The 2021 college football season marks the 50th year that freshman were eligible to play immediately, with exceptions granted previously only during World War II and the Korean War.
Ohio State fans will recall that in 1972, a freshman running back from Columbus proved that was long overdue. Archie Griffin burst onto the scene against North Carolina, running for a then-school record 239 yards. That was the most ever by a freshman until this year, when TreVeyon Henderson ran for 270 against Tulsa.
Heading into Saturday’s game at Nebraska, Henderson is one of four true freshman to start a game for the Buckeyes in 2021, not including punter Jesse Mirco. See below for a list of notable true freshman starters at Ohio State.
It’s only the sixth time ever that the Buckeyes had have multiple true freshman considered starters, based on available information in official Ohio State media guides. Amazingly, in the previous five instances (1972, 1979, 1984, 1996 and 2008), the Bucks finished the year as Big Ten champions.
It won’t be easy to keep that trend going, with games remaining against Michigan State (No. 3 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings), Michigan (No. 7) and possibly Minnesota (No. 20), Wisconsin (No. 21) or Iowa (No. 22) if OSU reaches the Big Ten Championship game.
That also means not overlooking this week’s opponent, Nebraska, which hosts the Buckeyes with a 3-6 record. However, none of those losses have been by more than eight points, and that includes games with Oklahoma (No. 8), Michigan State, Michigan and Minnesota.
The Cornhuskers have the Big Ten’s second-best offense (470.1 yards per game), and fourth best scoring unit at just under 30 points per contest. Nebraska could move the ball against the Buckeyes, but it struggles in the red zone, converting just 78.6% of the time, which is 98th in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
It will be OSU’s first true road game in front of a large crowd (over 90,000) since playing at Michigan to conclude the 2019 regular season. How the Buckeyes handle that crowd and momentum will be a big key early in the game.
These are two of college football’s premier programs, combining for 1,846 wins, 85 conference championships, 10 Heisman Trophies, and 13 national titles. Ohio State is second all-time with 938 wins, while the Huskers are seventh (908).
Join Andy Baskin and former Buckeye cornerback Chimdi Chekwa following the game for “The Postgame Show” on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App, as they break down what happened, and take you live to Ryan Day’s postgame news conference.
Notable Ohio State Football True Freshman Starters:
Archie Griffin—1972 (running back)
Starts – 9
Stats – 159 carries, 867 yards (5.4 average), 3 touchdowns, 6 catches, 71 yards receiving
Career Note – Topped 100 yards in 31 straight regular season games, still a FBS record, and oh yeah…won the Heisman Trophy twice. His 5,589 career rushing yards may never be broken as OSU’s all-time mark.
Brian Baschnagel—1972 (running back/split end)
Starts – complete information not available
Stats – 9 carries, 39 yards rushing, 10 catches, 145 yards receiving
Career Note – part of a senior class that won four straight Big Ten titles and never lost to Michigan. Comprised arguably OSU’s greatest backfield with Cornelius Greene, Archie Griffin and Pete Johnson.
Tom Skladany—1972 (punter/kickoffs)
Starts – N/A
Stats – 35 punts, 1,252 yards, 35.7 yards per punt
Career Note – Skladany was the first ever kicking “specialist” recruited to Ohio State, and went on to become a three-time All-American.
Art Schlichter—1978 (quarterback)
Starts – 12
Stats – 87 completions on 175 attempts (49.7%), 4 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, 590 yards rushing, 13 rushing touchdowns
Career Note – Schlichter was a four-year starter, finishing in the top six in the Heisman voting each of his final three years.
Joe Lukens—1979 (offensive line)
Starts – 11
Stats – N/A
Career Note – Lukens was three-time All-Big Ten, and a captain in 1982.
Marcus Marek—1979 (linebacker)
Starts – 10
Stats – 106 tackles, 54 solo, 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions
Career Note – Went on to become an All-American in 1982, and his 572 career tackles are still the most by any Buckeye ever.
