Ohio State football regular season superlatives: Most valuable on offense, defense and special teams

A look at which players were the most valuable for the Buckeyes on offense, defense and special teams after going 10-2 during the regular season.

Ohio State offense

1. Garrett Wilson

Among the deep cast of playmakers on offense, Wilson might have been their most dynamic threat. He didn’t have as many catches as Jaxon Smith-Njigba or as many touchdown receptions as Chris Olave, but the junior wide receiver stressed defenses in multiple ways, like taking a jet sweep handoff for a touchdown against Purdue or pulling in an acrobatic catch in the snow at Michigan. One of the clearest signs of how much Ohio State relied on Wilson’s explosiveness came at Nebraska. With Wilson sidelined while reportedly in concussion protocol, the Buckeyes were held to a season-low 26 points. It was the only game in which they didn’t score more than two touchdowns.

2. C.J. Stroud

There’s a reason Stroud is a likely finalist for the Heisman Trophy. The redshirt freshman quarterback overcame inexperience and injury — a separated AC joint in his throwing shoulder — early in the season to become an adept triggerman for the nation’s highest-scoring offense. He contributed to plenty of scoring (38 touchdowns) and made few mistakes (five interceptions). If the season were over now, Stroud’s 182.24 passer efficiency rating would rank as the highest in program history. Proficiency at the most important position in the sport shouldn’t be taken for granted.

3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Smith-Njigba formed a strong chemistry with Stroud, a fellow member of the program’s 2020 recruiting class, and was a favorite target in the slot. He was especially reliable, catching 80 of 96 targets, a mark of 83.3% that was the highest among the Buckeyes’ receivers, according to Pro Football Focus. Smith-Njigba was plenty explosive, too, averaging 15.7 yards per catch, just above Olave (14.4) or Wilson (15.11), and totaling 610 yards after catches.

Ohio State defense

1. Ronnie Hickman

Hickman filled a role as a swiss army knife for the Buckeyes’ defense, emerging at their bullet position that combines safety and linebacker assignments. It was critical for a defense that lacked experience at both levels entering this season. He also proved to be a playmaker as their leading tackler. With 97 tackles, Hickman is only three shy from becoming the first Ohio State player since linebacker Raekwon McMillan in 2016 to finish with at least 100 tackles in a season. He also had two interceptions, including returning one for a 46-yard touchdown against Akron.

2. Tyreke Smith

Smith was arguably the most effective pass rusher for Ohio State. Despite missing three games with an undisclosed injury in late September and early October, he led the team with 32 quarterback pressures, including 19 hurries, according to Pro Football Focus. Only two other Buckeyes had at least 20 pressures. His biggest impact came in a 33-24 win over Penn State, when his strip-sack led to Jerron Cage’s touchdown and his pressure on on quarterback Sean Clifford caused an interception.

3. Denzel Burke

Despite being picked on at times in last Saturday’s loss to Michigan and giving up a 37-yard completion to Cornelius Johnson in the second quarter that set up the Wolverines’ second touchdown, Burke’s emergence was critical for the Buckeyes this fall. The true freshman stepped up as a starter from Week 1 when veterans Sevyn Banks and Cam Brown were banged up and became their top cover corner. He finished with a team-high 11 pass break-ups.

pecial teams

1. Noah Ruggles

Ohio State struck gold when it picked up quarterback Justin Fields and running back Trey Sermon in the transfer portal in previous offseasons. This time it was Ruggles. Arriving in the summer as a graduate transfer from North Carolina, he was nearly perfect, making 18 of 19 field-goal attempts. The accuracy proved critical in close wins over Nebraska and Penn State as he made four field goals in each of the victories, a boost when the offense stalled in the red zone.

2. Emeka Egbuka

Egbuka, a freshman, turned out to be a dynamic returner, taking 13 kickoffs for 417 yards. His 32 yards-per-return average also ranks as the second-highest mark for a season in school history, behind only Tom Barrington, who averaged 34.3 yards per attempt in 1965.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football most valuable players regular season