Ohio State CB Denzel Burke out vs. PSU; RB TreVeyon Henderson, WR Emeka Egbuka questionable

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect Ohio State upgrading TreVeyon Henderson’s status from out to questionable Saturday morning.

No. 3 Ohio State will play without starting cornerback Denzel Burke against No. 7 Penn State on Saturday, according to the team’s availability report. Running back TreVeyon Henderson, who was initially listed as out by the school, has been updated to questionable. Here’s what you need to know:

• Henderson missed the past two games with an undisclosed injury and will now be a game-time decision Saturday.
• Burke left last week’s game against Purdue in the third quarter with an apparent lower-body injury.
• Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who missed the Purdue game, is listed as questionable and will be a game-time decision.
• The top-10 Big Ten showdown is slated for noon ET Saturday on Fox.

What will OSU do at running back?

Henderson hasn’t played since the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame, when he had 104 yards and a touchdown. His status for Saturday is murky, given that he was upgraded to questionable after initially being labeled out by Ohio State.

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Chip Trayanum started both games with Henderson out, but he left the Purdue game early with an undisclosed injury. He is not on the injury report, though, and is cleared to play this week. Miyan Williams is cleared, as well, after missing the Purdue game.

Dallan Hayden, who Ohio State planned to redshirt, could see more snaps after the Purdue game, when he tallied 76 yards and one touchdown. Ohio State could potentially turn to Hayden over the upperclassmen.

If Henderson is out, it would hurt Ohio State not only for running back depth, but because he’s an explosive player who can help negate Penn State’s advantage on the defensive line. His 61-yard touchdown against Notre Dame helped change the game for the Buckeyes.

Who will replace Burke?

Burke’s absence is the biggest one in my mind. A first-team midseason All-American pick by The Athletic, Burke has been fantastic this season.

Replacing him won’t be easy, as he’s turned into a lockdown defender, but Ohio State will do it by committee. The Buckeyes can move Jordan Hancock back outside and play Sonny Styles more at nickel.

Ohio State will also turn to freshman Jermaine Mathews Jr. The top-ranked 2023 recruit in Ohio, Mathews has been impressing people since he arrived at Ohio State, but Saturday will be his first time receiving major reps. It’ll be difficult to replace what Burke brings, but Ohio State seems to have confidence in the highly touted freshman.

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(Photo of TreVeyon Henderson: Joseph Maiorana / USA Today)