Brad Dwelle—1979 (tight end)
Starts – 4
Stats – 4 catches, 22 yards, 2 touchdowns
Career Note – Played in 48 career games, catching a total of five touchdown passes.
Kelvin Bell—1981 (defensive back)
Starts – 10
Stats – 33 total tackles, 19 solo, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 3 interceptions
Career Note – Three-year starter with 12 career interceptions, which are still tied for ninth most in school history.
Rich Spangler—1982 (kicker)
Starts – N/A
Stats – 9-18 on field goals, 41-44 point after attempts, 68 total points
Career Note – His 294 points are seventh all-time, and fifth-best among kickers. Spangler still has the second most point after conversions and attempts in OSU history, and is fifth in all-time field goals made and attempted.
William White—1984 (defensive back)
Starts – 12
Stats – 48 total tackles, 31 solo, 1 tackle for loss, 3 interceptions (one touchdown), 3 passes broken up
Career Note – White was a four-year starter, named all-Big Ten in 1987. His 16 career interceptions are tied for third-most by a Buckeye, and three in one game matches another school record.
Greg Rogan—1984 (defensive back)
Starts – 10
Stats – 59 total tackles, 37 solo, 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception
Career Note – Started 40 career games for the Buckeyes, with 11 interceptions.
Cris Carter—1984 (wide receiver)
Starts – 8
Stats – 41 catches, 648 yards, 8 touchdowns
Career Note – Carter redefined the role of wide receiver at Ohio State, becoming the school’s first All-American at the position (1986). He finished with nine school records, and is still in the top five of several career receiving categories.
Chris Spielman—1984 (linebacker)
Starts – 3 (limited by injuries)
Stats – 45 total tackles, 24 solo, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack
Career Note – One of Ohio State’s all-time greats, Spielman was a three-time all-Big Ten performer, twice an All-American, and the 1987 Lombardi Award winner. He’s still OSU’s career leader in solo tackles
Tom Tupa—1984 (punter)
Starts – N/A
Stats – 45 punts, 2,118 yards, 47.1 average
Career Note – Tupa was all-Big Ten as a freshman, and is still second on many of Ohio State’s career punting records. He twice averaged over 47 yards a kick, including in 1987 when he was also the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback.
Mike Showalter—1986 (defensive tackle)
Starts – 6
Stats – 13 total tackles, 7 solo
Career Note – Wound up starting 19 of his 31 career games played.
Carlos Snow—1987 (running back)
Starts – 3
Stats – 99 carries, 381 yards, 4 touchdowns, 9 receptions, 2 touchdown catches
Career Note – Despite injuries, ran for 2,999 yards in his career, which is still 11th all-time in school history. Also a dangerous kick returner.
Alonzo Spellman—1989 (linebacker)
Starts – 10
Stats – 49 total tackles, 29 solo, 10 tackles for loss, 7 sacks
Career Note – One of the most physically gifted to ever wear the Scarlet and Gray, Spellman began as a linebacker before switching to defensive end. He became the first Ohio State player to leave school early for the NFL.
Robert Smith—1990 (running back)
Starts – 10
Stats – 177 carries, 1,126 yards, 6.4 yards per carry, 8 touchdowns
Career Note – Smith was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and his rushing total stood as tops for a freshman for 12 years. Only played one other year (1992) before going to the NFL after his junior year (sat out 1991 to focus on academics).
Korey Stringer—1992 (offensive tackle)
Starts – 6
Stats – N/A
Career Note – Named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and a three-year starter on the offensive line before becoming a first round NFL draft pick.
Orlando Pace—1994 (offensive tackle)
Starts – 13
Stats – N/A
Career Note – The most dominant Buckeye ever, perhaps, Pace was the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year in 1995, the first sophomore to win the Lombardi Award in 1995, and the following the year first two-time recipient of that honor to go with his Outland Trophy. Finished fourth in the 1996 Heisman Trophy balloting.
