Ohio State will have one of its largest Senior Day ceremonies ever on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
Thirty-one seniors will participate in Ohio State’s Senior Day ceremony at Ohio Stadium ahead of its final game of the regular season against Michigan.
The honorees include 15 of Ohio State’s 22 primary starters this season: quarterback Will Howard, running back TreVeyon Henderson, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, tight end Gee Scott Jr., offensive linemen Donovan Jackson, Seth McLaughlin and Josh Fryar, defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, defensive tackles Ty Hamilton and Tyleik Williams, linebacker Cody Simon, cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock and safety Lathan Ransom.
The list of honorees also includes former Ohio State linebacker Kourt Williams and tight end Zak Herbstreit, who were forced to medically retire from football but have maintained an active presence around the team even though their careers ended early.
The full list of Buckeyes who will be honored on Senior Day in the order they will be introduced to the crowd at Ohio Stadium:
- LB Joey Velazquez
- P Hadi Jawad
- K Casey Magyar
- TE Jace Middleton
- K Austin Snyder
- DL Cade Casto
- WR Joop Mitchell
- LS Max Lomonico
- LS Collin Johnson
- QB Chad Ray
- DT Bryce Prater
- LB Jalen Pace
- TE Zak Herbstreit
- OL Toby Wilson
- C Seth McLaughlin
- QB Will Howard
- LB Kourt Williams
- TE Pat Gurd
- CB Jordan Hancock
- TE Gee Scott Jr.
- CB Denzel Burke
- RT Josh Fryar
- DT Ty Hamilton
- S Lathan Ransom
- LT Donovan Jackson
- DT Tyleik Williams
- DE JT Tuimoloau
- DE Jack Sawyer
- RB TreVeyon Henderson
- WR Emeka Egbuka
- LB Cody Simon
eet The Seniors pic.twitter.com/8zuJw3mN30
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 30, 2024
Eight players who are listed as seniors on Ohio State’s roster will not go through Senior Day festivities on Saturday: wide receivers Jayden Ballard and Reis Stocksdale, tight end Will Kacmarek, offensive tackles Zen Michalski and Josh Simmons, defensive tackle Tywone Malone Jr., cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. and long snapper John Ferlmann. While their decisions not to participate in Senior Day don’t guarantee that all of them will be back with the Buckeyes next season, all of them still have another year of collegiate eligibility.
As for the Buckeyes who are participating in Senior Day, Saturday will be the final time they play in Ohio Stadium unless the Buckeyes host a first-round College Football Playoff game. That will make it an emotional day for all of them, but Ryan Day has instructed them all year to make sure they don’t let their emotions get in the way on Senior Day as Ohio State looks to achieve its first major goal of the season by beating Michigan for the first time since 2019.
“We talk all the time on Friday nights over at the golf course that I don't want to hear about it the night of the team up north game or the day of or anything like that or see any tears, because you have an opportunity to be thankful and grateful every time you walk out on this field during your entire year. And use every moment during this season to leave your legacy behind, don't wait ’til the last game to let all that emotion show,” Day said. “And I think our guys are going to do that because I think an important part of this game is keeping your emotions in check. Playing as hard as you possibly can, but relying on the training that's led you to this point and not let the moment get so big that you can get your emotions out of whack.”
Sawyer said this week that he expects to “see a bunch of tears from my mom running out of the tunnel” on Senior Day, but there’s nothing he wants more in his final home game as a Buckeye than to earn the win over Michigan that’s eluded him and his teammates for the past three years.
“This is the reason why we come to Ohio State. Growing up in Columbus, I feel like I’ve said it 1,000 times, but this is what you do it for, these games, and it would mean everything to this program and Coach Day and all the guys that have been here for the last four years,” Sawyer said of what it would mean to beat Michigan on Senior Day.
Howard will take a moment to appreciate playing in Ohio Stadium for the final time, as he says becoming a Buckeye this year has been “everything I could have asked for and more,” but he isn’t viewing Saturday as an ending since the Buckeyes still have aspirations of playing in the Big Ten Championship Game (which they will if they beat Michigan) and the CFP.
“I know this may be my last game in Ohio Stadium, but it's not my last game as a Buckeye,“ Howard said. “We still have plenty of things to take care of. We're far from done. But it has been just amazing. And I love the Shoe. I love this place, man. And I'll be a Buckeye forever.”
