 games at right tackle for a total of 928 snaps over the course of Ohio State’s national championship season. Quarterback Will Howard played the second-most snaps among all Buckeyes with 912. Safety Caleb Downs joined them in the 900-snap club, leading all Ohio State defenders by playing 910 snaps for the season.

Four other Buckeyes played more than 800 snaps in 2024: linebacker Sonny Styles (894), safety Lathan Ransom (819), left tackle/left guard Donovan Jackson (816) and cornerback Davison Igbinosun (807). 

Six more Buckeyes joined them in the 700-snap club: linebacker Cody Simon (797), right guard Tegra Tshabola (774), wide receivers Jeremiah Smith (774) and Emeka Egbuka (756) and cornerbacks Jordan Hancock (730) and Denzel Burke (717). Defensive end Jack Sawyer (697) and wide receiver Carnell Tate (691) finished just below the 700-snap threshold while defensive linemen Ty Hamilton (668) and JT Tuimoloau (664) also came in above 650 snaps. The only defensive starter who played fewer than 600 snaps for the season was defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (583), and he finished just shy of that number despite missing three games with injuries.

Carson Hinzman (597) also played nearly 600 snaps even though he didn’t become a starter until Ohio State’s eighth game of the season, and Seth McLaughlin played 565 snaps despite missing the season’s final six games with a torn Achilles. Gee Scott Jr. played 548 snaps as Ohio State’s No. 1 tight end. Austin Siereveld played 495 snaps despite never becoming a full-time starter at guard, while running backs TreVeyon Henderson (490) and Quinshon Judkins (442) also played more than 400 snaps despite splitting the workload in Ohio State’s backfield all season long.

Our belated final Snap Counts article of the season comes after a 34-23 national championship game win over Notre Dame in which 51 total Buckeyes saw game action. Eighteen total Buckeyes saw playing time on offense while 21 Buckeyes got in the game on defense and another 12 played on special teams on college football’s biggest stage. The only Buckeyes who played in Ohio State’s College Football Playoff semifinal win over Texas that didn’t play in the national championship game were wide receiver Bryson Rodgers and defensive backs Bryce West and Keenan Nelson Jr.; walk-on safety Brenten “Inky” Jones returned to action for one snap on special teams against Notre Dame after not playing in the Rose Bowl or Cotton Bowl.

Below, we recap the snap counts for every unit from the Buckeyes’ national championship game win, using snap data from Pro Football Focus. In the tables, you can see how many snaps every Buckeye played on offense or defense in every game and for the entire 2024 season, along with a summary of which Buckeyes played the most snaps on special teams for the year.

Quarterbacks

Will Howard: 64

Howard played every snap of the game at quarterback for the third straight game to finish the season and the seventh time overall against Notre Dame. He saved one of his best games as a Buckeye for last, completing 14 of 15 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns before halftime on his way to completing 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions while also running for 57 yards to lead the Buckeyes to points on six of their eight possessions.

RELATED Breaking Down Will Howard’s Superb Performance in Ohio State’s National Championship Win Over Notre Dame

Running Backs

TreVeyon Henderson: 41
Quinshon Judkins: 22

Henderson played nearly twice as many snaps as Judkins in their final game as a Buckeye; Henderson played his third-highest snap count of the year in the national championship game while Judkins tied his second-lowest of the season. That didn’t stop Judkins from having his biggest game as a Buckeye on the biggest stage, as he touched the ball on more than half of his snaps in the game and had 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries plus two catches for 21 yards and another score.

Both running backs finished the national championship game with exactly 13 touches, with Henderson rushing for 49 yards on 12 carries and catching one pass that went for no gain.

Wide Receivers

Jeremiah Smith: 62
Emeka Egbuka: 54
Carnell Tate: 43
Brandon Inniss: 6
David Adolph: Special teams only

Smith finished his freshman year by playing his third 60-snap game of the season, catching five passes for 88 yards including the game’s first touchdown and the 56-yard deep ball that effectively clinched victory for Ohio State.

Egbuka played the second-most snaps among wide receivers in his final game as a Buckeye, catching a team-high six passes for 64 yards, breaking Ohio State’s school record for receptions and surpassing the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the second time in his career in the process.

Tate was on the field for just two-thirds of Ohio State’s offensive snaps against Notre Dame, catching two passes for 35 yards.

