Ohio State loses pair of linemen to serious injury

Ohio State is feeling a bit of the injury bug, as head coach Urban Meyer announced Sunday that defensive lineman Darius Slade suffered a ruptured Achilles, while offensive lineman Malcolm Pridgeon suffered an undisclosed knee injury, according to Ari Wasserman of Cleveland.com.

Slade, a 6-foot-4, 258-pound redshirt sophomore, suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon that is likely to sideline him for the season. Slade appeared in seven games last season for the Buckeyes.

Pridgeon, a 6-foot-7, 315-pound junior suffered a knee injury, and while his outlook is slightly more optimistic, he is still expected to miss approximately three months. This year marks Pridgeon's first with the Buckeyes following a two-year stint at Nassau Community College.

While neither players factor into starting roles heading into the season, the loss of a lineman on each side of the ball stretches the depth that much thinner for Ohio State.