Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles found himself repeating a description for cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. during a news conference this week.

“He’s got moxie,” Knowles said. “I’ve said it like three times. He’s a guy you know is going to compete.”

Mathews filled in at Purdue when Denzel Burke went down in the third quarter with an injury.

It remains unclear if Burke will be available for the Buckeyes’ top-10 clash with Penn State on Saturday. The program has not divulged his status, nor the nature of the issue that led him to leave for the locker room last week.

If Burke remains out, it’s possible Mathews might again line up opposite Davison Igbinosun in the secondary, a significant step for the freshman from Cincinnati.

Mathews, a product of Winton Woods High School, was the top-ranked prospect in Ohio in the last recruiting cycle and made an immediate impression after he enrolled at Ohio State in January, showing an eagerness to cover the Buckeyes’ talented group of pass catchers in practices.

“From day one, he was willing to step in and compete against some of the best receivers in the country,” Knowles said. “When you see a young guy do that, you see he’s got a chance.”

There is the talent, too, in addition to his mental makeup. Jordan Hancock, a fellow cornerback, said Mathews is “really fast and twitchy.”

Mathews did not allow a completion when he was twice targeted in coverage against the Boilermakers, playing 25 snaps over the third and fourth quarters, a total more than the 21 he had previously logged this season.

“We got all the confidence in him,” Hancock said, “because he’s a dog. If he goes out there, we know he’s going to do his job.”

The Buckeyes have other options to replace Burke, who has been their shutdown corner this fall, bouncing back from a sophomore slump.

Hancock, a cornerback who has been used as the nickel safety in slot coverage, rotating for Sonny Styles, could also move outside.

He shared snaps with Mathews last week and has also been practicing on the outside this season.

“I’m natural at both positions,” he said.

Penn State’s passing game isn’t explosive. It ranks 89th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in yards per pass attempt.

But it’s efficient. Drew Allar, a sophomore quarterback from Medina, has thrown 12 touchdowns and no interceptions, one of the reasons the Nittany Lions are among the nine FBS teams averaging 40 points or more per game.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on Facebook and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He can also be contacted at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jermaine Mathews could be an option for Ohio State against Penn State