Two Ohio State wideouts who have to step up for the Buckeyes due to injuries

The Buckeyes will have to see other receivers take on a bigger role with the offense if Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate miss time.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Brandon Inniss (1) catches a ball in front of UCLA Bruins defensive back Cole Martin (21) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 15, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Its that point in the season where injuries start to riddle teams.

And the Ohio State Buckeyes are no exception.

On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Buckeyes, who took on UCLA, were without wideout Carnell Tate due to a lower body injury, while counterpart Jeremiah Smith looked banged up following an early exit in the game. Even with such critical members of the offense missing, the Buckeyes continued their streak of dominance offensively, leaving with a 48-10 win.

However, if Tate and Smith are going to be limited or out for any of the games in 2025, the team is going to have to have other wideout weapons step up in their place.

Fortunately, Smith's injury doesn't look to be serious, but the Buckeyes' coaching staff wants to ensure they are being smart with him.

“We just wanted to make sure that we were being really smart with him as we know what's coming down the road here,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said.

Two options that played strong in place of Tate and Smith were second-year wideouts Bryson Rodgers and Brandon Inniss.

Ohio State held out Carnell Tate (undisclosed injury) vs. Iowa, but fellow 2nd-year WRs Bryson Rodgers & Brandon Inniss stepped up.

Rodgers converted a 3rd-and-7 in Q1 (contested catch), and Inniss moved the sticks on a 4th-and-3 in Q3.

Both plays kept scoring drives alive. pic.twitter.com/pLj13Ga6Y9

— Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom) October 8, 2024

Inniss has been the No. 3 wideout behind Smith and Tate in 2025, hauling in 27 catches for 210 yards and one touchdown. He's currently averaging 7.8 yards per catch, the lowest of any offensive target for the Buckeyes that has 60 or more yards receiving on the season.

Prior to the injuries, Inniss was used in short-yardage situations and targeted within the sticks. But now, his role is going to take a pretty big jump forward.

Against UCLA, he hauled in a season-high six catches for 30 yards. He also rushed once for five yards.

Just like Inniss, Rodgers took a jump in production against the Bruins. He recorded his first career touchdown in the second quarter, finishing the game with two catches for 27 yards and one score.

Both Rodgers and Inniss, who have been underutilized since joining the program last season, might finally get a chance to shine as the tail end of the season approaches. Even if Tate and Smith are relatively healthy moving into this weekend, they will more than likely see limited reps, meaning the two will have to be ready for their roles to be increased.

Prior to injury, Smith and Tate recorded an incredible total of 1,613 combined yards on 108 catches for 17 total touchdowns. Tate is currrently averaging a team-high 18.2 yards per reception with Smith just behind at 13.1.

Both wideouts are expected to be first round selections in the next two NFL Drafts.

While their presences will certainly be missed if they are ruled out for a bit of time, the Buckeyes should be in good hands with Inniss and Rodgers for the meantime.

The Buckeyes are next looking to take on Rutgers from The Shoe on Saturday, Nov. 22, with kickoff slated for an early 12:00 p.m.

The Buckeyes lead the all-time series against Rutgers, 10-0, with the last matchup from Ohio Stadium resulting in a 49-10 victory.