Ohio State Buckeyes: COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football kicked off its spring practice on Monday, but the Buckeyes were without three injured players as they took to the field.
Freshman safety DeShawn Stewart, freshman running back Isaiah West, and senior safety Keenan Nelson Jr. were all sidelined due to injuries during the hour-long open practice session.
Senior running back TC Caffey, who missed the previous season due to a torn ACL, was present and in uniform. However, most of his practice reps were conducted separately from the main group. He also wore a sleeve on his right leg, indicating ongoing recovery from the injury.
Stewart, an early enrollee and a highly rated four-star recruit in Ohio State’s 2025 signing class, hails from Wayne, New Jersey, where he attended DePaul Catholic High School. Despite being a newcomer, Stewart’s potential has drawn attention, but he was unable to participate in the practice session due to injury.
West, another early enrollee, is a three-star running back from St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia. Like Stewart, he was also unable to take part in the open practice because of his injury. West had been expected to bring depth to the running back position, but for now, he remains in recovery mode.
Nelson, who is entering his second season with the Buckeyes, also couldn’t participate in the practice. He transferred to Ohio State from South Carolina, but he didn’t see any playing time during his first season with the team. This spring was supposed to be his chance to get involved, but his injury has put those plans on hold for the time being.
Although these players were unable to take part in the practice, the rest of the Buckeyes are focusing on getting ready for the upcoming season. Despite the setbacks, Ohio State remains optimistic that these players will recover soon and be ready to contribute when fully healthy.