5 hidden gem performances from Ohio State's Week 1 win against Akron

The Ohio State Buckeyes were able to dominate against Akron in Week 1 of the 2024 season, as everyone expected. Even though they fell short in covering the 48.5-point spread, there were five gems for the Buckeyes beyond the obvious stars.

That means we're not including Jeremiah Smith, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Tyliek Williams, but rather the players who entered in later and found success. Depth matters in college football, and Ohio State's elite recruiting classes are paying off.

5 Ohio State Gem Performances from Week 1

Arvell Reese, LB

Cody Simon not being in the starting lineup appeared to open an opportunity for C.J. Hicks to finally demonstrate his skills as a linebacker. Although Hicks managed to secure a sack, Arvell Reese was the one who truly captured attention off the bench. Reese's ability to move from sideline to sideline with great agility was evident, as he racked up four tackles, including one tackle for loss.

Brandon Inniss, WR

Brandon Inniss has impressive agility. Watching an Ohio State punt returner who proactively goes after the ball and eagerly seeks to break free for extra yardage is quite invigorating. With 60 yards across four returns this Saturday, his performance stands out. It seems inevitable that Inniss will soon secure a punt return touchdown for Ohio State, marking the team's first since 2014.

James Peoples, RB

He only carried the ball six times, but it was revealing that James Peoples was the first freshman tailback to see the field over Sam Williams-Dixon. Peoples has earned praise throughout the offseason for his advanced build and ability to play early on. Considering Ohio State's star power and need for a high-end run game behind Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, Peoples' contributions matter.

With 30 yards and a touchdown on those carries, Peoples looked solid despite this being his first game. We're excited to see what he can do as this Ohio State offensive line improves.

Mitchell Melton, EDGE

We've talked about Mitchell Melton being a racecar package specialist and the senior's ability to carve out a role late in his career. Melton is supposedly the best pure pass-rusher on the team, and he converted a half-sack in the second half to help bolster that notion.

Joe McGuire, P

Nick McLarty, standing at 6 7 from Australia, was named the starting punter for Ohio State by Ryan Day on Aug. 22. However, during the practice week before the game against Akron, he was surpassed by walk-on and fellow Aussie Joe McGuire. In the game against Akron, McGuire averaged 47.7 yards across three punts.

“Going into last week, I felt like Nick was ahead of Joe,” Ryan Day said in the post-game press conference. “Joe had a much better week of practice leading up to (the game), significant. We felt like Joe's experience in the program, being here for a year, was better. We probably could have given Nick one down the stretch there. In hindsight, we probably could have done that, should have done that. But we wanted to go with the experienced guy in Week 1.”