2026 Black Stripe Tracker: UCF Transfer Long Snapper Dalton Riggs Sheds Black Stripe

Dan Hope — Monday, August 24, 2026 - 13:04

There will be no shortage of black stripe removals for Ohio State in 2026.

After adding more than 50 players this offseason, nearly half of Ohio State’s players started this spring sporting black stripes on their helmets. Each new Ohio State player will have to prove to the coaching staff through their performance in practice that they are ready to compete at the Ohio State standard, and will have their black stripes removed when the coaches feel they‘ve earned the right to “officially” be a Buckeye.

Thirteen new Ohio State players had their black stripes removed this spring: Wide receivers Kyle Parker, Brock Boyd, Devin McCuin and Chris Henry Jr., tight ends Mason Williams and Hunter Welcing, defensive tackles James Smith and John Walker, linebacker Christian Alliegro, defensive end Qua Russaw, cornerback Dominick Kelly and safeties Earl Little Jr and Terry Moore. All of them are transfers except Boyd, who became the third-fastest freshman to lose his stripe ever by having his removed after just six practices, and Henry.

Seven more Buckeyes have lost their black stripes in preseason camp. Running backs Ja'Kobi Jackson and Stanley Jackson Jr. were the first Buckeyes to lose their black stripes this August, followed by four more freshmen: cornerback Jay Timmons, quarterback Luke Fahey, defensive end Khary Wilder and safety Simeon Caldwell. Alabama transfer cornerback Cam Calhoun was the seventh Buckeye to have his stripe removed in camp, which was followed by another transfer in long snapper Dalton Riggs from UCF.

We’re tracking all of the Buckeye black stripe removals below.

Black Stripe Removals

August 24, 2026

Dalton Riggs

UCF transfer long snapper Dalton Riggs was the eighth Buckeye to shed his black stripe during fall camp.

Consistency is key, & this guy is just that! Welcome to the Brotherhood, @daltonriggs48 pic.twitter.com/4u5JxZSUFI
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 24, 2026

"This guy's dance moves are questionable, but his play ain't," C.J. Barnett said. "This guy makes our team better."

Riggs has started the last two years, with last season coming with the Knights and the previous one at BYU.

He enters his fifth year of college football as the projected starter for the Buckeyes.

AUGUST 20, 2026

Cam Calhoun

Transfer cornerback Cam Calhoun was the seventh Buckeye of preseason camp to have his black stripe removed.

BIA It’s not a slogan, it’s who we are & this guy embraces all of it, welcome to the Brotherhood, @Camcalhoun01 pic.twitter.com/uhB5DbnB6q
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 20, 2026

Calhoun transferred to Ohio State this past season from Alabama, making it the fourth team he's suited up for after stints with Michigan and Utah. Calhoun redshirted at Michigan, then notched 27 total tackles and 10 pass breakups over the past two years with a season apiece for the Utes and Crimson Tide.

He was teammates with Jermaine Mathews Jr. at Cincinnati's Winton Woods High School.

Calhoun is expected to be a backup cornerback in 2026 and has two years of eligibility remaining.

AUGUST 19, 2026

Simeon Caldwell

A four-star safety from Florida, Caldwell became the sixth freshman to have his black stripe removed in 2026 after Ohio State’s 12th practice of preseason camp.

BIA just added a ball hawk to the secondary, Welcome to the Brotherhood, @Sim_C28 pic.twitter.com/pCzWZexpS7
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 19, 2026

Described as “smart as shit” by director of player development and former Ohio State safety CJ Barnett in his black stripe removal video, Caldwell was seen taking reps with the first-team defense during Ohio State’s first week of camp. While he’s in line to be a backup safety this year, his early stripe removal and work with the first-team defense suggest he’s a strong candidate to play on special teams and possibly see action in big nickel packages as a freshman.

AUGUST 15, 2026

Khary Wilder

Hours after Ryan Day announced quarterback Luke Fahey had lost his black stripe, Ohio State’s creative team released a video showing defensive end Khary Wilder had also added scarlet to his helmet following the Buckeyes’ scrimmage.

The Rushmen got themselves one of them ones Welcome to the Brotherhood, @WilderKhary pic.twitter.com/I7PJ5obX2q
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 15, 2026

Wilder, the No. 52 overall prospect in the 2026 class, is a 6-foot-4, 257-pound edge rusher from Gardena, California. He finished his high school career at Junipero Serra with 267 tackles and 29 sacks. He also played basketball, averaging 11.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game as a junior.

This preseason, Wilder is competing for playing time behind returning starter Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and projected starter Beau Atkinson, alongside Alabama transfer Qua Russaw and sophomores Zion Grady and Epi Sitanilei.

AUGUST 15, 2026

Luke Fahey

Quarterback Luke Fahey became the fourth freshman to lose his black stripe in 2026, joining wide receivers Brock Boyd and Chris Henry Jr., as well as cornerback Jay Timmons. Boyd and Henry lost their black stripes in the spring, while Timmons and Fahey joined the duo during preseason camp.

Ryan Day announced Fahey's black stripe removal during a press conference on Saturday. Soon after, he said the three-star signal caller from Mission Viejo, California, has been pushing Tavien St. Clair in the backup quarterback competition.

"He's been really doing a great job. He's putting a lot of pressure on Tavien. He really is. He's been competing. He's been making plays," Day said. "That's been exciting to see him come in with a certain work ethic, run the offense at a pretty high level. We'll kind of see how the rest of camp plays out, but good to see him kind of step in and push Tavien."

AUGUST 12, 2026

Jay Timmons

Timmons is the third freshman to shed his black stripe in 2026, following wide receivers Brock Boyd and Chris Henry Jr. He’s also the second player during preseason camp to shed his black stripe, joining Florida transfer running back Ja’Kobi Jackson.

BIA is ballin’ & this kid is adding a new edge to the room Welcome, @jay__timmons pic.twitter.com/VZomYvnO8G
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 12, 2026

Timmons has been one of the stars of preseason camp to this point, earning reps with the first-team defense and impressing Ohio State’s coaches and his teammates as a playmaker.

“Jay is nice, bro,” Brandon Inniss said in a press conference the day Timmons lost his black stripe. “He has great instincts for a freshman, great quickness. He has heavy hands. He’s very physical. But to me, the best thing Jay does is play with his instincts. It’s crazy to see as a freshman. He made a play yesterday that was crazy. And yeah, that’s all I’ll say.”

Julian Sayin also praised Timmons a week earlier.

“I mean, a really talented player,” Sayin said. “Somebody who is anticipating instead of reacting. Kind of has a nose for the ball, and a really good player. He’s challenging to go against.”

So did Earl Little Jr.

“He came in, making plays off the bat. He’s there mentally as well as physically,” Little said. “I commend him and tip my hat to him. He’s gonna be a great player for us.”

AUGUST 11, 2026

Stanley Jackson Jr.

Stanley Jackson Jr., the son of former Ohio State quarterback Stanley Jackson, joined fellow running back Ja’Kobi Jackson as one of the first two players to have his black stripes removed in preseason camp.

The Lock Boyz are on a roll, adding another to the Brotherhood ‼️Welcome, @StanJackson04 pic.twitter.com/9lM1k0ddSE
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 11, 2026

A walk-on running back in his second year at Ohio State, Jackson has not yet played in a game for the Buckeyes. Even so, director of player development C.J. Barnett described his black stripe removal as “way overdue.”

“This guy is one of the best teammates you have,” Barnett said of Jackson before removing his stripe. “Works hella hard, hella hard.”

AUGUST 11, 2026

Ja'Kobi Jackson

Ja’Kobi Jackson was the first Buckeye to shed his black stripe during this year’s preseason camp.

The Lock Boyz adding a Versatile Back to the room‼️Welcome, @24JJACK pic.twitter.com/d1Eanpc1bw
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 11, 2026

Jackson started his collegiate career at Coahoma Community College in Mississippi, where he played three seasons before spending three at Florida. He then transferred to Ohio State in the winter for his seventh and final year of eligibility.

In the three practices open to the media, Jackson excelled as a pass catcher out of the backfield. He will likely provide depth behind Bo Jackson and Isaiah West in Ohio State’s running back room, while Legend Bey also pushes to make an impact during his first year with the Buckeyes.

APRIL 15, 2026

Chris Henry Jr.

The highest-ranked recruit in Ohio State’s 2026 freshman class was the second member of the class to have his black stripe removed as Henry, the No. 14 overall prospect in the class, had his stripe removed following the Buckeyes’ 13th practice of the spring.

Zone 6 adds a Physical Specimen with all the tools to be great to the room, Welcome @ChrisHenryJr pic.twitter.com/XRf4UJksxA
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 15, 2026

“The hype is real on this guy,” director of player development C.J. Barnett said while removing his black stripe. “He’s a physical specimen and makes plays all over the field. Just throw the ball up, and he’s going to get it.”

