Another week, another blowout victory for Ohio State. This time, Marshall was on the receiving end of the beating. Which Buckeyes had the best game? We have our opinion of who performed the best, you likely have your favorites. Another such set of opinions comes from Pro Football Focus, which grades every player after every game based on how they perform on a snap-to-snap basis.
We compiled the PFF grades for every Buckeye who played on either offense or defense in the season opener and highlight the five highest-graded players – all of whom were on the offensive side of the ball – who played at least 10 snaps against Marshall.
1. LG Donovan Jackson (86.6)
Good things come to those who wait; that saying proved true for Jackson and Ohio State on Saturday. Of linemen who played at least 35 snaps in Week 4, Jackson ranked fifth in the nation with his PFF grade of 86.6. His grade of 88.1 over 22 run-blocking plays against Marshall ranked 11th in the country.
Donovan Jackson, Josh Simmons and Carnell Tate put in work here https://t.co/lCsNgJgYme
— Andy Anders (@AndyAnders55) September 21, 2024
2. OT George Fitzpatrick (86.3)
You might see a theme in this week's rankings as the second of three offensive linemen is in the top five. Like Jackson, Fitzpatrick received high grades for his performance against the Thundering Herd. He was on the field for limited snaps, but PFF ranked him 14th in the country with a run-blocking grade of 86.9.
3. RB TreVeyon Henderson (85.3)
Henderson cracks PFF's top five for Ohio State's players for the first time this season. The speedy back added a physical element to his running style and earned a rushing grade of 87.2, good for sixth in the country and second in the Big Ten behind Indiana's Kaelon Black in Week 4.
4. OT Zen Michalski (84.5)
PFF was impressed with Ohio State's run blocking as Michalski is the third Buckeye ranked in the site's top 15 in the category for Week 4. Ohio State was the only team from the Power 4 to have three players ranked in the top 15 for run blocking in Week 4.
5. RB Quinshon Judkins (79.7)
Judkins, who was PFF's top-rated Buckeye against Western Michigan, had the nation's second-longest running play on Saturday. His 86-yard touchdown run was behind only Jordan Lyle's 91-yard run for Miami against South Florida. Judkins and Henderson, who jointly earned Ohio State’s offensive player of the game honors, are currently living up to the high expectations fans and coaches had for the dynamic duo.
Offensive Ratings By Position
Quarterbacks
Will Howard: 63.8 (23 snaps)
Devin Brown: 62.1 (13 snaps)
Running Backs
TreVeyon Henderson: 85.3 (20 snaps)
Quinshon Judkins: 79.7 (27 snaps)
James Peoples: 63.1 (13 snaps)
Wide Receivers
Emeka Egbuka: 77.6 (26 snaps)
Carnell Tate: 71.8 (35 snaps)
David Adolph: 68.8 (8 snaps)
Jeremiah Smith: 63.1 (32 snaps)
Brandon Inniss: 55.3 (17 snaps)
Kojo Antwi: 54.9 (8 snaps)
Bryson Rodgers: 49.3 (15 snaps)
Jayden Ballard: 38.8 (5 snaps)
Tight Ends
Will Kacmarek: 62.4 (7 snaps)
Jelani Thurman: 54.5 (21 snaps)
Patrick Gurd: 54.0 (9 snaps)
Bennett Christian: 53.6 (12 snaps)
Gee Scott Jr.: 44.8 (17 snaps)
Offensive Line
Donovan Jackson: 86.6 (45 snaps)
Zen Michalski: 84.5 (13 snaps)
Josh Simmons: 75.4 (45 snaps)
Luke Montgomery: 73.6 (13 snaps)
Austin Siereveld: 72.2 (26 snaps)
Seth McLaughlin: 66.3 (45 snaps)
Carson Hinzman: 61.4 (13 snaps)
Tegra Tshabola: 58.7 (32 snaps)
Josh Fryar: 52.6 (45 snaps)
| QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DE | DT | LB | CB | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Howard | TreVeyon Henderson | Emeka Egbuka | Jelani Thurman | Donovan Jackson | JT Tuimoloau | Tywone Malone Jr. | Cody Simon | Denzel Burke | Caleb Downs |
| 63.8 | 85.3 | 77.6 | 54.5 | 86.6 | 74.6 | 71.8 | 73.8 | 68.4 | 77.7 |
Defensive Ratings by Position
Defensive Ends
JT Tuimoloau: 74.6 (41 snaps)
Jack Sawyer: 70.8 (45 snaps)
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.: 65.8 (32 snaps)
Dominic Kirks: 60.4 (3 snaps)
Joshua Mickens: 60.0 (3 snaps)
Mitchell Melton: 58.8 (21 snaps)
Caden Curry: 55.2 (11 snaps)
Defensive Tackles
Tywone Malone Jr.: 71.8 (28 snaps)
Ty Hamilton: 63.5 (34 snaps)
Jason Moore: 63.3 (14 snaps)
Hero Kanu: 62.1 (26 snaps)
Eric Mensah: 60.0 (3 snaps)
Will Smith Jr.: 60.0 (7 snaps)
Kayden McDonald: 55.3 (22 snaps)
Linebackers
Cody Simon: 73.8 (42 snaps)
Arvell Reese: 72.1 (29 snaps)
Gabe Powers: 60.5 (3 snaps)
Payton Pierce: 60.0 (3 snaps)
C.J. Hicks: 58.8 (15 snaps)
Sonny Styles: 55.6 (54 snaps)
Cornerbacks
Denzel Burke: 68.4 (57 snaps)
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 68.0 (19 snaps)
Jordan Hancock: 67.7 (59 snaps)
Aaron Scott Jr.: 62.2 (8 snaps)
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 62.1 (11 snaps)
Davison Igbinosun: 61.6 (61 snaps)
Safeties
Caleb Downs: 77.7 (64 snaps)
Lathan Ransom: 77.4 (61 snaps)
Malik Hartford: 69.7 (8 snaps)
Jaylen McClain: 64.1 (8 snaps)
| GAME | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | DE Caden Curry (83.9) | DT Tyleik Williams (81.8) | DE Jack Sawyer (81.2) | CB Denzel Burke (78.5) | S Lathan Ransom (77.8) |
| WMU | RB Quinshon Judkins (92.6) | QB Devin Brown (89.1) | LB Cody Simon (86.3) | DE Jack Sawyer (85.2) | DT Ty Hamilton (83.2) |
| Marshall | G Donovan Jackson (86.6) | OT George Fitzpatrick (86.3) | RB TreVeyon Henderson (85.3) | OT Zen Michalski (84.5) | RB Quinshon Judkins (79.7) |
