Buckeyes expecting Josh Proctor to 'play a lot' in return to action
COLUMBUS — Josh Proctor impressed as one of the best defensive players on the field for Ohio State in the season opener.
So last weekend certainly served as a setback for the sixth-year senior, who showed up on the availability report as questionable before ultimately getting scratched from the lineup against Youngstown State.
The Buckeyes defense fared well without him, but they want him back on the field a week before they take on Notre Dame. And they’re going to get their wish. Ohio State coach Ryan Day confirmed Thursday during his press conference that Proctor will be available for the Buckeyes on Saturday when they take on Western Kentucky (4 p.m., FOX).
“Yes, he’ll be available,” Day said. “He’ll play a lot. He’ll be there. We’ll still rotate guys, but Josh will be there and plan on starting at this point.”
Proctor was benched after the first game of last season, and he worked hard all offseason to claw his way back to the top of the Ohio State free safety depth chart. And when he got there, he performed well in the season-opening game at Indiana. But that was against a run-heavy Hoosiers team. Proctor has never had issues in the running game.
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He’ll get a chance to show how improved he is on Saturday when Western Kentucky visits the Horseshoe. The Hilltoppers and their Air Raid offense boast the country’s top passer from a year ago and one of the best wide receivers in all of college football.
Proctor wants to keep proving he’s better than he has ever been in the free safety role. And after missing a game early in the seaosn, he finally has a chance to do so. He is back in the secondary, healthy for Ohio State.
Buckeyes vs. Western Kentucky: Game time, details
WKU is coming off a 41-24 win over USF and a 52-22 victory against Houston Christian. The Hilltoppers give up a ton of yards. They were 73rd nationally in total defense last year, and they’re 121st in that category through two games this season. But they know how to force turnovers. WKU was better than every other team in the country in that department in 2022. It was atop the FBS with 32 takeaways. The Hilltoppers already have six through two weeks of action this time around. Their defense, albeit quite porous — it gave up 374 rushing yards to USF — collects more possessions for a high-flying WKU offense that also features Biletnikoff Award candidate Malachi Corley.
- Time: 4 p.m. EST
- TV Channel: FOX
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 16
- Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Weather: High of 76º, 6% chance of rain during day, winds 5 mph
- The line: Ohio State is a 29.5-point favorite, per FanDuel.
- Over/under: 64.5 points
