Buckeyes Need More From Tight Ends After Kacmarek Injury

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No. 4 Ohio State lost starting tight end Will Kacmarek early in their bout against No. 1 Oregon (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten Conference) on Oct. 12. The details of the injury are sparse with head coach Ryan Day simply saying he will be out for a while. He suffered the injury during the first drive against the Ducks when he hit the turf hard on his arm going to make a catch.

The Ohio State (5-1, 2-1) tight end room took numerous games to narrow down the group to primarily two players. Kacmarek has taken most snaps along with Gee Scott Jr. in the tight end-heavy Chip Kelly offense. The new offensive coordinator has stressed the importance of the position in his scheme, making the need to replace Kacmarek all the more vital.

The Early-Season Battle

Four tight ends were all battling for playing time throughout the first three games for the Buckeyes. Scott and Kacmarek remained starters as Jelani Thurman and Bennett Christian both saw significant time as well. Thurman is more of a natural receiver, while Christian is a better blocker at the position. Both have shown promising signs of being solid contributors in their time on the field.

Christian does have the only score between the two as he caught a 55-yard touchdown from quarterback Julian Saiyan against Western Michigan. He only has one other reception on the year to give him 61 yards total. Thurman has a single catch for 3 yards. The two have been asked to mostly run block when put in games. Thurman showed his capability and improvement in that aspect after being challenged by Day to improve his skillset in the offseason.

Christian has seemingly met expectations early, being a very impressive run blocker. He has seen the field primarily when Ohio State moves to three tight ends near the goal line. His ability to set the edge for his running backs has set up a couple scores for an offense that struggled in the red zone last season.

Which Tight End Will Replace Kacmarek?

Christian seems to be the player that will get the most ample opportunity against Nebraska (5-2, 2-2) on Oct. 26. Thurman appears to still be developing and Christian's extra year of experience and blocking pedigree gives him the edge currently. There may still be times where Thurman is out there to provide a more vertical receiving threat. Scott has been the clear receiving target of the group, having 3 catches for 46 yards against the solid Oregon defense. Thurman could see snaps coming in to relieve Scott in passing scenarios. His size and athleticism could allow for one-on-one advantages near the goal line when they do likely go to their three tight end set again as well.

Kacmarek does only have 5 receptions this year. His lack of production as a receiver and use as a blocker points to Christian being the obvious choice to fill his role. The coaching staff seems to trust Christian as much as they do any player on the roster. He will likely receive the bulk of the work to prove himself when they take on the Cornhuskers at noon in Columbus, Ohio on Oct. 26.