Brent Bartholomew—1995 (punter)
Starts – N/A
Stats – 49 punts, 1,885 yards, 14 punts downed inside the 20
Career Note – Ohio State’s punter for four seasons, Bartholomew is still the school’s career leader in punts and punt yardage.
Andy Katzenmoyer—1996 (linebacker)
Starts – 12
Stats – 85 total tackles, 57 solo, 23 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 4 interceptions
Career Note – One of the greatest seasons by a true freshman in OSU history, Katzenmoyer shared Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors with future Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne. The Westerville native was three-time all-Big Ten, and the 1997 Butkus Award winner.
David Boston—1996 (wide receiver)
Starts – 7
Stats – 33 catches, 450 yards, 7 touchdowns, punt return touchdown
Career Note – Catching the winning touchdown in the Rose Bowl as a freshman was just the beginning for Boston, who still holds numerous OSU receiving records including most touchdown catches and 100-yard receiving games.
Rodney Bailey—1997 (defensive end)
Starts – 4
Stats – 19 total tackles, 14 solo, 4 tackles for loss, 3 sacks
Career Note – Four-year starter who accumulated 17.5 career sacks, which are tied for 14th in the OSU record books.
Ryan Pickett—1998 (defensive tackle)
Starts – 9
Stats – 22 total tackles, 17 solo, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
Career Note – Three-year starter that excelled in stopping the run, and developed into a first round NFL draft pick.
Mike Nugent—2001 (kicker)
Starts – N/A
Stats – 7-14 field goals, 27-29 point after attempts, 48 total points
Career Note – Nugent struggled at times his freshman year, but turned in the greatest single season by an OSU kicker as a sophomore in 2002. Winner of the 2004 Lou Groza Award, he still holds 16 Buckeye kicking or scoring records.
Maurice Clarett—2002 (running back)
Starts – 9
Stats – 222 carries, 1,237 yards, 5.6 yards per carry, 16 touchdowns, 12 receptions, 2 touchdown catches
Career Note – Only injuries prevented this from being one of the greatest seasons by an OSU running back, regardless of class. Clarett was the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year, leading the Buckeyes to the school’s first national title since 1968. This ended up being the only year Clarett played for Ohio State.
Rob Sims—2002 (offensive line)
Starts – 6
Stats – N/A
Career Note – Sims filled in as a starter as a freshman, and stayed in that spot the rest of his career, culminating in an all-Big Ten honor in 2005.
Ted Ginn, Jr.—2004 (wide receiver)
Starts – 6
Stats – 25 catches, 359 yards, 2 touchdowns, 13 carries, 2 rushing touchdowns, 25.6 yards per punt return, 4 punt return touchdowns
Career Note – Ginn was one of the most electric players ever at Ohio State. 4,068 all-purpose yards, in just three seasons, is still the tenth highest number by a Buckeye ever. Six career punt returns for touchdowns are twice as many as any OSU player.
Malcolm Jenkins—2005 (defensive back)
Starts – 6
Stats – 37 total tackles, 23 solo, 2 passes broken up
Career Note – The four-year starter was an All-American and the Thorpe Award winner in 2008, and is currently playing his 13th year in the NFL with New Orleans in 2021.
Cameron Heyward—2007 (defensive line)
Starts – 8
Stats – 30 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks
Career Note – Still in the top 20 for career sacks and tackles for loss among all Ohio State players, and earned all-Big Ten honors as a senior in 2010.
Mike Brewster—2008 (center)
Starts – 10
Stats – N/A
Career Note – four-year starter for the Buckeyes, was all-Big Ten and a first-team All-American.
