Ohio State football faces an upset minded Illinois team on Saturday. Head coach Ryan Day already threw down one challenge for quarterback Julian Sayin. But Day and OSU have two notable injuries on their side too in Phillip Daniels and Zion Grady.

College football insider for On3/Rivals Pete Nakos shared the health of both the tackle Daniels and edge rusher Grady.

“Ohio State offensive tackle Phillip Daniels and EDGE Zion Grady are questionable for Saturday against Illinois,” Nakos shared via the social media website X, formerly Twitter.

Nakos added that “WR Kyle Parker is also questionable.”

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Daniels is key ailment to monitor, given that he's one of Sayin's top protectors. He previously played in 32 total snaps during the season opener against Ball State. He's also a Third Team All-Big Ten selection from the 2025 season. But he sustained his lower body injury during the week two loss to Texas, which saw OSU lose a 23-3 lead and fell 24-23 in Austin.

Grady, meanwhile, hasn't recorded any defensive stats. He flashed his potential last season with seven solo tackles and one sack. He arrived to Columbus as a prized four-star College Football Recruiting win for Day and the Buckeyes.

Ohio State fell out of the top five following its collapse against the Longhorns. OSU managed to rebound with its rout of Kent State, which saw wide receiver Jeremiah Smith land in the school record books.

But the Fighting Illini rises as a different type of animal for OSU. Illinois wants nothing more than to knock off the annual Big Ten heavyweight and spark top 25 conversations.