CFB: Four Key Questions for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2025
By Rory-Joe Daniels
The 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes were built to win the College Football Playoff. They did just that, but the cost was losing a raft of elite players to the NFL. Now that NIL money has taken hold, having players primed to simply cycle in and assume key roles is more difficult than ever. That means this version of the Buckeyes contains a huge amount of unknowns. They still remain one of the most talent-laden rosters, but they are unlikely to find repeating a Championship run easy. Let’s look at the key questions that hang over the program ahead of the 2025 season.
How will Julian Sayin fare as starting quarterback?
There is no question that Julian Sayin has the recruiting pedigree to be an elite college quarterback. Nick Saban initially recruited him to Alabama, but when the GOAT retired, Sayin decided to head elsewhere. Nine days after enrolling in Tuscaloosa, Sayin headed for Ohio State, performing backup duties to Will Howard in his freshman season.
As the five-star, number one QB recruit in the country, it’s clear why the Buckeyes are happy to entrust starting duties to Sayin, as opposed to bringing in another high-profile transfer. That’s not to say there aren’t question marks around a player who has only taken 14 dropbacks in college football.
Sayin put in an MVP performance during the Elite 11’s, and 247 Sports’ Greg Biggins scouting report out of high school read as such:
‘His athleticism has always been an under-rated part of his game and this year, we saw him take off and run more and showed the ability to easily elude pass rushers and extend plays. He’s a heady player with a high football IQ and could be the most ‘ready to play early’ quarterback in this year’s class.’
He certainly has the surrounding talent any sophomore QB would be envious of in Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss. Even with the best receiving corps in the country, the Buckeyes’ opener vs one of the nation’s top defenses – Texas – will be a baptism of fire for Sayin.
Can Ethan Onianwa provide adequate blindside protection?
The left tackle position was a problem for the Buckeyes in 2024, but one they managed to navigate with elite talent stepping into unfamiliar roles. Josh Simmons’ injury early in the year could have derailed the title challenge. However, Donovan Jackson’s transition from guard solved the problem and resulted in both players going in the first round of the NFL.
The search for a replacement went outside of the building this year, with the Buckeyes landing on Rice transfer Ethan Onianwa as the presumed starter. He has the prototypical size at 6’6, 345lbs and has impressed early in spring camp, losing his black stripe (a Buckeye tradition, where incoming players don’t officially become Buckeyes until their peers believe they have demonstrated the requisite level of play) quickly.
Onianwa only allowed one sack last year, earning a PFF pass blocking grade of 72.3 but the biggest challenge will be adjusting to life in the Power 4. As with Sayin, facing Collin Simmons and Trey Moore in Week 1 should give us an insight into whether or not Onianwa can cut it at the next level.
Will CJ Hicks finally get a chance to shine at a new position?
CJ Hicks was a 5-star recruit, ranked 10th nationally by 247 Sports in the 2022 recruiting class. The Dayton, Ohio native wouldn’t have wanted to leave the Buckeyes, but after still failing to secure a starting spot last year, he surely must have considered it.
The reason for his lack of production was a combination of failing to nail down his position and a log jam with experienced players who formed one of the best defenses in the country. Now Hicks has been confirmed as a true edge rusher and with the departure of Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, there appears to be a runway to more snaps.
Hicks had seven pressures including three sacks last season, earning a PFF pash rushing grade of 75.2. That’s not bad considering he only had 19 true pass rush snaps. Hicks’ main competition will come from Kenyatta Jackson and Caden Curry. However, considering they had four sacks between them in 2024, Hicks has plenty of opportunity to become the star of this edge rushing group.
Is Davison Igbinosun the biggest weakness of this defensive group?
It’s fair to say that cornerback Davison Igbinosun got picked on in 2024. He was targeted 60 times by opposing quarterbacks, 13 more times than his cornerback partner, Denzel Burke. The biggest knock on Igninosun was his penalty count. His tally of 16 was by far the most of any cornerback in the FBS, the next highest being 11.
Igbinosun has the frame and athleticism that scream first-round corner, but unless he controls the mistakes, he will have a limited future in the NFL. The bigger concern for Buckeye fans is that he could be seen as the weak link in this secondary. On tape, there are flashes. Igbinosun had eight pass breakups and two interceptions. That ratio was mirrored by the defense as a whole; the Buckeyes had the most pass deflections in the Big 10, but were middle of the pack in interceptions. If they can convert some of those opportunities into turnovers, then the defense could continue to excel.
If Igbinosun continues to struggle, there is an alternative. The Buckeyes recruited the number 1 corner in the country last year. Devin Sanchez is a 6’2, 185 lbs freshman out of Texas who will immediately put pressure on the incumbent starters. Perhaps that type of pressure will turn Igbinsun into a diamond; if not, the leash is likely to be short.
Rory-Joe DanIELS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
AS A LONG-SUFFERING CINCINNATI BENGALS FAN, RORY HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HIS PASSION FOR THE DRAFT LED HIM TO GET ENTANGLED WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND HE HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT PROSPECTS AND THE CFB LANDSCAPE EVER SINCE.