Henry joins fellow wide receiver Brock Boyd as the first two Ohio State freshmen to lose their black stripe in 2026.

APRIL 13, 2026

Hunter Welcing

Former Northwestern tight end Hunter Welcing became the 12th player this spring to have his black stripe removed following Ohio State’s 12th practice of 2026.

Physicality, Toughness and Talent are making waves in the TE room with the newest addition Welcome, @hunter_welcing pic.twitter.com/tDQerItYHK
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 13, 2026

Welcing is the second transfer tight end to officially become a Buckeye this offseason, joining Ohio’s Mason Williams. Welcing arrived at Ohio State after spending six years with the Wildcats and is coming off a career season in 2026, recording 28 receptions for 296 yards and two touchdowns while earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.

APRIL 13, 2026

Terry Moore

Former Duke safety Terry Moore became the 11th player of the spring to have his black stripe removed following Ohio State’s 12th practice of 2026.

Talk about a Ball Hawk in the secondary, BIA just got a whole lot better Welcome, @TerryMoore02 pic.twitter.com/PxO4N9F9Jb
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 13, 2026

Moore enters his redshirt senior season fresh off an ACL injury that cost him his entire 2025 campaign. He starred for Duke in 2024, however, earning second-team All-ACC honors after racking up 71 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four interceptions, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a sack. He's currently battling with redshirt sophomore Leroy Roker III to start at safety alongside Jaylen McClain and Earl Little Jr.

APRIL 10, 2026

Dominick Kelly

Former Georgia cornerback Dominick Kelly became the 10th player of the spring to have his black stripe removed following Ohio State’s 11th practice of 2026.

BIA just added a Lockdown corner to the room, excited for what he brings in the fall Welcome, @D_Lock23 pic.twitter.com/UOneEd9IEi
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 10, 2026

A sophomore who had three tackles and three pass breakups in 61 defensive snaps as a true freshman at Georgia, Kelly is competing with fellow offseason transfer addition Cam Calhoun and true freshmen Jay Timmons and Jordan Thomas to be Ohio State’s top backup cornerback this season. Losing his black stripe before the rest of them signals Kelly could be the early frontrunner in the competition to be Ohio State’s No. 3 cornerback behind Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Devin Sanchez.

APRIL 8, 2026

Mason Williams

Williams, an Ohio University transfer, became the first of Ohio State’s two transfer tight ends to have his black stripe removed in 2026 following the Buckeyes’ 10th practice of the spring.

The Buckeyes adding a high motor TE to the Brotherhood, Welcome @WilliamsMason87 pic.twitter.com/9DBEDAW74e
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 8, 2026

The stripe removal came just two days after Ryan Day praised Williams and fellow transfer tight end Hunter Welcing in a press conference.

“Bringing in Mason Williams and Hunter at tight end with (returning sophomore Nate Roberts), they're not perfect at all, but they're grinding at it. And they're working at it. And I think those guys at tight end have shown up. Especially in the pass game, just seeing them make a lot more plays maybe than we've seen in the past.”

APRIL 8, 2026

John Walker

Walker became the seventh member of Ohio State’s 2026 transfer class when he had his black stripe removed following the Buckeyes’ 10th practice of the spring.

R2X just added a MONSTER in the middle, welcome to the Brotherhood @55problems__ pic.twitter.com/SOpQGthbeq
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 8, 2026

Walker is the second straight defensive tackle to have his black stripe removed this spring, losing his just two practices after Alabama transfer James Smith. Walker and Smith are competing with returning defensive tackles Eddrick Houston and Will Smith Jr., the Buckeyes’ second-string DTs in 2025, for starting jobs in 2026.

APRIL 4, 2026

James Smith

James Smith became the sixth 2026 transfer to lose his black stripe on Saturday.

Following Ohio State's Student Appreciation Day practice, the Alabama transfer defensive tackle officially became a Buckeye. He joins his former Crimson Tide teammate, Qua Russaw, as the second defensive line transfer to add scarlet to his helmet this spring.

R2X adds some toughness & attitude in the middle, Welcome to the Brotherhood @BigKong57 pic.twitter.com/UkUVnht8Vc
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 4, 2026

Last month, Smith said he transferred to Ohio State because he wanted "a new start" in his college football career. He said two-time unanimous All-American Caleb Downs sold him on becoming a Buckeye – and that everything Downs said about OSU has been true so far.

“Caleb Downs is like my brother. I talk to him almost every day," Smith said. "He wanted me to come here very bad.”

APRIL 4, 2026

Devin McCuin

Devin McCuin became the fifth 2026 transfer to lose his black stripe on Saturday.

Following Ohio State's Student Appreciation Day practice, the UTSA transfer wide receiver officially became a Buckeye. He joins former LSU pass catcher Kyle Parker as the second WR to add scarlet to his helmet this spring.

Zone 6 is adding elite SPEED to the room, Welcome @DevinMccuin1 pic.twitter.com/N37inrYhCN
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 4, 2026

McCuin transferred to Ohio State following three years in San Antonio. He comes to the Buckeyes with career totals of 152 receptions, 1,696 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. He recorded a career-high 65 catches for 726 yards and eight scores in 2025.

“Just a great kid, extremely coachable, wants to be great, but has elite speed,” wide receiver coach Cortez Hankton said last week. “If you watch his tape, when he gets the ball, he is truly exceptional in terms of accelerating after the catch.”

APRIL 2, 2026

Qua Russaw

Qua Russaw became the fourth 2026 transfer to lose his black stripe on Thursday.

The veteran defensive end arrived at Ohio State alongside fellow Alabama transfers James Smith and Cam Calhoun, and he beat both the defensive tackle and cornerback in becoming an “official” Buckeye.

A QBs nightmare is the newest addition to the Rushmen, Welcome @QuaRussaw pic.twitter.com/3uFXzaSVIp
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 2, 2026

Speaking Tuesday, Ryan Day said Russaw has quickly acclimated to Larry Johnson’s defensive line room as he competes with Zion Grady and Beau Atkinson for the starting spot opposite Kenyatta Jackson Jr. at defensive end.

“I think you're seeing Qua Russaw really make an impact out there. He flashed a few times today, made a couple of sacks on third down,” Day said. “That’s a position where we’re really going to need some production this year.”

MARCH 31, 2026

Christian Alliegro

Christian Alliegro became the third transfer of 2026 to lose his black stripe on Tuesday, Ryan Day said during his press conference.

The LB Room adds THOR to the Brotherhood, Welcome @ChristianAllie7 pic.twitter.com/n59BhXESPh
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 31, 2026

The Wisconsin transfer linebacker is the frontrunner to start at Will linebacker this season alongside Payton Pierce. He recorded 53 tackles with eight tackles for loss, four sacks and a pass breakup for the Badgers in 2025.

MARCH 31, 2026

Brock Boyd

Despite being a three-star recruit who was ranked as just the No. 729 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, Brock Boyd became the first freshman to lose his black stripe this spring after just six practices as a Buckeye, Ryan Day revealed during his Tuesday press conference.

The kid from TX has that IT factor, Zone 6 keeps adding to the list Welcome, @BrockBoyd_2 pic.twitter.com/FT0qSCmaXy
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 31, 2026

Boyd has drawn consistent praise from his coaches and teammates in his first spring at Ohio State and appears to be making a real push for immediate playing time despite his meager recruiting ranking.

“This is somebody who knows how to run a route,” Day said. “He's serious about it. He can play multiple positions. And he's productive. His dad's a receiver coach, and he plays that way. But he's got quick twitch. He can change direction. He's got strong hands. I'm excited to see where his career goes. But he's off to a great start.”

MARCH 28, 2026

Earl Little Jr.

Little Jr. joined Parker in officially becoming a Buckeye on Saturday. The former All-ACC safety arrived in Columbus after two years at Alabama and two years at Florida State. He has recorded 93 tackles with three tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions and two pass breakups across 35 career games.

BIA just added a PLAYMAKING Safety, welcome to the Brotherhood, @EarlLittleJr1 pic.twitter.com/bjYHIZDijT
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 28, 2026

Little Jr. is one of two transfers the Buckeyes brought in at safety, along with former Duke defensive back Terry Moore. Little Jr. is expected to play nickel for the Buckeyes, while Moore is projected as a free safety.

MARCH 28, 2026

Kyle Parker

Parker’s status as the first Buckeye to have his black stripe removed this spring was revealed by Ohio State wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton during an interview session after Ohio State’s fifth practice of the spring.

Zone 6 adds a Fast & Physical Baller to the room. Welcome, @realkp4_ pic.twitter.com/SohsEE4MH8
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 28, 2026

The stripe removal made Hankton think of another former wide receiver at LSU, Kyren Lacy, who died by suicide last April.

“To see KP, who was like a brother to Kyren, taking that black stripe off, man, it was really just fun and heartwarming to watch, because I know that dude would be smiling for him,” Hankton said. “I can see them dancing in the corner and celebrating. And it's days like today that truly lets you take the perspective of being thankful and grateful to be in this position to coach.”