The only other wide receiver to see action on offense in the national championship game was Inniss. Half of his six snaps came in four-receiver sets, with one of those three plays resulting in a 19-yard catch for Inniss’ 14th and final reception of the season.

Tight Ends

Will Kacmarek: 38
Gee Scott Jr.: 31
Bennett Christian: 13
Jelani Thurman: 7
Patrick Gurd: 3

After playing no more than 25 snaps in any game during the regular season, Kacmarek played more than 30 snaps in all four of Ohio State’s College Football Playoff games, including a season-high 38 snaps in the national championship game. Both Scott and Kacmarek started at tight end against Notre Dame, with both of them playing more than 30 snaps for the third time in four CFP games.

Thurman and Gurd each played exclusively in formations where Ohio State had at least three tight ends on the field against Notre Dame, with Gurd playing all three of his snaps as a fullback. Christian also played primarily in multi-tight end sets, making key blocks on both of Judkins’ touchdown runs, though he also played a few snaps as the only tight end on the field.

Offensive Linemen

Donovan Jackson: 64
Carson Hinzman: 64
Josh Fryar: 64
Luke Montgomery: 64
Tegra Tshabola: 37
Austin Siereveld: 27
George Fitzpatrick: Special teams only
Joshua Padilla: Special teams only

Montgomery started and played every snap at left guard for a second game in a row to cap off the season. Tshabola started at right guard as he did in all 16 of Ohio State’s games but rotated with Siereveld throughout the national championship game as they also did in the Cotton Bowl.

Jackson, Hinzman and Fryar each played every snap of the game at their respective positions of left tackle, center and right tackle for a third consecutive contest to close out the season, leading to Fryar finishing the season as Ohio State’s 2024 snaps leader.

Defensive Ends

Jack Sawyer: 50
JT Tuimoloau: 49
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.: 15
Mitchell Melton: 8
Caden Curry: 6

Sawyer played upwards of 50 snaps for the fifth time of the season in the national championship game, recording three tackles in his final game as a Buckeye.

Despite suffering an ankle injury in the Cotton Bowl, Tuimoloau played 49 snaps – his fifth-highest snap count of the season – in his final game as a Buckeye, recording five tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack to cap off his dominant College Football Playoff run.

Jackson, Melton and Curry each played their lowest snap counts of the CFP against Notre Dame, but Jackson still recorded two tackles with one tackle for loss as he led all backup defensive ends in playing time for a fifth straight game to end the year.

Defensive Tackles

Tyleik Williams: 47
Ty Hamilton: 47
Eddrick Houston: 11
Kayden McDonald: 8
Hero Kanu: 3
Tywone Malone Jr.: 2

Hamilton and Williams both played exactly 47 snaps in their final game as a Buckeye with Williams recording four tackles and one tackle for loss.

Houston was the only backup defensive tackle to play double-digit snaps for the third straight game to end the season. He recorded two tackles in his 11 plays in the game spelling Williams at 3-technique.

Linebackers

Cody Simon: 63
Sonny Styles: 63
Arvell Reese: 6
C.J. Hicks: Special teams only
Payton Pierce: Special teams only
Joey Velazquez: Special teams only

Simon and Styles each played every defensive snap against Notre Dame as they did in all of Ohio State’s final three games of the season. As was the case throughout the CFP, Ohio State only used its three-linebacker package sparingly against the Fighting Irish, with Reese  subbing in for just six plays, recording a tackle for loss on one of them.

Cornerbacks

Jordan Hancock: 58
Denzel Burke: 54
Davison Igbinosun: 49
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 23
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 5

Hancock played 58-plus snaps in all four of Ohio State’s College Football Playoff games as the Buckeyes rarely took him off the field in the CFP, utilizing him as both a slot cornerback and as a safety in their 4-2-5 defense. He recorded three tackles with one pass breakup in his final game as a Buckeye.

Burke returned to the lineup after missing the second half of the Cotton Bowl with a shoulder injury and played all but nine snaps at outside cornerback in his final game as a Buckeye. Mathews took Burke’s place in the lineup for nine plays while he also took Igbinosun’s place in the lineup for 14 snaps as Ohio State’s No. 3 outside cornerback.

Styles played five snaps in obvious passing situations as a sixth defensive back in Ohio State’s dime package, recording two tackles against the team he played wide receiver for before transferring to Ohio State in 2023.

