Ohio State WR Brandon Inniss back to full strength after injuring foot in spring practice

Brandon Inniss was running a route during Ohio State’s second week of spring practice in March when he hurt his right foot.

As he stopped his route along the sideline at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, he felt a tweak on the side of his foot.

It was not enough to sideline the sophomore wide receiver in the immediate aftermath, though it proved difficult to manage over the following practices.

“I tried practicing on it more and more and I just couldn’t,” Inniss said.

Inniss was diagnosed with a hairline fracture, prompting him to miss the end of spring practice. When the Buckeyes held their spring game in April, his foot was in a walking boot as he rode a medical scooter along the sideline at Ohio Stadium.

“Being out there doing things not at 100%, it would just make it worse,” he said.

No surgery was needed. The rest helped him to return to full strength this summer and participate in the Buckeyes’ strength and conditioning workouts and catch passes from the quarterbacks during weekend throwing sessions.

“It recovered already 100%” Inniss said.

His recovery was swift enough that he set personal bests while running 10 and 20-yard splits and lining up for the vertical jump.

Reflecting on the injury on Wednesday during a back-to-school shopping event for children at a Dick’s Sporting Goods store on Sawmill Road, he had persisted.

“It definitely wasn’t easy then,” he said, “but now I feel amazing.”

Inniss, who appeared in eight games last season and caught a 58-yard touchdown in a win at Purdue in October, is in position to seize a larger role in the upcoming season.

A native of South Florida, he was the lone five-star prospect to sign with Ohio State in the 2023 recruiting cycle and is part of a talented group of underclassmen poised to help replace Marvin Harrison Jr. and Julian Fleming. The only returning starting receiver from last season remains Emeka Egbuka, who is a senior.

The push for snaps begins in two weeks as the Buckeyes are set to open preseason training camp on Aug. 1.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Brandon Inniss: Ohio State football WR back to full strength