Parker, a redshirt junior, is competing for a starting wide receiver job at Ohio State this spring after catching 31 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns at LSU in 2025. His achievement of losing his black stripe before any other player this spring suggests his quest to earn that job – or at least a significant spot in the rotation – is off to a great start.

Ohio State’s 2026 Black Stripe Removals
Player	Pos	Year	Date
KYLE PARKER	WR	SENIOR	MARCH 28
EARL LITTLE JR.	S	FIFTH-YEAR SENIOR	MARCH 28
BROCK BOYD	WR	FRESHMAN	MARCH 31
CHRISTIAN ALLIEGRO	LB	SENIOR	MARCH 31
QUA RUSSAW	DE	SENIOR	APRIL 2
DEVIN MCCUIN	WR	SENIOR	APRIL 4
JAMES SMITH	DT	SENIOR	APRIL 4
JOHN WALKER	DT	SENIOR	APRIL 8
MASON WILLIAMS	TE	SENIOR	APRIL 8
DOMINICK KELLY	CB	SOPHOMORE	APRIL 10
TERRY MOORE	S	FIFTH-YEAR SENIOR	APRIL 13
HUNTER WELCING	TE	SEVENTH-YEAR SENIOR	APRIL 13
CHRIS HENRY JR.	WR	FRESHMAN	APRIL 15
JA'KOBI JACKSON	RB	SEVENTH-YEAR SENIOR	AUG. 11
STANLEY JACKSON JR.	RB	JUNIOR	AUG. 11
JAY TIMMONS	CB	FRESHMAN	AUG. 12
LUKE FAHEY	QB	FRESHMAN	AUG. 15
KHARY WILDER	DE	FRESHMAN	AUG. 15
SIMEON CALDWELL	S	FRESHMAN	AUG. 19
CAM CALHOUN	CB	SENIOR	AUG. 20
DALTON RIGGS	LS	FIFTH-YEAR SENIOR	AUG. 24

Be sure to check out our Black Stripe Tradition page to see the history of Ohio State’s black stripe removals from 2012, when the tradition started, all the way through today.

Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Breaks Down Offensive Line Plan, Why Brandon Inniss Deserves Block O and Doesn’t Like NFL Players Joining College Rosters

Lyle Alenstein — Monday, August 24, 2026 - 12:50

Ohio State appears to have its starting offensive line.

During his press conference on Monday, Ryan Day announced that Ian Moore has been repping at left tackle and Austin Siereveld is at right guard with the ones. Other than that, the personnel remains the same, with Luke Montgomery at left guard, Carson Hinzman at center and Phillip Daniels at right tackle.

In addition to sharing what the offensive line looks like, Day discussed why Brandon Inniss was a good fit for the Block O jersey, why Payton Pierce deserved captaincy and his thoughts on NFL players being added to college rosters, among many other topics.

A quick recap of his Monday presser:

Day named the aforementioned group as the ones right now, saying "they're working together right now, and they're getting a lot of reps."
On Brock Boyd: "I think he's going to play. How much is to be determined, but he will play. And somebody who has had a really good camp."
When Siereveld returned from a minor injury, he went right to guard as that's where he's been repping and not tackle.
On Ian Moore: "He's always been athletic, strong in the weight room, great mentality, intelligent ... a lot of it is just experience, and usually in that third year, you start to grow into your own, and that's what he's doing right now, playing with a lot of confidence."
Said the captains are "a great representation" of the 2026 team.
On Brandon Inniss getting the Block O: "It's just what he's done on a daily basis, the way he shows up, his work ethic, his leadership."
Called Jay Timmons a "bright spot."
On Simeon Caldwell: "Has really done a good job as a freshman. It's a lot as a safety to play, but he has great instincts. Communicates well for a young player."
Has not settled on a backup quarterback between Tavien St. Clair and Luke Fahey.
Does not have a No. 1 tight end at the moment; said a lot of guys will play depending on personnel, but Nate Roberts, Bennett Christian and Max Williams are at the top of the depth chart right now.
Why he named Payton Pierce captain: "He's somebody that leads from the front, which is important in today's day and age when a lot of guys want to lead by example. He's got a voice, and in that position, it's really important that everybody's on the same page."
Said the defensive tackles have "good depth," but they're still waiting for guys to "emerge" as starters.
Kyle Parker is not back from injury after appearing limited during the first three days of fall camp.
He anticipates six wide receivers playing this year, likely Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuin, Chris Henry Jr., Kyle Parker and Brock Boyd, but mentioned Phillip Bell as well.
On Luke Fahey: "He can handle all the stuff that's coming with it in terms of the protection checks, the run checks, calling in and out of the huddle, calling in the line of scrimmage, communicating, and then he has good anticipation."
Said there's nothing Tavien St. Clair is doing that's preventing him from taking the backup job, saying "as a quarterback, there's certain things that you continue to learn."
Said it's "frustrating" that at this point in the season teams haven't "locked in" their roster with the new 5-for-5 rule with eligibility. Has talked to Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti about the new rules. Doesn't like that there are NFL players being added to rosters, but he has to do what's best for Ohio State.
On Arthur Smith: "He's been a great communicator, a good leader, confident with the guys."
On quarterback recruiting: "We think it's strong. We got really good guys, not just players, but as people, guys who understand what it means to be at Ohio State."
Asked about where the team stacks up, Day said, "there's a lot of areas that we got to improve in fast, but there's also a lot of things that I've seen that are encouraging. So that's been good, but we're nowhere near where we need to be."
Said having Julian Sayin and Carson Hinzman returning as starting quarterback and center has been beneficial to have that experience and presence to get the offense orchestrated and prepared.

Ian Moore Would Start at Left Tackle With Austin Siereveld at Right Guard If Ohio State’s Season Started Today

Dan Hope — Monday, August 24, 2026 - 12:08

Ohio State’s starting offensive line for the 2026 season isn’t officially set yet, but it’s close.

Ryan Day said Monday that the current plan is for Ian Moore to start at left tackle, with Austin Siereveld moving to right guard, joining incumbent left guard Luke Montgomery, center Carson Hinzman and right tackle Phillip Daniels on the Buckeyes’ starting offensive line to begin the 2026 season.

Day said the Buckeyes won’t finalize their plan on the offensive line until later this week, but it’s trending toward Moore starting at left tackle with Siereveld playing inside – as it has been since spring.

Even though Siereveld was a second-team All-Big Ten honoree at left tackle last season, his move inside has been anticipated all offseason. Moore’s performance in spot duty at both left and right tackle last season gave Ohio State reason to find a spot for him in the starting lineup this year, and he’s done what he’s needed to do both in spring practice and preseason camp to show Buckeye coaches he’s ready to take over at left tackle.

In turn, Siereveld moves back to guard, the position he played for his first two seasons as a Buckeye before moving to left tackle last year. He’ll replace Tegra Tshabola, who transferred to Kentucky this offseason after starting at right guard for the Buckeyes in 2024 and 2025.

Ohio State has also considered the possibility of starting Joshua Padilla at right guard, along with the option of starting Moore at right tackle if Siereveld stayed at left tackle. But as of now, Ohio State believes Siereveld inside while keeping Daniels in place at right tackle is its best five-man lineup in the trenches.

Ohio State’s 2026 Starting Offensive Line
Pos	Player	Career Starts
LT	IAN MOORE	1
LG	LUKE MONTGOMERY	16
C	CARSON HINZMAN	35
RG	AUSTIN SIEREVELD	21
RT	PHILLIP DANIELS	16 (3 at Minnesota)

The Buckeyes will enter 2026 with one of the nation’s most experienced offensive lines. Hinzman has started 35 games over the last three seasons. Montgomery has been Ohio State’s starting left guard since the final two games of the 2024 national championship season. Daniels enters his second year as Ohio State’s starting right tackle after transferring from Minnesota, while Siereveld is in his second year as a full-time starter after making seven starts in 2024. Collectively, Ohio State’s starting offensive linemen have made 89 career starts in the Big Ten.

2026 Ohio State Schedule Breakdown: Road Trips to No. 5 Texas and No. 22 Iowa Highlight the First Half of the Buckeyes’ Regular-Season Slate

Chase Brown — Monday, August 24, 2026 - 08:35

Ohio State has one of the toughest schedules in college football this season.

Half of the Buckeyes’ 12 regular-season opponents are ranked (and have the same ranking) in both the preseason Coaches Poll and AP Poll, including three in the top six: No. 2 Oregon, No. 5 Texas, No. 6 Indiana, No. 14 USC, No. 16 Michigan and No. 22 Iowa.

As Dan Hope noted in the article where our staff ranked Ohio State’s toughest matchups, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes will travel to face Texas, Indiana, USC, Iowa and Nebraska in a 4,422-mile road schedule. That will give Ohio State its second-most regular-season travel mileage ever. Hopefully, Ross Bjork and his team have a good credit card.

