It often feels like the Ohio State Buckeyes don’t need more than Jeremiah Smith at the wide receiver position.
On Saturday against the Maryland Terrapins, that’ll probably be true, but that doesn’t mean that Brandon Inniss and guys like him aren’t important.
Inniss, though, won’t be out there against the Terps on Saturday.
Less than two hours before kickoff against Maryland, Ohio State ruled Inniss out.
Why Isn’t Brandon Inniss Playing Today?
Brandon Inniss isn’t playing against Maryland due to an injury.
He was on the injury report as questionable during the week, then doubtful as of Friday, before being ruled out on Saturday.
The college injury reports don’t clarify the specific injury, and Inniss wasn’t known as a concern after last week’s win over Iowa, so there’s still some unknowns here.
Inniss is off to a solid start to the season. Through five games, he has 10 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown.
Buckeyes QB Julian Sayin has no problem simply chucking the ball up to Smith, so Inniss doesn’t get a ton of opportunity, but it’s crucial that he’s effective to put pressure on defenses away from Smith.
It won’t change how much attention Smith gets, but it gives Ohio State a good option in the long run.
Inniss being out also seems potentially part of a plan against a weaker opponent for the Buckeyes. They’ve got 12 players listed as out, a surprisingly high number, but this happened a bit last season too as OSU figures out a way to manage workloads before bigger games.
Ohio State WR Depth Chart
Inniss is either the No. 2 or 3 WR for Ohio State, depending on where you put Devin McCuin in the mix. The Buckeyes go three-wide a lot, anyway.
They’ll go deeper into the depth chart toward a bunch of younger players.
The high-end freshman Chris Henry Jr. should see the field more. Freshman Brock Boyd and redshirt freshman Phillip Bell could also be in the mix.
Ohio State also can rely on running backs Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson for additional action, probably with a big lead for much of the game.
Who is Out on Ohio State Injury Report?
The Ohio State injury report Saturday includes the following players listed as out:
- WR Brandon Inniss
- S Leroy Roker
- LB Christian Alliegro
- RB Anthony “Turbo” Rogers
- WR Amari Valerio-Hudson
- DE Khary Wilder
- OL Jaxon Powell
- OL Austin Siereveld
- OL Phillip Daniels
- OL Vasean Washington
Ohio State still has plenty of talent to handle the Terps.
Why Isn’t Brandon Inniss Playing Today? Injury News Impacts Ohio State WR Depth Chart