Ohio State’s cornerbacks face one of their biggest tests yet against Illinois’ Collin Dixon

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Ohio State has already seen plenty of elite wide receiver talent this season. Texas brought a loaded group into Austin, and the Buckeyes’ cornerbacks held their own for most of that matchup.

Freshman Jay Timmons made one of the biggest defensive plays of the game, forcing and recovering a fumble on the opening snap. Devin Sanchez followed with eight tackles, while Jermaine Mathews Jr. added five tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Now comes a very different challenge. Illinois wide receiver Collin Dixon has been the most productive touchdown machine in college football through three games.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound receiver has 25 catches for 367 yards and seven touchdowns, leading the nation in receiving TDs while ranking fourth nationally in receptions and sixth in receiving yards.

This is not some random three game breakout. Dixon was a three-star recruit out of Tallmadge, Ohio, where he produced back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons and finished his high school career with 201 catches, 3,561 yards and 43 touchdowns.

After redshirting in 2023, he immediately became a contributor at Illinois, catching 18 passes for 264 yards as a freshman in 2024. Last season, he took another step with 35 catches for 548 yards and five touchdowns while starting all 13 games.

The interesting part is how Illinois uses him. Dixon is not simply a vertical receiver waiting for deep shots. He has the ability to work both underneath and downfield, make plays after the catch and contribute as a blocker in Illinois’ screen and outside run game.

That makes this more complicated than simply asking Sanchez or Mathews to win a bunch of one on one jump balls, and not to get beat deep.

Illinois already showed what can happen when Dixon gets rolling. Against undefeated Duke in Week 2, Dixon exploded for 11 catches, 166 yards and three touchdowns, all career highs. His three receiving touchdowns tied the Illinois single-game record, and he became the first Illini ever to catch three touchdown passes in a single half.

Ohio State actually saw some of that ability last season. Dixon caught four passes for 46 yards and a touchdown against the Buckeyes in Illinois’ 34-16 loss, including a fourth-quarter score. The difference now is that he is no longer a complementary piece. He is the guy.

This is a huge measuring stick game for Ohio State’s corners

Dixon’s emergence has also been helped by the arrival of Katin Houser, and that connection might be the biggest reason Ohio State cannot afford to simply bracket Dixon on every snap.

Houser, a fifth-year transfer from East Carolina, entered the season with 26 career starts and more than 6,400 career passing yards. He threw for 3,300 yards, 19 touchdowns and just six interceptions at ECU in 2025, and he has carried that efficiency into his first season in Champaign.

Through three games, Houser is completing 74.1% of his passes with 758 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions, ranking 10th nationally in QBR.

That combination has been great so far this season for the Fighting Illini. They are 2-1 entering Saturday, with their only loss coming by four points to an undefeated Duke team. Dixon’s seven touchdowns have already broken Illinois’ single-season receiving touchdown record at Gies Memorial Stadium, through only three games.

For Ohio State, that puts the spotlight directly on a cornerback room that could become one of the deepest and most talented units in the country.

Devin Sanchez is the obvious name to watch. The former five-star and No. 5 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class was already impressive as a freshman, finishing with 15 tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery. He started against Illinois last year and recorded five tackles and a pass breakup. This year, he has taken a massive step forward, including an eight-tackle performance against Texas.

Then there is Jermaine Mathews Jr., the veteran of the group. A 2025 Third Team All-Big Ten selection, Mathews started all 14 games last season and finished with 26 tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a sack. He has already shown he can handle major assignments, including an interception against No. 1 Texas and a key sack and forced fumble in last season’s 34-16 win over Illinois.

Collin Dixon has already proven he can beat good defenses, and Katin Houser has the accuracy to keep getting him the ball. If Sanchez, Mathews, Timmons and the rest of the secondary can limit Dixon without opening things up elsewhere, that’s a real sign this cornerback room is ready for the grind of Big Ten play.

For a team coming off a loss to Texas where the secondary was tested repeatedly, this is exactly the kind of matchup Ohio State needs. Dixon is playing at an elite level, Houser is playing with confidence and Illinois has enough offensive creativity to force the Buckeyes’ corners to stay disciplined for four quarters.

Saturday should give us a much better idea of just how good this Ohio State secondary really is.

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