Ohio State football’s Cotton Bowl opponent is missing two starting defenders

admin | December 25, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Ohio State football will not be the only Cotton Bowl participant without a starter on defense.

Missouri will be missing two defensive starters in Friday’s game. Linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper and cornerback Ennis Rakestraw will both be out due to injuries.

Hopper leads the Tigers with 55 tackles (six for loss), six quarterback hurries, and three pass breakups. Rakestraw finished the game with 35 tackles and three pass breakups.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day revealed on Saturday that safety Lathan Ransom will be unable to play on Friday due to a lower-body injury that has kept him out since the end of the regular season.

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz stated on Saturday that his team will have no NFL Draft opt-outs. A few draft-eligible Ohio State players have yet to declare their intentions.

Henderson playing?

Photos from Ohio State’s practice on Sunday morning’s social media accounts suggested that one important contributor was still active.

One photo showed running back TreVeyon Henderson in practice gear. The three-year starter has not said if he will play on Friday or whether he will return for the 2024 season.

In the first of five practices in Dallas, Ohio State practiced for 65 minutes inside AT&T Stadium.

NFL Buckeyes

Zach Harrison had 3.5 sacks in each of his freshman and senior seasons at Ohio State. The Falcons rookie has three in the last week after scoring two against the Colts on Sunday. As the Falcons improved to 7-8, Jeff Okudah added a tackle.

Among other OSU alums in the NFL:

• Justin Fields rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown and added 170 passing yards with another touchdown to lead the Bears to a 27-16 victory over the Cardinals.

• Offensive tackle Taylor Decker was seen sharing an emotional moment with quarterback Jared Goff after the Lions clinched the NFC North championship with a 30-24 victor over the Vikings. Decker has spent his entire eight-year career in Detroit, which had not won a division title since 1993.

• Ezekiel Elliott scored a touchdown while totaling 60 yards on 21 touches as the Patriots rallied for a 26-23 victory at Denver. Shaun Wade added three tackles.