Cotton Bowl Practice Insider: More Buckeye Stars Opting In?

ARLINGTON, TX — The No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes were on the field early Tuesday morning for practice No. 3 in AT&T Stadium in preparation for Friday’s Cotton Bowl matchup against No. 9 Missouri.

Many of the questions surrounding Ohio State at the moment involve the several juniors who may be opting in or opting out of the game. If practice participation is any indication — and sometimes it isn’t, the Buckeyes may only be missing star receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr.

Harrison did not practice on Tuesday during the media’s 15-minute watching window, and instead rode a stationary bike while wearing street clothes.

Harrison is a projected Top 5 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, so he was never truly expected to play. He has not yet announced that he has opted out of the game, but his lack of participation today would seem to be all the confirmation needed that he will not be playing against Missouri on Friday.

A Bolstered Defensive Line

While the Buckeyes will almost certainly be without Marvin Harrison, Jr., there were still questions about defensive end JT Tuimoloau and defensive tackle Mike Hall, as neither player had made an announcement about their Cotton Bowl availability.

On Tuesday, however, both players were participating in practice, seeming to indicate their intention to play on Friday. If Hall and Tuimoloau do in fact play, the Buckeyes would have their entire defensive line available for a talented Missouri offense that features the SEC’s leading rusher in Cody Shrader (124.9 yards per game).

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Redshirt freshman quarterback Devin Brown was getting the first-team reps as the Buckeyes’ new starting quarterback on Tuesday. The media wasn’t permitted to watch much of Brown’s throwing session, but you can see a little bit in the videos below.

Redshirt freshman Lincoln Kienholz was working as the Buckeyes’ No. 2 quarterback. Last week, head coach Ryan Day didn’t seem too optimistic on Kienholz seeing time in this game, saying that if the game allows for it, then it could happen. That, however, is generally code for a blowout.

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TreVeyon Henderson was practicing on Tuesday as well. He is one of the last holdouts in terms of making an announcement as to whether or not he is playing in this game, but based on his presence at practice, it sure seems like he is opting in.

Behind Henderson was redshirt freshman Dallan Hayden, who is expected to see an increase in action against Missouri. Walk-on TC Caffey was running third, though when the game actually kicks off, the third running back will likely be receiver Xavier Johnson.