Sources: Ohio State WRs Smith, Tate to return

Ohio State wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are expected to play against Michigan on Saturday, sources told ESPN.

Both Buckeyes stars have been limited in practice while dealing with lower-body injuries. The wide receivers are expected to be listed as questionable on the Big Ten availability report, but the expectation is they are available to play barring anything unforeseen in warmups.

Smith missed last week’s win over Rutgers after sustaining an injury against UCLA on Nov. 15, when he was seen with a limp leaving the field.

Tate hasn’t played since Nov. 1, as he was held out of the Purdue game on Nov. 8 after something bothered him in warmups and he was “a little tight,” coach Ryan Day said at the time.

Smith, a sophomore, is regarded as perhaps the country’s best all-around player. He has 69 catches for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns. Despite missing the Rutgers game, he is still tied for the Big Ten lead in touchdown receptions.

Tate has emerged as a game breaker for the Buckeyes and a projected NFL first-round pick. His 18.2 yards per catch leads the Big Ten. He has caught 39 passes for 711 yards and seven touchdowns.

They are the top targets for quarterback Julian Sayin, who is completing 79.4% of his passes with 27 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Ohio State is on a four-game losing streak against Michigan, including not scoring in the second half last year. Tate was Ohio State’s leading receiver in last year’s 13-10 loss with six receptions for 58 yards. Smith had five catches for 35 yards and a touchdown, which was his second-lowest output in the 2024 regular season.