Ohio State Cornerbacks Jyaire Brown, Jakailin Johnson Step Up Against Wisconsin

Brown and Johnson got their first career starts in place of Cameron Brown and Denzel Burke, who missed the win over the Badgers due to injury.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day admitted he was concerned about the lack of experience true freshman cornerback Jyaire Brown and redshirt freshman Jakailin Johnson had coming into Saturday’s 52-21 win over Wisconsin.

But by the time the night was over, he was praising them for their play in their first career starts after they were thrust into action due to injuries to fifth-year senior Cameron Brown and sophomore Denzel Burke.

“Jyaire and J.K. have been practicing (well),” Day said. “They practiced really hard all spring, they practiced (hard) all preseason. They’ve been out there and we told them right before the game that everybody on the team believes in them – and we do.

“They have no fear and they went out and played. They did a really good job. I mean, I don’t know what the film is going to show, but I know they competed. I thought (secondary/cornerbacks coach) Tim Walton did a really good job getting them ready, and I’m proud of those guys to be able to win a conference game with them in there.”

Johnson, who played 83 defensive snaps in the first three weeks the season while rotating with Cameron Brown and Burke, finished the game with four tackles while Jyaire Brown, who had just 27 defensive snaps in the last two games, recorded one tackle and one pass break up.

“They stepped up big time,” fifth-year senior safety Tanner McCalister said. “Going into preparation, it’s kind of scary a little bit just because those guys haven’t played much, but they came in comfortable, willing to listen.

"I’m talking to them on the field and they’re trying to get checks and they’re listening, so all of that was great. They stepped up big time and handled their business.”

Neither played a perfect game, as Johnson was beat on a deep pass at the end of the first half that could have been a 41-yard touchdown had McCalister not made a terrific play on the ball to force an incompletion.

Brown, meanwhile, was called for a questionable pass interference penalty earlier in the quarter that extended the Badgers’ first scoring drive.

Still, Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz finished the game with only 94 yards and one touchdown pass, giving the Buckeyes confidence in the two young quarterbacks as Brown (undisclosed) and Burke (hand) heal up from injuries that Day said were not long-term concerns.

“We definitely got depth back there,” McCalister said. “We all want to be healthy so everybody can get a little piece of the fun, so that’s what we’re working on right now. But that goes to show that anybody back there can really step in and make plays.

“I think that’s what’s been shown in the past couple of weeks that all of us can be interchangeable and really go out there and fly around and make plays.”

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