Ohio State Professional Athletes

Ohio State alumni were impossible to ignore in NFL Week 7, from a wide receiver putting together an MVP-caliber season to a cornerback cementing his legacy and a running back putting the league on notice — while another faces an uncertain future at the trade deadline.

JSN Is Making History Whether the Trophy Comes or Not

Jaxon Smith-Njigba's case for NFL MVP is becoming harder to dismiss. The third-year Seahawk torched the Kansas City Chiefs in a dominant 20-3 Seattle win on Sunday, hauling in 9 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown — and adding 13 rushing yards to underline his complete-weapon status. According to CBS Sports, Seattle delivered a "championship-caliber performance" in Week 7, with Smith-Njigba at the center of it. Sports Illustrated went further, arguing he should win the league MVP, even acknowledging the institutional bias that likely keeps the award out of a wide receiver's hands. He's the engine of a Seahawks offense that's starting to look like a genuine Super Bowl contender. Buckeye fans should be watching every snap.

Denzel Ward Hits a Career Milestone in Cleveland

While JSN grabbed national attention on the West Coast, Denzel Ward was quietly making history in Cleveland. The Browns cornerback recorded an interception in a 27-24 win over the Titans — a performance that helped him reach a significant career milestone, per Sports Illustrated. Ward has long been one of the better cornerbacks in the AFC, and the pick underscored why Cleveland continues to build around him in the secondary. The Browns needed the win, and their Ohio State alum delivered when it mattered.

Quinshon Judkins Announces Himself in Cleveland

Ward wasn't the only Buckeye shining for the Browns. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins turned in a breakout performance against Tennessee, rushing for 96 yards and two touchdowns while adding 8 receiving yards on one catch. The 27-24 Browns victory was, in no small part, built on Judkins' legs. It was the kind of coming-out game that changes the conversation around a young player — and it happened with Cleveland desperately needing a result. Keep an eye on his workload going forward.

Dobbins Caught in Denver's Backfield Storm

Across the country in Denver, J.K. Dobbins finds himself in a far murkier situation. The veteran back carried for 23 yards and scored a touchdown in the Broncos' 30-16 win over Arizona — but the headlines around him had little to do with production. Rookie Jonah Coleman returned from Injured Reserve to post 54 rushing yards and a receiving contribution in the same game, igniting trade deadline speculation around Dobbins. Multiple outlets — Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, and Heavy — all flagged Dobbins as a name to watch before the deadline, with Denver's backfield hierarchy suddenly in question. Dobbins has pushed back publicly on the narrative, but the noise isn't going away. His next few days may matter as much as his next snap.

Around the League

Elsewhere, Carnell Tate gave Ohio State fans something to cheer in a losing effort, catching 5 passes for 69 yards for the Titans. Marvin Harrison Jr. hauled in a touchdown for the Texans despite Houston falling to the Giants, 27-21. Chris Olave continued his steady return to form with 6 catches for 56 yards for New Orleans. And Emeka Egbuka was ruled out for Tampa Bay's Week 8 game against Atlanta due to a foot injury, though the Buccaneers clarified it was unrelated to a previously cleared concussion — a small but important distinction for a rookie whose health will be worth monitoring.

The Week in Ohio State NFL Alumni: Oct. 18–24

Two Ohio State wide receivers wrote opposite headlines this week — one launching a new chapter, the other watching his season end on a cart.

MHJ Makes Cardinals Pay Immediately

The Marvin Harrison Jr. trade saga took its most satisfying turn yet — for everyone except Arizona. The Cardinals, who dealt their former top-four pick to the Houston Texans after he managed just five catches for 85 yards over his first four games in their offense, watched him immediately look like a different player in a Texans uniform.

Harrison Jr.'s debut in Houston turned heads fast enough that Cardinals brass felt the heat before the weekend was even over. Per multiple reports, the performance reignited scrutiny over whether Arizona's offensive system — not Harrison Jr.'s talent — was the problem all along. The Texans, who entered the trade with one of the NFL's most dynamic young quarterbacks in C.J. Stroud, gave MHJ exactly the infrastructure he lacked in the desert.

