After injury scare, Buckeyes expect Trey Sermon to practice this week
COLUMBUS — Ohio State was finally getting a glimpse at the Trey Sermon it was expecting all along.
And as soon as the transfer running back seemed to be generating momentum with what was clearly the best drive of his short career so far with the Buckeyes, Sermon went down at the end of a long run in need of medical attention.
The severity of the injury was unclear on Saturday night since there wasn’t really an opportunity or need to put the senior back in the blowout win over Rutgers, and Ohio State doesn’t reveal any specific health information about its players outside of a weekly availability report. But it would appear that Sermon is at least on track to keep the ball rolling for the Buckeyes with the program expecting him to be cleared for practice ahead of this week’s trip to Maryland.
“We plan on having him for practice this week,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said before Tuesday’s workout. “We’ll see how it goes as the week goes on.”
Ohio State running back Trey Sermon looks to be finding his footing with the Buckeyes. (Birm/Lettermen Row)
The Buckeyes could certainly use the version of Sermon they saw before his exit in the fourth quarter against Rutgers. After a couple inconsistent outings as he was feeling his way into the Ohio State system for the first time, Sermon was showing why he was so coveted by the program when it had a second chance to recruit him this spring after he decided to leave Oklahoma.
Sermon turned a chance to get four straight touches on a drive into 64 yards, showing off the kind of burst, elusiveness and pass-catching ability out of the backfield that always made him seem like a perfect match for the Buckeyes system. It’s understandable why it might have taken some time for him to get comfortable coming off an injury last season, not getting to go through spring ball or a normal training camp and also getting thrown directly into Big Ten competition without any nonconference tuneups. But that sequence of plays offered a hint that he was ready to turn the corner with the Buckeyes, which could take an already-explosive offense to an even more dangerous level.
Top 10
- 1
Elko pokes at Kiffin
A&M coach jokes over kick times
- 2Trending
Dan Lanning
Oregon coach getting NFL buzz
- 3
Bryce Underwood
Michigan prepared to offer No. 1 recruit $10.5M over 4 years
- 4Hot
5-star flip
Ole Miss flips Alabama WR commit Caleb Cunningham
- 5
Second CFP Top 25
Newest CFP rankings are out
But even at the rate of production he had provided in the first two weeks, removing Sermon from the backfield rotation wouldn’t be ideal for a unit that watched the third-string option fumble on the next snap after his injury.
“I think he’s getting better with each opportunity,” Day said. “But it’s been a while since he’s played, and he didn’t have the spring and the preseason, so he’s similar to some of the other guys. But I think he’s gotten better as he’s had the opportunities.
“Hopefully he can continue to make the next steps as we get into these next few games.”
The Buckeyes should know for sure by Friday whether Trey Sermon will officially be available. But the work already being done now suggests he should have a shot to pick up where he left off.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day and a handful of Buckeyes reflected on the win over Rutgers and looked ahead to the Big Ten matchup with Maryland on Saturday. Day, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, cornerback Shaun Wade, right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and defensive end Jonathon Cooper chatted with the media on Tuesday, and their full comments are available below. All Ohio State press conferences are also streamed live on the Lettermen Row YouTube channel.
