Ohio State football WRs Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate out vs. Rutgers

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Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will not play against Rutgers on Nov. 22, according to Ohio State’s weekly availability report.

The Buckeyes listed both of their star wide receivers as out on the report released before kickoff against the Scarlet Knights. The nature of their injuries remains undisclosed.

It is the first time that Smith has been unavailable in his career with the Buckeyes, though he was limited in last week’s win over UCLA.

Smith played just 22 snaps against the Bruins and was done by the end of the second quarter. He caught four passes for 40 yards, including a one-handed grab on the opening series, before making an early exit. He was later seen limping on the sideline at Ohio Stadium.

Tate will be out for a third straight game, a stretch that began in a win at Purdue on Nov. 8. Coach Ryan Day said he suffered an injury while warming up before the game and described his absence at the time as a precautionary measure. 

While Tate sat out against the Boilermakers, he remained on the sideline in uniform. He wore street clothes while he was out last week against UCLA.

Brandon Inniss, the Buckeyes’ starting slot receiver, had a team-high six receptions for 30 yards while they were shorthanded at wide receiver against the Bruins.

Day has not offered a timetable for the return of Smith or Tate. He said earlier this week that they were taking it day-to-day with the injured receivers. When asked if he had long-term concerns about their health, he said no.

Smith and Tate are seen as two of the best receivers in college football. They were named among 13 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which recognizes the nation’s top player at the position.

They should have enough on offense against Rutgers, which ranks last in the Big Ten in total defense and is one of only three teams in the conference that allows 30 or more points per game.

But questions loom over Smith and Tate as the Buckeyes visit archrival Michigan on Nov. 29 and are looking to snap their longest losing streak in the series in more than three decades. They previously lost four in a row from 1988-91.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow along on Bluesky, Instagram and X for more.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate out for Ohio State football vs. Rutgers

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