COLUMBUS — Ohio State led by 33 points. By that point in the game, Arkansas State’s players were almost assuredly tired of being pounded on for four quarters by the Buckeyes. So how much can it really matter if a true freshman excels in what effectively amounts to garbage time?
“That’s everything,” head coach Ryan Day said. “When you step on the field, are you doing your job? Are you producing? Are you doing the things that we’ve done in practice? It doesn’t matter what the score is. It shouldn’t matter, especially for a young player with an opportunity to get out there and show what he can do.”
Well, then consider last Saturday a significant step in the process for freshman defensive lineman Caden Curry.
Curry was one of 10 true freshmen to see playing time against the Red Wolves. That was an invaluable experience for every single one of them. Curry, however, was by far the most productive. He logged only 12 defensive snaps, but made the most of them, finishing with four tackles and one tackle for loss.
More than the production, it seemed important that Curry looked like he belonged on the field, no small task for a player when thrown into his first action at the college level. He was always around the ball.
“If they go out there and do it, usually you know it pretty early that they can handle everything that’s going on,” Day said. “In a game, there’s a lot to process. Sometimes in practice, it’s very segmented. You get three or four plays and then you kinda catch your breath. When you’re in a game, things can get foggy real fast. Some guys thrive in that environment. We look at all those types of things.”
The performance against Arkansas State, albeit a small sample size, has positioned Curry as the true freshman on the roster with the best chance of breaking through for a meaningful role right now. More players could similarly help themselves this week if the Buckeyes can get up big against Toledo on Saturday night.
But while any playing time for a young player is important, there’s a stark difference between merely logging some minutes and doing things on the field that warrant a further look. Curry’s play falls into the latter category.
“I think he showed that he can play,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “He can definitely be in the mix. He proved himself with step one, getting in there and making plays. That will earn him more opportunities.”
It helps that Curry plays a position where the Buckeyes would like to get a lot of players on the field. For instance, freshman running back Dallan Hayden likely wouldn’t see his role increase unless something happened to TreVeyon Henderson or Miyan Williams — though Hayden was impressive on his few touches last Saturday. Same for former five-star linebacker C.J. Hicks, who’s logged only special teams snaps to this point. Knowles doesn’t rotate much at linebacker and seems locked in on a trio of Tommy Eichenberg, Steele Chambers and Cody Simon at that position.
Curry, though, can help the defense at either defensive end or at the hybrid jack position, and Knowles to this point has been willing to let line coach Larry Johnson rotate players up front. That means Curry could find himself logging more meaningful reps.
“He’s another guy that I noticed from the start when I got here because he has a tremendous first step,” Knowles said. “He’s tough. For his size, he’s one of those guys that can get himself in a position to make plays. He bounces off people, he twists, turns, and pitches a fit.”
The freshman flashed that skill set from the second he stepped on the field against Arkansas State. On one play, he quickly shot into the backfield and diagnosed some misdirection to register his tackle for loss. On another, he knifed past an offensive tackle’s block attempt, bounced off a running back and then tackled the quarterback near the line of scrimmage.
Curry packs some natural athleticism into a smaller, 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive lineman’s frame. But that size and ability to get to some different spots than perhaps a bigger lineman could should help Curry so long as he can hold up from a strength standpoint against some of the more rugged Big Ten offensive linemen that Ohio State will see moving forward.
Looking across the roster, there’s not another area that jumps out immediately as a place where a true freshman could see his role increase. Perhaps it could happen at cornerback, where the depth is a concern, if Jyaire Brown can get on the field some more and show what he can do. Then again, that could prove difficult with sophomore JK Johnson acquitting himself well vs. Arkansas State and Johnson’s classmate Jordan Hancock eyeing a return from injury for his first action this weekend.
Otherwise, the most significant freshman impacts will likely come on special teams.
Unless Curry truly did enough against Arkansas State to earn a look in some more high-leverage situations.
“The more he plays, the more he’s gonna find a role for himself,” Day said. “He’s very productive. He’s been productive since he got here.”