With dates and opponents set and, let’s be honest, most of these games will start at noon, so let’s count kickoff times, too — Eleven Warriors has examined each of the Buckeyes’ 12 matchups, breaking down new-look rosters and some of the series history between Ohio State and its opponents.

This article looks at Games 1-6, which feature a marquee matchup against Texas sandwiched between two cupcakes in Ball State and Kent State, as well as three Big Ten battles against Illinois, Iowa and Maryland.

Sept. 5 - Ball State

Ball State Cardinals head coach Mike Uremovich smiles during warm ups before the game agasint the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium (Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images).

There’s not much to write about Ball State. The Cardinals rank No. 134 in ESPN’s College Football Power Index and No. 133 in Bill Connelly’s SP+, so there’s that.

Mike Uremovich enters his second year as head coach after going 4-8 in 2025. Uremovich arrived in Muncie, Indiana, after 16 years as both a high school and college assistant, plus three years as Butler’s head coach. While his résumé proves his resilience, 2026 will test it again, as the Cardinals return just four total starters from last season — three on offense and one on defense.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Sunday that Keldric Luster won Ball State's quarterback competition. While he lacks the statistical résumé — Luster is just 4-of-12 passing for 37 yards in three seasons — he has a strong arm and could prove tough to take down both in the pocket and on the run. The fourth-year quarterback is listed at 5-foot-10 and 250 pounds on Ball State's website.

Luster could provide some fireworks (think pop-its, not aerial shells), though Ball State is nowhere near Ohio State's level. The Buckeyes opened as 50-point favorites, meaning the coaches and players can name their score in a tune-up before Texas.

Most of the intrigue for Ohio State fans will come before the game actually begins, as legendary head coach Jim Tressel will be inducted into the Ohio Stadium Ring of Honor, and the Buckeyes will hold Senior Day. The alumni band will also be in attendance, which likely means four Script Ohios before kickoff or at halftime.

Sept. 12 - At Texas

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning throws a pass during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Scott Wachter-Imagn Images).

Eleven Warriors’ staff voted the Texas game as Ohio State’s toughest regular-season matchup — and for good reason.

Arch Manning returns in 2026 to lead the Longhorns into a rematch of the 2025 season opener, when the Buckeyes beat Texas 14-7 in Columbus. Manning completed 61.4% of his passes for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season while adding 399 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

He’s poised to improve upon those numbers this fall with transfer wide receiver Cam Coleman (Auburn) joining Ryan Wingo, Emmett Mosley V, Kaliq Lockett and Daylan McCutcheon among his primary pass catchers. Transfer running backs Hollywood Smothers (NC State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State) will join Manning in the backfield, as will 6-foot-1, 212-pound freshman Derek Cooper.

Texas’ defense has been impressive the past two years and should be again in 2026 with Will Muschamp taking over as coordinator. Star defensive end Colin Simmons, who won the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award over Jeremiah Smith in 2024, returns after recording 12 sacks in 2025. He’ll be joined by defensive end Lance Jackson, cornerbacks Kade Phillips and Graceson Littleton and safety Jelani McDonald. The Longhorns also added a pair of talented transfers in cornerback Bo Mascoe (Rutgers) and linebacker Rasheem Biles (Pitt), with whom Ohio State fans are well acquainted.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was vocal last season about the Longhorns’ loss to Ohio State being used against his team in College Football Playoff discussions — while conveniently ignoring Texas’ loss to 4-8 Florida. He’ll have his players ready for the rematch in Austin as the Longhorns look to avoid a similar debate in 2026.

The Longhorns opened as three-point favorites, and ESPN’s College GameDay will be in Austin ahead of the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The line has since moved to 1.5 points in Texas’ favor, but with home-field advantage generally worth around three points, the current number suggests Vegas views the Buckeyes as the better team. This should be a matchup that goes down to the wire at Memorial Stadium.

Sept. 19 - Kent State

Kent State head coach Mark Carney watches his team through warmups before the game against Buffalo (Imagn Images-Reuters Connect).

Like with Ball State, there’s not much to write about Kent State. Where the Cardinals ranked No. 134 in FPI and No. 133 in SP+, the Golden Flashes rank No. 135 and No. 129, respectively. (Ball State and Kent State are scheduled to play on Sept. 26, and anyone who attends or watches that game is either family of a coach/player or a real sicko.)

Mike Carney enters his second season as head coach coming off a 5-7 campaign in 2025 — an impressive feat considering the Golden Flashes went 1-11 in 2023 and 0-12 in 2024. Carney returns for Year 2 alongside starting quarterback Dru DeShields, who completed 56.7% of his passes for 2,030 yards, 18 touchdowns and three interceptions while adding three rushing touchdowns.

Joining DeShields are several players of intrigue, namely wide receiver Wayne Harris and safeties Derrick Jackson III and Joel Cordoba. There’s also return man Da’Realyst Clark, who scored touchdowns on two of his 16 kick returns last season while also turning one of his three receptions into an 89-yard house call.

But again, like Ball State, Kent State will be outmatched in all three phases against Ohio State. The Buckeyes will return from Texas either looking to build momentum after a massive win or to take out their frustrations on a lesser opponent after a heartbreaking loss.

Sept. 26 - Illinois

Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema watches warm-ups before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium (Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images).

Ohio State and Illinois fans went eight years without watching their teams battle for the Illibuck. Now, they’ll watch the rivalry matchup happen in back-to-back years.

On Oct. 11, 2025, No. 1 Ohio State traveled to Champaign to face No. 17 Illinois. In the first Illibuck game since 2017, the Buckeyes scored the first 20 points en route to a 34-16 win over the Illini. The game featured Julian Sayin throwing touchdown passes to Bo Jackson and Jeremiah Smith, three Ohio State stars who will return to lead the Buckeyes’ offense again in 2026.

Ohio State would benefit from another fast start in Columbus, as Bret Bielema has led Illinois to 13 wins in one-score games over the past three seasons, the most in the FBS according to ESPN Research. The Illini’s .765 win percentage in those games ranks fifth in Division I.

Luke Altmyer is gone after a three-year run as Illinois’ starting quarterback, leaving a void that will be filled by transfer Katin Houser (East Carolina). Houser’s name may ring a bell, as he began his college career at Michigan State and started for the Spartans in their 38-3 loss to Ohio State in 2023. After going 13-6 as a starter for the Pirates and throwing for 3,300 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions last season, Houser is back in the Big Ten and ready to make an impact at Illinois.

All three of Illinois’ running backs from last season return in Ca’Lil Valentine, Kaden Feagin and Aidan Laughery, as do veteran wide receivers Hudson Clement and Collin Dixon. The Illini also added a pair of transfers to their receiving corps in Alex Perry (Florida International) and Jayshon Platt (Florida Atlantic), as well as their offensive line in Jake Renfro (Wisconsin) and Christian Martin (Colorado State).

On defense, former Montana head coach Bobby Hauck joined Bielema’s staff to coordinate a unit that will be almost brand-new in 2026. One of the few returners is star safety Xavier Scott, who missed all of last season with an injury but was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2024 after recording four interceptions and six pass breakups. He also had 11 pass breakups and two interceptions as a sophomore in 2023.

Ohio State is the better team on paper and will benefit from home-field advantage, but the Buckeyes would be wise not to look past the Illini with a road trip to Iowa looming the following week. Illinois received nine votes in the preseason AP poll, and if Bielema and the Illini take care of UAB, Duke and Southern Illinois, they could be a top-25 opponent by the time they come to Columbus at the end of September.

Oct. 3 - At Iowa

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz looks on during an NCAA Big Ten Conference football game against Nebraska (Imagn Images-Reuters Connect).

The last time Ohio State played at Kinnick Stadium, the Hawkeyes won… should I write it? … 55-24, handing the Buckeyes one of their worst losses of the modern era.

What you might not remember about that game — or choose not to remember about that game — is that Iowa had two NFL tight ends, T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant, who combined for nine catches, 125 yards and four touchdowns, while J.T. Barrett, who will be inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame this fall, threw four interceptions and fumbled once.

It wasn’t the game Ohio State hoped to play coming in, but it was the result the Buckeyes ended up with. It’s one Day, then the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator, has tried to forget ever since.

“I’ve completely taken that out of my memory, at Iowa,” Day said at Big Ten Media Days in July. “That was bad.”

Iowa is always a good program, and that’s no different in 2026. Kirk Ferentz returns for his 28th year on the sidelines for the Hawkeyes, and defensive coordinator Phil Parker returns for his 14th. So long as those coaches are in Iowa City, Iowa will be one of the nation’s best on special teams and defense.

The question, as it often is for the Hawkeyes, is who will play quarterback?

