Due to that injury, which he battled during the second part of the season, there was some uncertainty heading into the team’s travel to Texas on whether the two-time captain of Ohio State would play in the Buckeyes’ season finale.
At first, he wasn’t included in the roster of offensive players scheduled to speak with the media on Wednesday, which led to rumors that he could skip the game in order to concentrate on getting well in time for the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, Stover has been working out with the Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium this week. He stated in an interview on Wednesday that he will play in his last Buckeye game on Friday when Ohio State plays Missouri (8 p.m., ESPN).
Stover declared, “I have to play a full year because I signed up for one.” Will I participate in each snap? I don’t think so. However, I will undoubtedly attend the game on Friday. I therefore want to go out on a proper date with these guys.
When asked how his knee felt on Wednesday, Stover, who continued to wear a bulky brace on it during practices that were partially open to the media on Tuesday and Wednesday, simply replied, “It’s fine.” However, he did note that it feels better than it did late in the regular season, when he missed Ohio State’s first game of November against Rutgers due to the injury before playing through it in the team’s final three games of the month.
Stover hasn’t officially declared for the 2024 NFL draft yet, but he didn’t show on Wednesday that he was considering staying at Ohio State for his final year of eligibility. As he gets ready to end his career at Ohio State, he said he hasn’t given the finality of this week much thought. However, he is driven to end his career with a victory and believed it was crucial for him to play one more game with his teammates.
There was a great deal of back and forth on intelligence. There are many diverse points of view, but ultimately, it all boils down to what you can live with and what you stand for morally, according to Stover. “And I thought that hanging out with the guys was the best course of action.”
