Ohio State football: 2 Buckeyes felled by injuries

>>RELATED: Ryan Day’s take on the first five practices of spring ball

Hilliard was the top-rated prospect in Ohio in 2015, a five-star linebacker from Cincinnati St. Xavier who helped the Bombers to the state semifinals his senior year.

A pair of biceps injuries mostly wiped out his first two years in Columbus, but he earned his first letter in 2017 and was a key reserve and special teamer on last season’s Big Ten championship team.

He is out indefinitely after surgery to repair what LettermanRow.com reports is an Achilles injury.

Babb has not had surgery yet, but his injury is reportedly a third torn ACL in as many years.

He was a four-star prospect last year, the No. 13 receiver and the No. 73 player in country overall according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

Both receiver and linebacker are positions in transition this year in Columbus.

While three starters return at linebacker, the group is under new direction from coach Al Washington, and a new defensive scheme is expected to mean only two traditional linebackers will be on the field most of the time.

Ohio State lost three productive seniors from the most prolific passing game in school history, but second-year coach Brian Hartline has veterans K.J. Hill, Austin Mack and Binjimin Victor to build around.

Aside from losing Babb, Hartline's room is also missing Blue Smith after the former Wayne two-sport star left the team earlier this month.