Safeties

Caleb Downs: 63
Lathan Ransom: 63
Malik Hartford: Special teams only
Brenten “Inky” Jones: Special teams only
Jaylen McClain: Special teams only

For the fifth time in the season, Downs and Ransom were the only two safeties (excluding Hancock) to see playing time on defense as both of them played every snap in the Buckeyes’ season finale. Downs recorded five tackles and Ransom had three tackles in the national championship victory.

Extra Points/Field Goals

Jayden Fielding (kicker): 6
Joe McGuire (punter): 6
John Ferlmann (long snapper): 6
Bennett Christian: 6
George Fitzpatrick: 6
Josh Fryar: 6
Donovan Jackson: 6
Luke Montgomery: 6
Joshua Padilla: 6
Jelani Thurman: 6
Tegra Tshabola: 6

Fielding finished the season on a high note, making both of his field goal attempts – a 46-yard kick and a game-clinching 33-yarder – along with four extra points to help lead Ohio State to the national title.

Jayden Fielding is a DAWG #PMSCFPNATTYESPN2 pic.twitter.com/eQvp1fy3Rh

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 21, 2025

Kickoffs

Jayden Fielding (kicker): 7
Denzel Burke: 7
Jordan Hancock: 7
Malik Hartford: 7
C.J. Hicks: 7
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 7
Jaylen McClain: 7
Payton Pierce: 7
Arvell Reese: 7
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 7
Caden Curry: 5
Patrick Gurd: 2

Fielding finished the season strong on kickoffs, too, sending all seven of them into the end zone for touchbacks.

Kickoff Returns

Emeka Egbuka (returner): 4
Brandon Inniss: 4
Gee Scott Jr.: 4
David Adolph: 3
Bennett Christian: 3
Patrick Gurd: 3
C.J. Hicks: 3
Jaylen McClain: 3
Payton Pierce: 3
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 3
Joey Velazquez: 3
TreVeyon Henderson (returner): 1
Caden Curry: 1
Caleb Downs: 1
Lathan Ransom: 1
Cody Simon: 1
Jeremiah Smith: 1
Sonny Styles: 1
Carnell Tate: 1

As he did for most of the 2024 season, Egbuka handled kickoff return duties against Notre Dame – though he didn’t actually return any kicks – with the exception of the Fighting Irish’s final kickoff, where Egbuka was on the hands team for a potential onside kick and Henderson lined up deep, ultimately fielding a squib kick at the 16-yard line and returning it eight yards to prevent Notre Dame from stealing a possession.

Punts

Joe McGuire (punter): 1
John Ferlmann (long snapper): 1
Caden Curry: 1
Caleb Downs: 1
C.J. Hicks: 1
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 1
Lathan Ransom: 1
Gee Scott Jr.: 1
Cody Simon: 1
Sonny Styles: 1
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 1

Ohio State only needed McGuire to punt once in the national championship game. His final punt of the season traveled 51 yards to the 10-yard line, though it was returned for a 10-yard gain before Lorenzo Styles Jr. made a tackle.

Punt Blocks/Returns

Caleb Downs (returner): 2
Denzel Burke: 2
Lathan Ransom: 2
David Adolph: 1
Caden Curry: 1
Ty Hamilton: 1
C.J. Hicks: 1
Brandon Inniss (returner): 1
Brenten "Inky" Jones: 1
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 1
Jaylen McClain: 1
Arvell Reese: 1
Gee Scott Jr.: 1
Cody Simon: 1
Sonny Styles: 1
JT Tuimoloau: 1
Tyleik Williams: 1

Downs and Inniss continued to split punt return duties in the national championship game as they did for much of the 2024 season, with each of them fielding one of Notre Dame’s two punts.

Extra Point Block

Denzel Burke: 2
Caleb Downs: 2
Davison Igbinosun: 2
Lathan Ransom: 2
Arvell Reese: 2
Jack Sawyer: 2
Cody Simon: 2
Sonny Styles: 2
JT Tuimoloau: 2
Tyleik Williams: 2
Ty Hamilton: 1
Kayden McDonald: 1

Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter made just one extra point – the Fighting Irish went for two on each of their two subsequent touchdowns – with his lone field goal attempt against the Buckeyes doinking off the left upright from just 27 yards away.