Ohio State will be without tight end Bennett Christian and offensive linemen Jaxon Powell and Vasean Washington against Illinois on Sept. 26.
They were the Buckeyes’ three players designated as out on the initial Big Ten availability report for their conference opener this week.
Running back Anthony Rogers, wide receiver Kyle Parker, offensive linemen Ian Gecse and Phillip Daniels and defensive end Zion Grady were listed as questionable.
Neither running back Legend Bey, who tweaked an ankle early in last week’s win over Kent State, nor defensive tackle James Smith, who wascarted off the field later against the Golden Flashes, appeared on the report, indicating that they are in line to be available when the Buckeyes host the Illini for the first
time since 2017.
The availability report was released on Sept. 23 as part of the Big Ten’s expanded availability reporting process.
Schools are to release four availability reports per week for conference games, including a final submission that is made public two hours before kickoff. They had only been required to release a pregame report in previous years.
Christian is the most notable player to be ruled out against Illinois as the fifth-year senior has played the second-most snaps among the Buckeyes’ tight ends through three games, most often to provide run-blocking support. It wasn't immediately clear what issue is to sideline Christian this week. The report only lists their status, not their injury.
The Buckeyes were without Daniels and Grady, both of them starters, against Kent State after they went down with unspecified injuries at Texas.
The absence of Daniels prompted the Buckeyes to reconfigure the right side of the offensive line, moving Austin Siereveld over to tackle in place of Daniels and Gabe VanSickle stepping in at guard for Siereveld. Qua Russaw was the starting defensive end for Grady. The lines could reprise similar configurations if they’re again out.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football to be without tight end Bennett Christian against Illinois