Last season’s starter Mark Gronowski is gone, and either Hank Brown or Jeremy Hecklinski will replace him. Brown enters his fourth year at Iowa with only 107 passing yards and one touchdown on his résumé, while Hecklinski has eight passing yards from his lone appearance as a freshman in 2025.

Whoever emerges in that quarterback competition will have talent surrounding them. Running backs Kamari Moulton and Xavier Williams return to a room that added transfer Lendon Phillips Jr. (South Dakota), one of the best ballcarriers in the FBS last season with 1,921 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. As is customary for Iowa, the offensive line should be one of the best in the FBS, with All-American guard Kade Pieper and third-team All-Big Ten tackle Trevor Lauck returning to lead the room. The Hawkeyes also bring back tight end DJ Vonnahme, who’s no Hockenson or Fant (yet), but recorded 29 catches for 434 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore last season.

On the other side of the ball, Parker is one of college football’s best coordinators and will need to prove it again this fall. The group will be headlined by defensive tackle Bryce Hawthorne, linebacker Jayden Montgomery and cornerback Zach Lutmer. The Hawkeyes also added several intriguing transfers, including safety Tyler Brown (James Madison) and a trio of FCS standouts in defensive end Kahmari Brown (Elon) and safeties Anthony Hawkins (Villanova) and Xavier Styles (Robert Morris).

Ohio State has responded well in its series against Iowa since 2017, defeating the Hawkeyes 54-10 in 2022 and 35-7 in 2024. But both of those were afternoon games played in Columbus, while the 2026 matchup will almost assuredly happen under the lights in Iowa City. That brings a different set of challenges, including the pressure to avoid a repeat of what happened nine years ago.

The good news: Ohio State will already have experience playing in a hostile environment after its trip to Texas earlier in the year, and the Buckeyes can add to it with another challenging game against a top-tier opponent in Iowa before facing Indiana, USC, Oregon and Michigan in the season’s second half.

Oct. 10 - Maryland

Maryland quarterback Malik Washington throws a pass against Michigan State in the second quarter at Ford Field (Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images).

Before we move on to Part 2, which we’ll release Tuesday, Ohio State will close the first half of its regular season at home against Maryland, and the Terrapins should be the perfect opponent for the Buckeyes before their three-game stretch against the Hoosiers, Trojans and Ducks.

Ohio State is 9-0 all time against Maryland, including a 5-0 record in Columbus, where the Buckeyes have outscored the Terps by an average of 57-18.

As Mike Locksley (who is 0-4 against Ohio State) enters his eighth year with the Terrapins, he’ll have last year’s starter Malik Washington back. Washington enters his sophomore season after completing 57.7% of his passes for 2,963 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a freshman in 2025. He also ran for 303 yards and four scores.

Locksley will have a new offensive coordinator in Clint Trickett, while Washington will have an upgraded receiving corps this fall. Transfers Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding (Old Dominion) and Chris Durr Jr. (Wyoming) join the receiver room, while Preston Howard (Auburn) joins the tight ends.

Maryland’s defense improved under first-year coordinator Ted Monachino last season, but the Terps suffered a major blow during preseason camp when star defensive end Zahir Mathis, who recorded six sacks as a freshman in 2025, suffered a season-ending leg injury. Maryland still has five-star freshman Zion Elee, the No. 5 overall prospect in the 2026 class, ready to make an immediate impact, but the defense will look substantially different without Mathis on the other side of the line.

Maryland has reason for optimism on offense but plenty of uncertainty on defense, leaving the Terrapins in limbo entering 2026. If recent history is any indication, Locksley will have Maryland on fire to start the year (see: September Terps) before a predictable fall-off in Big Ten competition. But maybe this is the year Locksley figures it all out. After all, Maryland went 4-8 in both 2024 and 2025 — but those were two very different 4-8 seasons.

The Buckeye 20: Earl Little Jr. Ranked 12th As He Draws Caleb Downs Comparisons After Florida State Transfer

Dan Hope — Monday, August 24, 2026 - 07:05

As we count down the days to Ohio State’s 2026 season opener, we’re unveiling the year’s first Buckeye 20 – Eleven Warriors’ season-long ranking of Ohio State’s top 20 football players, as selected by a panel of 11W staffers – with a daily reveal of Ohio State’s best players entering the 2026 season from No. 20 to No. 1.

The top 12 of the countdown begins with one of Ohio State’s most highly touted offseason transfer additions: Earl Little Jr., who’s expected to be a star in Ohio State’s secondary this season after transferring to Columbus from Florida State.

Scouting Report

The Buckeye 20, Preseason 2026
Rank	Pos	Player	Class
20	CB	JAY TIMMONS	FR
19	WR	CHRIS HENRY JR.	FR
18	RT	PHILLIP DANIELS	SR
17	DT	JAMES SMITH	SR
16	DT	EDDRICK HOUSTON	JR
15	LB	CHRISTIAN ALLIEGRO	SR
14	CB	JERMAINE MATHEWS JR.	SR
13	RB	ISAIAH WEST	SO
12	S	EARL LITTLE JR.	5TH

A second-team All-ACC honoree at Florida State last season, Little lined up all over the field for the Seminoles and is expected to do the same in Matt Patricia’s defense. He’ll primarily play as one of Ohio State’s two deep safeties alongside Jaylen McClain, but should also see plenty of snaps closer to the line of scrimmage and could move to nickel at times in three-safety packages.

The 6-foot, 203-pound safety has been a consistent presence around the ball in practices, with Ryan Day saying this spring that he “jumped off the screen right out the gate.” A hard hitter who wants to impose his will on opponents, Little also has a proven ability to make plays on the ball and create turnovers, recording four interceptions and two forced fumbles last season in addition to his team-leading 76 tackles.

Why He’s Ranked 12th

While Ohio State also brought in another All-ACC transfer safety in Terry Moore, all indications are that Little will be a mainstay at safety alongside McClain for the Buckeye defense this season. Considering his performance at Florida State last season and the steady praise he’s drawn from his new coaches and teammates all offseason, it wouldn’t be surprising if Little makes a run at first-team All-Big Ten honors as one of the new stars of Ohio State’s defense.

McClain is expected to be Ohio State’s No. 1 safety this season now that Caleb Downs is gone, but Little will also play a massive role in replacing Downs, particularly with his ability to make plays closer to the line of scrimmage and cover slot receivers as a big nickel. He has big shoes to fill, but his performance all offseason has given Matt Guerrieri and the Buckeyes confidence that they’ll still have one of the nation’s best safety tandems in 2026.

What They’re Saying

“He’s probably gonna remind y’all a lot of Caleb, honestly. The way he plays, flying downhill, making plays all over the field, just play after play after play, you see No. 1 on film, it's like ‘Dang, he made that play?’”– Brandon Inniss on why Earl Little Jr. reminds him of Caleb Downs

Skull Session: Payton Pierce Received the Most Votes of Any Captain, Ball State’s Quarterback is a Bowling Ball and Brady Edmunds Throws for 446 Yards

Lyle Alenstein — Monday, August 24, 2026 - 04:55

Welcome to the Skull Session.

Hello everyone, for those who don't know me, my name is Lyle Alenstein. I joined the Eleven Warriors staff just under three weeks ago. You can usually find me churning out articles or on the Eleven Dubcast, which will kick off your day by talking about the top storylines around Ohio State sports every weekday morning going forward.

Today, Dan Hope and I talked about our national championship picks – which both feature Oregon beating Ohio State – and what it would take for Jeremiah Smith to win the Heisman Trophy.

I'm filling in for the legendary Chase Brown as he takes a well-deserved day off, so I'll try my hand at my first Skull Session. Happy to be here!

Have a good Monday.

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN! Ohio State named not one, not two, not three, not four, but seven (!) captains for the 2026 season. It marks the first time since 2020 that the Buckeyes will boast a captain group of that size, and it's the seventh time in program history that there will be seven or more captains (lucky sevens, I guess).

@juliansayin2
@Brandon1inniss
@Jermiah_Smith1
@SiereveldAustin
@payton_pierce26
@Jaylenmcclain08
@kjacksonjr_ pic.twitter.com/tHqocIyFhG
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 23, 2026

Brandon Inniss will don the Block O, joining Kamryn Babb and Xavier Johnson as wide receivers to wear the coveted jersey. But he wasn’t the Buckeye who received the most votes for captaincy.

The leading vote-getter, according to linebackers coach James Laurinaitis, was junior linebacker Payton Pierce, showing just how much respect Pierce has earned from his teammates even though he’s entering his first season as Ohio State’s starting middle linebacker.

Captain Calls with Payton Pierce pic.twitter.com/NgvzM0rL5s
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 23, 2026

“When I came here, it was my goal to be a captain and be a leader of this team,” Pierce said in early August. “So every decision I make is kind of towards that, doing what's best for the team and trying to be the best leader I can every day.”

Pierce's family was thrilled, as were the rest of the families of the 2026 Ohio State captains.

