Indiana Football vs Ohio State: Breaking down skill position matchups
By Alec Lasley
Tight Ends:
This one is not even much of a battle as Peyton Hendershot is clearly the better tight end and more important to each team.
Hendershot has quickly become one of the best tight ends in the Big Ten, ranking third in the conference amongst tight ends in receiving yards (121) – just four less than the leader – and tied for first with nine receptions.
Through two games, Hendershot has already emerged as a main Michael Penix target and safety blanket, especially on third down plays. Not the deep threat like some of the other wide receivers, his ability to create separation and space, at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, comes in handy when running underneath routes for the first down.
On the other side of the ball, Ohio State’s tight end Jeremy Ruckert got off to a hot start to the season in week one with four catches for 38 yards and two touchdowns, but cooled off in week two’s blowout win, failing to catch a pass.
Next. Penix, Fields To Bring Renewed Rivalry To Matchup. dark
Like Hendershot, Ruckert is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds and a huge target inside the redzone. His two touchdowns (3, 25) were both easy catches, as one was even a wide-open catch off of a defensive miscommunication. Coming into Ohio State, Ruckert was the No. 37 prospect overall and No. 2 tight end in the 2018 class, but has just five catches in his 14 total games played.
Position Advantage: Indiana