When news broke that Ohio State senior defensive tackle Haskell Garrett suffered gunshot wounds to the face in an overnight shooting on Aug. 30, the immediate concern was his short and long-term health.
Garrett was reported to be in stable condition and the team released a statement the following day to say he would be discharged from the hospital, but what would it all mean for his football career?
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Thursday on 97.1 The Fan that it shouldn’t keep him off the field for too much longer.
“We’re hoping to get Haskell back here pretty soon,” Day said. “He can start practicing –– it’s gonna be a little while before he can actually go through contact –– but we think we’re gonna get him back too, so that will be huge.”
The former four-star prospect from Las Vegas has been favored by many to step into a starting role on Larry Johnson’s defensive line this season, with DaVon Hamilton, Jashon Cornell and Robert Landers all gone from last year’s position room.
Garrett’s injuries certainly seemed to threaten that. In fact, Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs initially thought it might be even more severe than losing just his potential starting job.
“I think he’s probably not as far away as any of us would have thought, when you get shot in the face," Coombs said on Tuesday. "I would have thought season over, career over, and I don’t think that’s true.”
When the incident took place, the Big Ten was still weeks away from announcing that the fall season would be reinstated in October.
After learning that Garrett would be OK, he would have theoretically had enough time to return to his projected starting role for a spring season, but now, the season looms much closer.
In his absence during the preseason and however long he ends up missing, Day called upon several other defensive tackles to step up.
“Antwuan Jackson’s got to step up, Tommy [Togiai’s] got to step up, for sure,” Day said. Those are guys that have played a little bit now, they’ve been in the program for a couple years, they’re gonna have to step up.”
Outside Garrett, Day said the position room is dealing with some injuries, which may be why he didn’t mention the name of redshirt sophomore Taron Vincent –– a former top 40 prospect who missed all of 2019 with a torn labrum.
Day said he’s been impressed with one of his true freshman at defensive tackle as well.
“We have some younger guys in there. Ty Hamilton is somebody that, already early on, has shown that he can do some really good things,” Day said.
Depth will likely be an issue regardless of Garrett’s injury this season due to COVID-19 protocol, but his speedy turnaround is no doubt a benefit for Day and the Buckeye defense.
“He’s doing well, all things considered,” Day said. “He’s very, very lucky, very tough moment for all of us, very scary moment, but we’re happy to say he’s doing well and he’s on the road to recovery.”
