Ohio State Buckeyes: Five to Watch 2026
By Rory Daniels
The Ohio State Buckeyes were looking to win back-to-back National Championship titles in 2025, and for much of the season, everything went to plan. An unbeaten regular season and a dominant defense had them firmly on track. However, their offense stuttered at the worst time—first in a tight 13–10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship, then again in the playoff semifinal, where Miami’s defensive front caused problems for quarterback Julian Sayin.
They will attack 2026 with the same vigour and have the weapons to mount a serious challenge. Sayin reunites with arguably the best player in college football, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and despite defensive losses, you would expect Matt Patricia to have his side of the ball in shape.
Head coach Ryan Day wants to establish himself in the same realm as Kirby Smart and Nick Saban, and two titles in three years would do just that. He enters the year without offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, now a head coach in South Florida, and must also replace multiple impact players lost to the NFL Draft. Will that derail the offense early in the season?
Here are the five players he will need most to ensure a deep playoff run.
Julian Sayin’s first year as a starting quarterback was largely a success. However, the jury remains out on the young signal caller given how the season ended. The highly accurate Sayin thrived within structure and when the stakes were lower, utilising his excellent receiving threats to turn the Buckeyes into an offensive juggernaut. The problems arrived in the Big Ten Championship game and then again in the playoff semifinal vs Miami. Sayin was sacked 10 times across those games and threw just two touchdowns against three interceptions.
At this point, Sayin can’t be described as a true playmaker, and his ability off script will be a key part of his development in 2026. The arrival of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith could be both a positive and a negative for the young quarterback. Smith will likely lean heavily on the run game and allow Sayin to operate in his comfort zone — the short-to-intermediate range. However, will pro scouts need to see more than that before viewing him as a legitimate first-round prospect? While Smith and Sayin may be a strong combination for Ohio State’s title hopes, draft stock is a different conversation.
Jeremiah Smith might be the player who finally broke Ohio State’s wide receiver mould. The Buckeyes are well-renowned for their receiver production line, but Smith combines the best traits of the greats, past and present. His size and strength are obvious, but the more you watch, the more you notice the nuanced route running, smooth acceleration, and subtle shifts in body positioning that make him near-on unstoppable. Smith was actually less productive than in his freshman season, but still comfortably passed the 1,200-yard mark and finished with 12 touchdowns.
It’s difficult to predict exactly how his 2027 season will play out. Another 1,000-yard year feels inevitable, but he no longer has an obvious running mate like Carnell Tate alongside him. Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin could make that leap, but stopping Smith will be the first priority for every defense he faces. That could lead to a higher target share than in previous seasons or create more opportunities elsewhere if opponents commit to double-teaming. Either way, Smith will remain the focal point of this offense.
The Ohio State offensive line had plenty of question marks heading into 2025, but for the most part, they answered them emphatically. Losing Josh Simmons and Donovan Jackson was always going to be difficult, yet the Buckeyes quickly found solutions to both vacancies. The unit allowed only 16 sacks all season, and although Miami caused them problems late on, that is hardly a surprise given the sheer depth of talent on the Hurricanes’ defensive line.
All five spots entering 2026 should be occupied by experienced players; the only real question mark is at right guard, where Josh Padilla and Gabe VanSickle are expected to compete after both gained valuable experience in 2025.
The star of the line is senior left tackle Austin Siereveld, who already looks like a seasoned NFL veteran. Originally projected as a guard, Siereveld beat out highly touted Rice transfer Ethan Onianwa for the blindside role and never looked back. He allowed zero sacks and just 15 pressures all season. NFL teams will love the combination of size, reliability, versatility and technical polish.
Buckeyes fans will be concerned about turnover on the defensive front, given the production that has left the program. Caden Curry, Arvell Reese, Kayden McDonald and Sonny Styles combined for 26 sacks and 103 total pressures in 2025; replacing that level of disruption will not be easy.
Ohio State has looked to reinforce the unit with the additions of James Smith and Qua Russaw from Alabama, but the group is headlined by Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
Jackson recorded 8 sacks and 45 total pressures last season, but 2026 is about making the leap from high-end contributor to genuine game-wrecker off the edge. At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, once he builds momentum, he is extremely difficult to stop. On film, you see a devastating bull rush, but also enough athleticism and flexibility to disengage and win outside the tackle.
With a strong secondary behind him and a larger role in the defense, Jackson has all the tools to emerge as one of the premier edge rushers in college football.
While the Buckeyes’ secondary is stocked full of talent, you won’t change my mind about Devin Sanchez. I think this guy is special. As a true freshman last season, he played 323 snaps, but that should change in 2026, given the holes left by Caleb Downs in the nickel and Davison Igbinosun on the outside. Sanchez could fill either role, but I think he has the tools to become a dominant one-on-one outside corner given his size at 6’2, 198lbs.
The practice tape only adds to the hype. Sanchez has gone viral a couple of times during camp and the spring game, matching up against Jeremiah Smith. Having the best receiver in the country to test yourself against should only benefit Sanchez, and he has already shown the competitive attitude and confidence to get the better of Smith at times.
This could be the first year we start talking about Sanchez in a way similar to how we talk about NFL stars like Pat Surtain Jr.
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.