Ohio State to be without kicker Blake Haubeil against Rutgers

Ohio State kicker Blake Haubeil will be out for Saturday’s football game against Rutgers after suffering a groin injury last week.

He was among the 13 players who were listed as unavailable on the team’s status report released Friday morning.

While dealing with the setback sustained during pregame warmups at Penn State, Haubeil was pulled from the Buckeyes’ 38-25 win in the second quarter after missing a 20-yard field goal attempt.

Walk-on Dominic DiMaccio took the place of Haubeil for the remainder of the game, but he also pushed a chip-shot field goal late in the fourth quarter.

Left frustrated by the misses, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said this week that freshman Jake Seibert could replace Haubeil against the Scarlet Knights.

“Jake's definitely an option,” Day said. “He came here for a reason.”

Seibert was recruited as a scholarship player out of La Salle High School in Cincinnati and was ranked as the second-best kicker in his class, but he was not expected to see the field this season.

Haubeil has been the primary place-kicker for Ohio State since 2018.

The 12 other players who are unavailable this week include cornerback Cameron Brown, cornerback Lejond Cavazos, running back Marcus Crowley, offensive lineman Gavin Cupp, tight end Patrick Gurd, wide receiver Jaylen Harris, tight end Jake Hausmann, long snapper Roen McCullough, cornerback Lloyd McFarquhar, defensive tackle Jaden McKenzie and safety Kourt Willilams.

Hausmann is the most prominent player to be newly sidelined. A reserve, he caught a pass for 13 yards last week at Penn State. Brown suffered a season-ending injury in the game.

All of the Buckeyes’ starters are expected to be available.

jkaufman@dispatch.com

@joeyrkaufman