BALL STATE’S QB IS LISTED AT WHAT? There are 12 days until Ohio State plays Ball State, and the Buckeyes now know who the Cardinals will put on the field as their starting quarterback.

Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Ball State has named 5-foot-10, 250-pound Keldric Luster as its starter for Week 1. Yes, you read that correctly: a 5-foot-10, 250-pound quarterback.

Wow.

Keldric Luster will be Ball State's starter when the Cardinals open the season at No. 1 Ohio State, per Pete Thamel. pic.twitter.com/HztE3EtG6k
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 23, 2026

Ball State is Luster's third team. He started his career at SMU in 2023, then transferred to Texas State in 2025, entering the portal again at the end of the year.

Luster beat out Division II transfer Tyler Mizzell of Concord, who threw for 2,889 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions a year ago, adding 377 yards and four scores on the ground. During Luster's college career, he's gone 4-for-12 on passing attempts for 37 yards, so assuming all goes according to plan, he’ll throw more passes against Ohio State than he has in his entire college career to date.

Luster played for McKinney High School in Texas, where he was teammates with Ohio State linebacker Riley Pettijohn. Pettijohn was asked about Luster – one of two former high school teammates on the Cardinals along with defensive back Deondre Shepherd – in an interview session last week.

"Keldric was amazing in high school," Pettijohn said. "He was mobile. He could throw. He could do everything. And Shep was crazy in high school too. So I can't wait to see what they do on the field this year."

GOING FOR GOLD. There will be a gold medal coming back to Columbus.

Michael Boyle, an Ohio State wrestling commit entering his senior year at Bishop Watterson High School, captured a gold medal at 97 kilograms at the U20 World Championship on Sunday in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Boyle's path to the victory started with a first-round bye, which then led to a 10-0 victory over Samir Dursunov of Kazakhstan by way of tech fall. He followed up that victory with another win of over double-digit points, pinning Noah Leibowitz of Japan in 13-2 fashion.

Boyle advanced to the finals via a tech-fall victory, defeating Azamat Tsarikaev of Belarus. He captured his gold medal with another tech fall, cruising over Russia’s Rodion Sanakoev by a score of 12-2. Boyle's win notched the fourth total gold medal for the United States.

Ohio State commit Michael Boyle exhausts his opponent to win a U20 World championship! pic.twitter.com/XSbY7J5cEx
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) August 23, 2026

Boyle is a Columbus native, where he's won three individual state titles for wrestling, two team championships for wrestling and two state championships as a defensive tackle in football.

He's the No. 4 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 heavyweight in the 2027 class, per FloWrestling. Boyle trails only Virginia Tech commit Melvin Miller and two Penn State commits, Landon Sidun and Grey Burnett, in the rankings.

RECORD-BREAKING BRADY. In the first game of his senior season, four-star 2027 Ohio State quarterback commit Brady Edmunds was slinging the rock.

Edmunds completed 25-of-32 passing attempts for 446 yards, six touchdowns and an interception en route to a 42-14 win for Huntington Beach High School over Millikan High School on Thursday night in the start of the California high school season.

Huntington Beach (Calif.) 4-star 2027 Ohio State QB commit Brady Edmunds went 25-for-32 for 446 yards, 6 touchdowns and an interception in last nights win.

Here he is hitting 3-star Arizona State commit Dylin Bruce for the score. pic.twitter.com/jflYUN5z07
— Lyle Alenstein (@LAlenstein) August 21, 2026

The 446 passing yards broke the program record for Huntington Beach, one that Edmunds set himself during his sophomore season with 414.

Edmunds reaffirmed his commitment to Ohio State in July after considering a flip to UCLA this summer. He spoke about that in a YouTube documentary that came out on Wednesday by Made By Taeg, detailing the road to his senior year.

Edmunds talks about his decision between Ohio State and UCLA at the 48-minute mark. Also, 13 minutes into the video, he's watching a YouTube video that features fellow Californian and 2027 Ohio State commit Marcus Fakatou. You can also check out the video from Made By Taeg for Fakatou's Ohio State official visit here and his commitment day here.

SONG OF THE DAY. "Bad" — Michael Jackson.

CUT TO THE CHASE. LSU lands transfer commitment from Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright ... Ohio throws combined no-hitter in Little League World Series ... Arizona State men's hockey player hospitalized during outdoor workout ... Ex-Pitt WR accuses Pat Narduzzi of sabotaging NFL draft chances.

Captain Calls: Ohio State’s Captains, Including “Block O” Brandon Inniss, Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin, Tell Families About Their Captaincy

Chase Brown — Sunday, August 23, 2026 - 14:30

Ohio State’s seven captains have already earned the respect of their teammates, but this weekend, the captains and their families heard what their coaches had to say about them, too.

As part of the Buckeyes’ “Captain Calls” series, each of Ohio State’s captains received a call from one of their position coaches, who then spoke with their families about what makes each player deserving of the honor.

From Brandon Inniss’ character and leadership to Kenyatta Jackson Jr.’s perseverance, the coaches offered heartfelt messages about what their players mean to the program and, in several cases, what they mean to the people who raised them.

Here’s what each Ohio State coach had to say to the families of the Buckeyes’ seven captains:

“Block O” Brandon Inniss

Captain Calls ft. @Brandon1inniss pic.twitter.com/zUsx5RLhqo
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 23, 2026

“He has earned and deserved this because of his character, his toughness, the leadership that he displays on a day-to-day basis and what he embodies in terms of what it is to be a Buckeye. ... We are so proud of him.”– Cortez Hankton to Brandon Inniss’ family

Jaylen McClain

Captain Calls ft. @Jaylenmcclain08 pic.twitter.com/QWETOGHpyc
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 23, 2026

“He’s always represented your family amazingly. And he gets to represent our family now. It's a big deal and a great honor. You know how much I love him; we love him.”– Matt Guerrieri to Jaylen McClain’s family

Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

Captain Calls ft. @kjacksonjr_ pic.twitter.com/XGjET1fEXo
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 23, 2026

“I'm so happy for you, for all the right reasons. You grinded and stayed the course, man. A lot of guys don't do that. You did. You just got rewarded.”– Larry Johnson to Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

Austin Siereveld

Captain Calls ft. @SiereveldAustin pic.twitter.com/aBliOOD63Q
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 23, 2026

“I couldn't do it without him and these guys. You've got a good one here.”– Tyler Bowen to Austin Siereveld’s family

Jeremiah Smith

Captain Calls ft. @Jermiah_Smith1 pic.twitter.com/1arKNKmIA5
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 23, 2026

“I can’t tell you how proud we are of this young man. Just everything that he does in terms of the work, who he is and just a true representation of what y'all have done in terms of raising him. We’re excited, man. We're truly excited. This is a phenomenal honor for him.”– Cortez Hankton to Jeremiah Smith’s family

Payton Pierce

Captain Calls ft. @payton_pierce26 pic.twitter.com/zlmlBKBJ4x
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 23, 2026

“I know you're extremely proud of him, as am I, about the way not only he carries himself and represents this university and our culture, but also the way he represents the Pierce last name is pretty special. I know you're proud, as you should be. I am, too.”– James Laurinaitis to Payton Pierce’s family

Julian Sayin

Captain Calls ft. @juliansayin2 pic.twitter.com/OGKTPU7OnN
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 23, 2026

“He’s found his voice in a big way. He’s got total command. He’s got fire. He’s an elite competitor right now. It’s contagious to the rest of the offense.”– Billy Fessler to Julian Sayin’s family

2026 Season Preview: College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy Predictions From the Eleven Warriors Staff

11W Staff — Sunday, August 23, 2026 - 11:50

The picks are in.

In the 2026 version of the Eleven Warriors staff choosing their College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy picks, there may or may not be some Ohio State favoritism (I mean, it's a website for the Buckeyes, could you expect anything else?)

We’re expecting Big Ten supremacy to continue, as all but one of our predictions have two Big Ten squads facing off in the title game. The other team, well, isn't in a conference, but it should join one.

As for the Heisman, our votes are split between Buckeye star Jeremiah Smith and several quarterbacks from around the nation.

Lyle Alenstein

Heisman

Winner: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

Breakdown: I was torn between both Moore and CJ Carr of Notre Dame, given the fact that both the Oregon and Fighting Irish schedules are quite easy. Notre Dame could go 12-0, while the Ducks' lone challenge on paper is Ohio State. That said, I lean Moore over Carr, as I think the weapons around him are more talented and that I believe Moore is a better player. I mean, Moore would've been the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft last year if he were to declare.