Stroud, himself a Buckeye, capped the week by being named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week — a signal that the Ohio State connection in Houston is already humming. Yahoo Sports noted that while the final stats may take time to fully contextualize, Sunday's win was an emphatic start and bigger in implication than any single box score line. The Texans are now home to one of the more intriguing alumni duos in the league, with Stroud and Harrison Jr. reunited under center and Cade Stover adding another Buckeye at tight end.

McLaurin's Season Ends on Monday Night

The week's most gutting storyline unfolded on Monday Night Football in San Francisco. Terry McLaurin, running a route late in the first quarter against the 49ers, went down with a left knee injury and was carted off the field. He was ruled out immediately and, shortly after, ruled out for the remainder of the season.

McLaurin had caught one pass for 27 yards before the injury, making his absence all the more abrupt. The Commanders fell 23–17 to the 49ers, a loss that now looms larger without their most dependable receiver. Washington is already eyeing the trade deadline for a replacement, with veteran wideout Jauan Jennings surfacing as a reported target.

Around the Rest of the Buckeye Nation

The Ohio State footprint across the league was busy elsewhere, too. In New Orleans, the Saints' Buckeye corps delivered in a 34–27 win over the Giants: Chris Olave hauled in four catches for 43 yards and a touchdown, Chase Young added a sack, and Pete Werner chipped in a sack of his own. CJ Donaldson also contributed 39 rushing yards off the bench.

In Tennessee, rookie Carnell Tate had his best day as a pro, catching six passes for 70 yards and a touchdown in the Titans' 26–20 win over the Colts — a quietly encouraging sign for a young receiver still finding his footing.

Nick Bosa (49ers) and Josh Simmons (Chiefs) both dealt with injury news — Bosa was ruled out for Week 7 with a calf issue that has lingered since Week 3, while Simmons was placed on injured reserve with a bulging disc, making him ineligible to return until at least Week 11. Emeka Egbuka was also ruled out for Week 7 for Tampa Bay.

It was a week that captured the full emotional range of following Ohio State alumni in the NFL — triumph, heartbreak, and everything between.

The Trade That Changed Everything

The biggest Ohio State story in the NFL this week isn't a stat line — it's a reunion. The Houston Texans acquired Marvin Harrison Jr. from the Arizona Cardinals in a blockbuster trade, and the fingerprints of a fellow Buckeye were all over the deal. C.J. Stroud has publicly confirmed he played an active role in lobbying for the move, advocating to bring his former Ohio State teammate to Houston. The two were college teammates before Stroud was drafted by the Texans in 2023 and Harrison went fourth overall to Arizona in 2025 — and now, after a quiet start to his second NFL season in the desert, Harrison gets a fresh start alongside the quarterback who knows him best.

Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur explained the decision to move on, with Arizona sitting at 1-4 and clearly pivoting toward a different direction. The Texans sent draft picks in return for what amounts to a high-upside reclamation project at one of the league's most premium positions.

Harrison's debut came in London against the Jaguars in Week 6 — a high-stakes curtain-raiser for what could be a defining chapter for this Ohio State quarterback-receiver pairing in the NFL. The reunion has enormous implications not just for the Texans' season, but for both players' long-term trajectories. Stroud entered the week having thrown for 261 yards and one passing touchdown, adding a rushing score in a 26-3 dismantling of the Titans in Week 5 — the Texans' first win of 2026. The Ohio State pipeline runs deep in Houston: Cade Stover, Tommy Togiai, and Kayden McDonald were also on the field that day.

JSN's Monster Stretch

While the Harrison trade dominated headlines, Jaxon Smith-Njigba quietly put together one of the better two-game stretches of any Buckeye receiver this season. In Week 5 against the 49ers, Smith-Njigba caught 5 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown — Seattle's lone bright spot in a 29-32 loss. He followed that up in Thursday's win over Denver, hauling in 12 receptions for 134 yards as the Seahawks edged the Broncos 17-14. Over those two games: 17 catches, 236 yards, and a score. That's a legitimate WR1 audition over a 10-day window.

