Tyleik Williams injury update: Ryan Day announces significant change in status of Ohio State DT

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day revealed a positive change in the status of Buckeyes defensive tackle Tyleik Williams on Wednesday.

“It looks like he’ll be available for the game,” Day said, via Chase Brown on X. Day noted during his Tuesday press conference that Williams was considered day-to-day, so it’s a quick but fast change ahead of Saturday’s matchup against Purdue.

Williams was injured in the fourth quarter of Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State during Week 10. He had to be helped off the field by athletic training staff and did not return to the game after suffering the injury.

He’s been a integral part of the Buckeyes’ defensive front this season, logging over 200 defensive snaps through 10 weeks this season. Williams has 21 total tackles on the season to go with 2.5 sacks befoe his injury.

Getting Williams back and not having him miss any time is a big win for the Buckeyes. With the College Football Playoff within reach for Ohio State after the win over Penn State, they’ll need to be at full strength heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

However, Ohio State will play Purdue and Northwestern — who have a combined record of 5-12 this season — over the next two weeks. The Buckeyes are 38-point favorites over the Boilermakers on Saturday and are expected to be heaby favorites against the Wildcats the next week, so they have the option to slowly incorporate him back into the lineup rather than throw him right back into a starting role.

Williams is a former four-star recruit out of the 2021 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 142 player in the class.

He has been as advertised for the Buckeyes, as he was a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and a second-team pick by the media in 2023.