12-team CFP

Big Ten champ: Ohio State
SEC champ: Texas
Big 12 champ: BYU
ACC champ: Miami
Group of Six bid: Navy
Seven at-large teams: Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia, Indiana, Oklahoma, Alabama, Ole Miss
Darkhorse playoff contender: Penn State

National championship game and winner: Oregon over Ohio State

Breakdown: I truly think this is the year for Oregon. Dan Lanning once again has a talented group and has everything he needs to get it done. Last year, both his offensive coordinator (Will Stein) and defensive coordinator (Tosh Lupoi) had taken the head coaching gigs at Kentucky and California, respectively, before the playoffs started. There could've been a distraction with that for the pair, but both were replaced with internal hires to keep the culture and standard. Realistically, the thorn in the side for Oregon has been Ohio State, and I think after the Ducks lose to the Buckeyes in the regular season and Big Ten championship, revenge will be in store for the title game.

Josh Poloha

Heisman

Winner: CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame

Breakdown: Given Notre Dame's schedule, the Fighting Irish could very well go undefeated during the regular season, and the quarterback on the 12-0 team often wins the Heisman. Predicting the preseason favorite to win the Heisman actually to win the award seems like an easy answer, but with so much talent across college football at the quarterback position, picking the quarterback of the team that could very well go undefeated during the regular season makes too much sense. Can't wait to be wrong!

12-team CFP

Big Ten champ: Ohio State
SEC champ: Texas
Big 12 champ: Texas Tech
ACC champ: Miami
Group of Six bid: Boise State
Seven at-large teams: Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama
Darkhorse playoff contender: Louisville

National championship game and winner: Ohio State over Notre Dame

Breakdown: It's certainly worth noting that I picked Penn State to sweep this and win it all a season ago, so does my breakdown even really matter? Seriously though, Ohio State's difficult regular-season schedule will prepare the Buckeyes to be ready when it matters most. OSU will win its second CFP national championship in three years.

Dan Hope

Heisman

Winner: Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss

Breakdown: I want to pick Jeremiah Smith, but even he’s admitted he probably won’t win since the voting usually favors quarterbacks. I think Ohio State will have two Heisman finalists, but neither will win it because Smith and Julian Sayin will steal votes from each other. That leads me to Chambliss, who fits the mold of many recent Heisman winners as the best dual-threat quarterback in college football.

12-team CFP

Big Ten champ: Ohio State
SEC champ: Texas
Big 12 champ: BYU
ACC champ: Clemson
Group of Six bid: UNLV
Seven at-large teams: Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia, Indiana, Ole Miss, Miami, Texas Tech
Darkhorse playoff contender: Louisville

National championship game and winner: Oregon over Ohio State

Breakdown: The Buckeyes and Ducks will become the first pair of teams in the modern era of college football to play each other three times in the same season. Ohio State will avenge a regular-season loss at the Shoe to win the Big Ten championship for the first time in six years, but the Ducks – led by the nation’s best defensive line and a potential No. 1 overall pick in Dante Moore – will win the trilogy fight to become the fourth different Big Ten team in four years to win a national championship.

Ben Lonergan — USA TODAY SPORTS

Chase Brown

Heisman

Winner: Jeremiah Smith, wide receiver, Ohio State

Breakdown: A few of our staffers picked Smith to win the Heisman last season. I think they were a year off. The best player in college football entering 2026, Smith should thrive in Arthur Smith’s offense. Yes, it’s run-heavy and relies on the offensive line and running backs to move the chains. But Arthur has said he wants to get Jeremiah the ball as much as possible, which should bode well for his Heisman campaign in a year when the Buckeyes face the toughest schedule in the sport, which means lots and lots of eyeballs on his performances.

12-team CFP

Big Ten champ: Ohio State
SEC champ: Texas
Big 12 champ: Texas Tech
ACC champ: Miami
Group of Six bid: Boise State
Seven at-large teams: Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, LSU
Darkhorse playoff contender: BYU

National championship game and winner: Ohio State over Oregon

Breakdown: As I write this, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Oregon are the national title favorites (in that order), so this pick is one off from chalk, but I like it a lot. The Buckeyes will be the most battle-tested team in college football by late January, and the Ducks are the most talented team on paper, especially on defense. If this happens, it will be one of the best national title games in the modern era. Mark my words.

Ramzy Nasrallah

Heisman

Winner: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, wide receiver

Breakdown: You have a former NFL head coach coordinating an offense that features a veteran offensive line and a Heisman finalist at quarterback. Half the schedule consists of marquee games. This season is built for the best player in the sport to win its biggest individual trophy. I picked Cade Klubnik here last year and refuse to be that wrong again.

12-team CFP

Big Ten champ: Ohio State
SEC champ: Georgia
Big 12 champ: Texas Tech
ACC champ: Miami
Group of Six bid: UNLV
Seven at-large teams: Oregon, Indiana, Southern Cal, Notre Dame, Texas, Alabama, BYU
Darkhorse playoff contender: Penn State

National championship game and winner: Ohio State over Indiana in the rubber match

Breakdown: I can't wrap my head around two former NFL head coaches running the Buckeyes’ offense and defense, armed with the talent they’ve accumulated and the entitlement gap necessary to keep everyone feisty for 16 games, 10 of which are going to be bangers. I’m betting on expertise and urgency. I don’t love the rat poison either, but there’s a reason Ohio State has inspired so much preseason confidence in the polls.

2026 Season Preview: Predicting Over/Under Results For Ohio State’s Stars This Year

Josh Poloha — Sunday, August 23, 2026 - 10:10

How much will Ohio State's top players fill up the stat sheet during the 2026 regular season?

Ohio State had a record-tying 14 NFL draft picks in 2025, including four top-11 selections for the first time in 59 years. Yet, despite losing that much talent, the Buckeyes are the No. 1 team in the preseason AP poll for the first time since 2015.

Part of that is due to the type of culture and program Ryan Day has in Columbus, which includes another loaded roster in 2026. With so many playmakers, both new and old, Ohio State's roster is the deepest it has been in years, even if it might not have as much top-end talent as it did last season.

With all of that talent on both sides of the ball, we came up with over/unders for many of the best Buckeyes that we believe could realistically go either way. We also predict whether each OSU player will hit the respective over or under during the regular season.

(Note: Given the CFP and the fact that OSU's season could be 12-17 games, these numbers are just for the 12 regular-season games.)

Ohio State's 2026 Regular Season Player Props
PLAYER	OVER/UNDER	PREDICTION
JULIAN SAYIN	3,249.5 PASSING YARDS	OVER
JULIAN SAYIN	30.5 PASSING TOUCHDOWNS	OVER
BO JACKSON	949.5 RUSHING YARDS	UNDER
BO JACKSON	6.5 RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS	OVER
ISAIAH WEST	599.5 RUSHING YARDS	OVER
ISAIAH WEST	6.5 RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS	UNDER
JEREMIAH SMITH	999.5 RECEIVING YARDS	OVER
JEREMIAH SMITH	11.5 RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS	OVER
DEVIN MCCUIN	749.5 RECEIVING YARDS	OVER
DEVIN MCCUIN	8.5 RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS	UNDER
BRANDON INNISS	499.5 RECEIVING YARDS	UNDER
BRANDON INNISS	4.5 RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS	UNDER
CHRIS HENRY JR.	499.5 RECEIVING YARDS	OVER
CHRIS HENRY JR.	4.5 RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS	OVER
BROCK BOYD	499.5 RECEIVING YARDS	UNDER
BROCK BOYD	4.5 RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS	UNDER
NATE ROBERTS	419.5 RECEIVING YARDS	UNDER
NATE ROBERTS	2.5 RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS	OVER
KENYATTA JACKSON JR.	9.5 SACKS	OVER
BEAU ATKINSON	7.5 SACKS	UNDER
EDDRICK HOUSTON	8.5 TACKLES FOR LOSS	OVER
JAMES SMITH	8.5 TACKLES FOR LOSS	UNDER
PAYTON PIERCE	67.5 TACKLES	UNDER
DEVIN SANCHEZ	2.5 INTERCEPTIONS	OVER
JAYLEN MCCLAIN	49.5 TACKLES	UNDER
EARL LITTLE JR.	44.5 TACKLES	OVER

Julian Sayin

O/U: 3,249.5 passing yards, 30.5 passing touchdowns

In his first season leading Ohio State's offense, Sayin completed 77% of his passes, the third-best mark since 1956.

With that, along with being just the third second-year starting quarterback in the Ryan Day era at OSU, the expectations are sky-high for Sayin.

So, how good of a season will he have?

During the regular season in 2025, Sayin completed 258 of 328 passes (78.7%) for 3,065 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions.

While the Buckeyes lost Carnell Tate, the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, from their receiving corps, Ohio State still has Jeremiah Smith, Devin McCuin, Brandon Inniss, Kyle Parker, Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd, among others.

Combining that talent with Sayin’s added experience, he should have a similar season statistically to last year despite a much tougher regular-season schedule.

Passing for 3,250 yards in 12 regular-season games could be questioned by some, but think of who Sayin will be throwing to, their respective receiving stats, and then add those up in your head. Suddenly, 3,250 yards and more than 30 touchdowns don't seem like that much of a feat and might even be a little low, especially given that Sayin will likely play four full quarters more often in 2026 than he did in 2025.

