Big Ten Daily: Ohio State Defensive End Tyler Friday to Miss Most of Season With Injury

Ohio State's Tyler Friday to miss significant time with an undisclosed injury, Wisconsin safety Titus Toler steps away from the program and 2023 Penn State commit Alex Birchmeier continues to climb the recruiting rankings. Here's the latest from around the Big Ten.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day announced during a Wednesday press conference that the team will be without senior defensive end Tyler Friday during fall camp and for most of the season due to an injury.

“Tyler Friday won’t be available,” Day said. “I won’t get into his injury just yet. I haven’t talked to him about that, about making it public, but he won’t be available really for camp and really for most of the season.”

Day said senior defensive end Tyler Friday will be out for fall camp and most of the season due to an unspecified injury.

— Andrew Lind (@AndrewMLind) August 4, 2021

Friday, a 6-foot-3, 260-pound lineman out of Don Bosco Prep High School in Ramsey, New Jersey, has appeared in 25 games for the Buckeyes over the last three seasons. During his college career, he's recorded 18 total tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks.

Ohio State will rely on its depth along the defensive line to make up for the loss of a starting player.

For more from our Sports Illustrated Ohio State website, Buckeyes Now, CLICK HERE.

Wisconsin Safety Steps Away From Football due to Injury

Titus Toler, who was coming off his redshirt freshman season with the Wisconsin Badgers, is hanging up the cleats. The program announced Wednesday that the safety will remain a student on campus but will no longer compete for the team.

Per #Badgers official on S Titus Toler: He remains enrolled as a student but injuries have forced him out. Is applying for a medial exemption. ff you recall, DC Jim Leonhard thought he could contribute.

— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) August 4, 2021

Toler was a three-star prospect out of St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California. Last season, he appeared in two games and recorded an interception in the team's opener against Illinois. Toler missed the remaining five games of the year due to an undisclosed injury.

Returning seniors Collin Wilder and Scott Nelson are expected to start at the safety positions during the 2021 season. They combined for 34 tackles, three interceptions and four pass deflections.

2023 Penn State Commit Climbing the Recruiting Rankings

Alex Birchmeier, a 2023 four-star offensive lineman from Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Virginia, is steadily climbing the recruiting rankings.

Birchmeier, a Penn State football commit, is rated as the nation's top interior offensive lineman in the cycle. He's moved to the No. 14 player in the country, according to 247Sports.

"I think the kid is outstanding," 247Sports national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn told Lions247 on Tuesday. "You're looking for certain things in offensive linemen — toughness, grit, athleticism, flexibility, size, length, mentality. He has all of that, and he's also a state champion wrestler. ... Why is wrestling important? Balance, flexibility, competitiveness, the drive to win a one-on-one battle. That's what you want to do on the offensive line."

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound prospect is the top player in his home state of Virginia and is rated as the No. 39 prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings. Birchmeier has fielded 29 total offers, but he committed to the Nittany Lions in July. 

Recent Stories From Hoosiers Now

• VICTOR OLADIPO UNSIGNED: Victor Oladipo was the No. 2 overall pick of the Orlando Magic in 2013 and a two-time NBA All-Star with the Indiana Pacers. But the 29-year-old guard suffered a serious injury with the Miami Heat last season and has gone unsigned through the first two days of free agency. CLICK HERE 
• INDIANA BASEBALL TO OPEN IN TEXAS: Indiana's 2022 baseball schedule will start with a trip to Texas in late February, with games against baseball powerhouses Arkansas, Stanford and Louisiana-Lafayette. CLICK HERE 
• WHOP PHILYOR'S IMPRESSIVE CATCH: Former Indiana wide receiver Whop Philyor garnered the applause of spectators attending the Minnesota Vikings' training camp. He came down with a contested touchdown catch, and will need to make more as he fights for a roster spot. CLICK HERE 
• GI'BRAN PAYNE'S PATH LEADS TO INDIANA: Cincinnati La Salle's Gi'Bran Payne is the best running back in Ohio and a standout four-star recruit. The recent Indiana commit has been raised to reach this success, and he's a state champion thanks to all of his hard work and the many people who have been in his corner for years. CLICK HERE