Fellow Buckeye and opposing running back J.K. Dobbins had his own strong week for Denver, rushing for 68 yards and a touchdown in the Chargers game before adding 41 yards and another score in the Thursday night loss to Seattle.

Wilson Delivers for the Jets

Garrett Wilson continues to be one of the more underappreciated receivers in the AFC. Against the Browns in Week 5, Wilson caught 7 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown as the Jets won 17-12. It was a vintage Wilson performance — efficient, clutch, and decisive in a tight game. Cleveland's Quinshon Judkins contributed 44 rushing yards and 6 receiving yards in the loss, while safety Denzel Ward suited up on the other side of the ball.

Injury Corner

Not all Buckeye news was positive. TreVeyon Henderson suffered a high ankle sprain in New England's Week 5 win over the Raiders and is sidelined going forward — a significant blow for the Patriots' backfield. Offensive tackle Josh Simmons was also ruled out for the Chiefs, adding to Kansas City's injury concerns heading into their Chargers matchup.

The Buckeye alumni network in the NFL has never felt more central to the league's biggest storylines. The Harrison-Stroud reunion alone could reshape the AFC South race — and OSU fans will be watching closely every Sunday to see if it delivers.

Ohio State's NFL alumni had one of their more turbulent weeks of the season — a blockbuster trade, a breakout performance, and a significant injury loss all in the span of a few days.

Marvin Harrison Jr. Is Out of Arizona

The biggest story in the NFL this week has Ohio State fingerprints all over it. The Arizona Cardinals are trading Marvin Harrison Jr. — the fourth-overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft — but in a bizarre twist, they hadn't publicly revealed the destination as of mid-week. Harrison was declared inactive for Arizona's Week 5 game against Detroit, and the Cardinals took heat from franchise legends and fans alike for the handling of the situation.

Harrison's time in Arizona ends without the breakout his pedigree promised. He managed just one reception for 12 yards and a touchdown in Week 4's loss to the Giants — a stat line that encapsulates the disconnect. Among the reported suitors: the Houston Texans emerged as frontrunners according to league executives, while the Kansas City Chiefs were largely ruled out. The Lions, Ravens, and an AFC South rival of the Colts also surfaced in various reports. Wherever he lands, the expectation is that a change of scenery could unlock the receiver who was once regarded as a generational prospect.

Cardinals fans aren't the only ones watching closely — fellow Buckeye Paris Johnson Jr. remains in Arizona's offensive line room, and the Harrison trade reshuffles the team's entire offensive identity.

Carnell Tate's Breakout Moment

While Harrison's Cardinals tenure imploded, another Ohio State wideout was busy writing a very different story. Titans rookie Carnell Tate turned in his first career 100-yard receiving game against the Ravens on Sunday, hauling in 9 of his 12 targets for 145 yards. The performance made history for Tate as a pro, with his 145-yard outing representing the most productive day of his young career. Tennessee lost the game, but Tate gave Titans fans a genuine reason for optimism. The former Buckeye is starting to look like the legitimate No. 1 option Tennessee envisioned when they drafted him.

Donovan Jackson Heads to IR

The week's bad news arrived Tuesday when the Vikings placed guard Donovan Jackson on injured reserve. The move came in the wake of a knee injury Jackson suffered in Minnesota's Week 5 win over Miami — a game the Vikings took 15-10. IR designation signals the injury is serious enough to sideline Jackson for a significant stretch. The second-year lineman had been a developing piece of Minnesota's offensive line, making this a meaningful blow for the Vikings' interior.

Around the Rest of the Alumni Network

Chris Olave quietly turned in a strong Monday night performance for the Saints, catching 8 passes for 116 yards in a 45-24 blowout loss to Atlanta — a productive evening buried in an ugly result. C.J. Stroud continued to show out for Houston despite a Week 4 loss to Dallas, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Emeka Egbuka contributed a rushing touchdown and 38 receiving yards as Tampa Bay topped Dallas on Thursday. And Jaxon Smith-Njigba stayed steady with 5 catches for 76 yards in Seattle's win over the Chargers.