Terrelle Pryor—2008 (quarterback)
Starts – 9
Stats – 100 completions on 165 attempts (60.6%), 1,311 yards, 12 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 631 yards rushing, 6 touchdowns rushing
Career Note – One of the most highly regarded recruits in OSU history, Pryor took over the starting job in the fourth game of his freshman year, on his way to being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Zach Boren—2009 (fullback)
Starts – 5
Stats – 4 catches, 23 yards, 1 touchdown
Career Note – Didn’t see a lot of touches as the starting fullback. As a senior, he began to play both fullback and linebacker before switching to the defense for good in the middle of the season.
Drew Basil—2010 (kicker)
Starts – N/A
Stats – handled kickoffs
Career Note – Finished his career ninth in scoring (268 points), and still in the tenth spot all-time at OSU.
Braxton Miller—2011 (quarterback)
Starts – 10
Stats – 85 completions on 157 attempts (54.1%), 1,159 yards, 13 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 715 yards rushing, 7 rushing touchdowns
Career Note – Another Buckeye freshman named the Big Ten’s best, Miller went on to lead OSU to 24 straight wins, and a 24-2 mark over the next two seasons before an injury in fall camp kept him out of the 2014 national championship season. Returned in 2015 as a wide receiver.
Joey Bosa—2013 (defensive end)
Starts – 10
Stats – 44 total tackles, 29 solo, 13.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, fumble recovery for a touchdown
Career Note – Bosa began terrorizing Big Ten backfields from the very start, working his way up to two-time All-American, twice the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, and the top defensive player in the conference in 2014. He’s still fourth in Ohio State history in career tackles for loss, and sacks, in just three seasons worth of action.
Cam Johnston—2013 (punter)
Starts – N/A
Stats – 49 punts, 2,156 yards, 44.0 average, 31 downed inside the 20
Career Note – The Australian is second in career punting average, and third in punt attempts and yardage by any Buckeye.
Sean Nuernberger—2014 (kicker)
Starts – N/A
Stats – 13-20 field goals, 89-89 point after attempts, 128 total points
Career Note – His freshman year is still the single-season record for most kicking points, and his 324 career points are fourth-highest in that category. He was also perfect on all 216 point after attempts, both good for top school marks.
Michael Jordan—2016 (offensive line)
Starts – 13
Stats – N/A
Career Note – Three-year starter that ending up earning All-American honors.
J.K. Dobbins—2017 (running back)
Starts – 14
Stats – 194 carries, 1,403 yards, 7.2 yards per carry, 7 touchdowns, 22 receptions, 1 touchdown catch
Career Note – Stepping in for the injured Mike Weber, Dobbins set a freshman rushing record for yards, wrapping his three-year career with 4,459 yards, which trails only Archie Griffin among all Buckeye backs.
Denzel Burke—2021 (cornerback)
Starts – 8 (through Penn State)
Stats – 18 total tackles, 11 solo, 1 interception (returned for a touchdown)
Season Note – Injuries in the secondary pressed him into starting duty for the first game of the year at Minnesota, and Burke has not looked back.
TreVeyon Henderson—2021 (running back)
Starts – 6 (through Penn State)
Stats – 106 carries, 838 yards, 7.9 yards per carry, 12 touchdowns, 9 catches, 175 yards receiving, 3 touchdown catches
Season Note – With 15 touchdowns, just three short of matching Maurice Clarrett’s 2002 total of 18 for most by a true freshman. Henderson scores a touchdown roughly every ten times he touches the ball so far this season.
J.T. Tiumoloau—2021 (defensive end)
Starts – 2 (through Penn State)
Stats – 10 total tackles, 5 solo, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks
Season Note – Pretty remarkable debut for a guy that didn’t decide to come to Ohio State until July, and wasn’t on campus until a few weeks before camp opened. His best football is ahead of him.
Jesse Mirco—2021 (punter)
Starts – N/A
Stats – 18 punts, 750 yards, 41.7 average, 11 downed inside the 20
Career Note – Another Aussie punter, Mirco has been more than solid when called upon, despite kicking less than three times a game.