Prediction: Over 3,249.5 passing yards, Over 30.5 passing touchdowns

Bo Jackson

O/U: 949.5 rushing yards, 6.5 rushing touchdowns

Despite not playing against Texas in the first game of the season, Jackson still totaled 150 carries for 947 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season after taking over as RB1 at the start of conference play last year.

As he enters his second season in Columbus, the Cleveland product is expected to be stronger and more explosive than he was a season ago, the latter being one of Jackson's biggest downfalls as a freshman.

With Jackson and Isaiah West expected to split carries to preserve both of their legs for a long season, at least for the most part, Jackson's stats will likely remain pretty close to the ones he had his freshman season, even if he is actually a better running back than he was a year ago. If that becomes a 40-40 split with Ja'Kobi Jackson and Legend Bey taking some snaps at running back as well, Jackson’s opportunities to pad his stats will be further limited.

So, will Jackson be able to eclipse the 950-yard mark this regular season? I don't believe so, simply because of the amount of talent in the backfield this season. He will finish with just under 950 rushing yards in the regular season.

While Jackson's yards will decrease from last season, he will have more touchdowns than he did in 2025 now that he has more experience and a better ability to finish plays and be more explosive in the running game.

Prediction: Under 949.5 rushing yards, Over 6.5 rushing touchdowns

Isaiah West

O/U: 599.5 rushing yards, 6.5 rushing touchdowns

In his first regular season in Columbus, West notched 56 carries for 306 yards and two touchdowns in nine regular-season games, all of which were the fourth-most on the team last season. But he didn't play against Texas or Miami and had just three carries for four yards against Indiana.

As a whole throughout the entire season, Ohio State had three players finish with 310-370 rushing yards in 2025. It's likely that West will take up a lot more of those 1,000-plus yards between the second and fourth running backs on the team a year ago.

With that, West will prove to be a nice complement to Jackson as RB2 and double the amount of rushing yards he had a year ago. His rushing touchdowns will also double to four, but more than six touchdowns might be a stretch.

Prediction: Over 599.5 rushing yards, Under 6.5 rushing touchdowns

Jeremiah Smith

O/U: 999.5 receiving yards, 11.5 receiving touchdowns

One of the best wide receivers in Ohio State history. Arguably the best player in college football. And yet, Smith enters the 2026 season with a huge chip on his shoulder after not winning the Biletnikoff Award – presented to the most outstanding wide receiver in college football – in his first two seasons. That is among some other bulletin board material Smith has likely gathered this offseason.

During the 2025 regular season, Smith totaled 72 catches for 942 yards and 11 touchdowns in 11 games. He then had 15 receptions for 301 yards and a score in losses to Indiana and Miami in the Big Ten championship and Cotton Bowl.

While he has led the Big Ten and finished among the top four in receiving yards each of the last two years, Smith can still improve his stats this season.

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith connect on a 30-yard deep ball ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/3xxJ9QkH2Y
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) August 7, 2026

Defenses will focus on stopping him and he will likely be double-teamed a lot despite Ohio State having so much depth at wide receiver this season, but Smith is so good that it won't matter. Add in Arthur Smith's arrival at Ohio State, and the offensive coordinator will find ways to get Smith open.

With that, will Smith be able to notch the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time in the regular season, before dominating in the postseason yet again? I'd say yes. Oh, and he will also finish with more than 11 touchdowns during the regular season as well, continuing to increase from his 10 regular-season touchdowns in 2024 and 11 in 2025.

Prediction: Over 999.5 receiving yards, Over 11.5 receiving touchdowns

Devin McCuin

O/U: 749.5 receiving yards, 8.5 receiving touchdowns

Before transferring to Ohio State, McCuin had 65 catches for 726 yards and eight touchdowns at UTSA in 2025. While the competition and level of opposing defenses will be much tougher this season, his quarterback and teammates will be much better as well.

McCuin has already proven himself in his first offseason as a Buckeye, so much so that he’s likely solidified a starting spot at wide receiver alongside Smith and Brandon Inniss.

He will use his speed both as a deep-ball threat and after the catch to make big plays for the Buckeyes.

Iron sharpens Iron ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/BoisxVFfPI
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 12, 2026

For comparison's sake, Carnell Tate finished with 44 catches for 793 yards and eight touchdowns as Ohio State's WR2 last regular season. But he was the clear-cut second-best receiver on the Buckeyes in 2025.

McCuin will finish with a career-high in yards and match the number of touchdowns he had a season ago.

Prediction: Over 749.5 receiving yards, Under 8.5 receiving touchdowns

Brandon Inniss

O/U: 499.5 receiving yards, 4.5 receiving touchdowns

One of the team's most vocal leaders, a two-time captain and the recipient of the Block O jersey this season, Inniss has brought so much to Columbus even if his numbers on the stat sheet haven't lived up to the type of career he expected at Ohio State thus far.

In three seasons as a Buckeye, Inniss has totaled 51 catches for 505 yards and five touchdowns in 38 games, including 36 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games last season.

While he has high expectations for himself in 2026, the amount of talent and depth at wide receiver means that he will have plenty of wideouts to compete with for catches. He will have a career-best season, but just how much will Inniss fill up the box score?

Give me under 500 receiving yards and exactly four touchdowns for Inniss, who is one of Ohio State’s most important leaders this season but might only be WR3 or WR4 in terms of production.

Prediction: Under 499.5 receiving yards, Under 4.5 receiving touchdowns

Chris Henry Jr.

O/U: 499.5 receiving yards, 4.5 receiving touchdowns

Ohio State's lone five-star on offense in the 2026 class, the hype around Henry certainly hasn't slowed down throughout 2026. Whether he is one of the three starters when the season begins remains a question, but one thing is clear: Henry will be a contributor in the Buckeyes' passing attack as a freshman.

At 6-5, 211 pounds, Henry is already a mismatch for opposing defensive backs. Put on the other side of the field – or even on the same side of the field – as Smith, and it becomes quite a compelling one-two punch for Sayin to throw to, regardless of who else is on the field.

But how much will Henry contribute to the box score in his first regular season at Ohio State? He doesn't look like a typical freshman for a reason.

I expect him to finish third in yards among OSU wide receivers at the end of the regular season, only behind Smith and McCuin. Give me over 500 yards and slightly more than four touchdowns for Henry.

Prediction: Over 499.5 receiving yards, Over 4.5 receiving touchdowns

Brock Boyd

O/U: 499.5 receiving yards, 4.5 receiving touchdowns

The most underrated player in the 2026 class, Boyd becoming a contributor as a freshman would have caught many by surprise eight months ago. But time and time again this offseason, Boyd has made headlines as the coaching staff has raved about him throughout the spring, summer and preseason camp.

real soon pic.twitter.com/nYHV8LpN5M
— Brock Boyd (@BrockBoyd_2) August 17, 2026

The exact numbers he will put up are hard to determine, but Boyd will make an impact in the passing game this year.

With Cortez Hankton having such a deep wide receiver room, expect Boyd to finish with the fourth- or fifth-most yards this season among wideouts. Give me slightly fewer than 500 receiving yards and three touchdowns for Boyd in the regular season.

Prediction: Under 499.5 receiving yards, Under 4.5 receiving touchdowns

Nate Roberts

O/U: 419.5 receiving yards, 2.5 receiving touchdowns

In such a deep tight ends room this season, one thing is clear: Roberts is TE1.

With so much talent at wide receiver, it's uncertain just how much Roberts will contribute in the passing game. But with Arthur Smith calling plays, tight ends will likely be a big part of the offense.

Max Klare led all tight ends with 41 catches for 420 yards and two touchdowns during the 2025 regular season, and those seem like good numbers to use for Roberts this season.

In his first season as Ohio State's starting tight end, Roberts will finish with four touchdowns and slightly over 400 receiving yards, but under that 420-yard mark.

Prediction: Under 419.5 receiving yards, Over 2.5 receiving touchdowns

Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

O/U: 9.5 sacks

It's now or never for the fifth-year senior.

On a defense with eight new starters for the second consecutive season, the Silver Bullets are still expected to be elite. Part of that is because of returning talent such as Jackson. While there's a competition for who will be the second defensive end, with Beau Atkinson likely being the DE2, Jackson is the clear-cut DE1 heading into the season.

He finished the 2025 regular season with 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss, as Caden Curry took the defense by storm and led the team in TFL and sacks.

With that, Jackson should now take the reins as Ohio State's top defensive end and stuff the stat sheet while doing so. If he does, that would dramatically help the Buckeyes' pass rush, especially considering he's the only DE on the roster who had more than one sack at the collegiate level last season.

While Jackson has only racked up 9.5 sacks in 45 games throughout his four-year career in Columbus, there's a good chance he could eclipse that mark this season.

He will lead the team in sacks, notching double digits, and be among the leaders in TFL as well.

Prediction: Over 9.5 sacks

Beau Atkinson

O/U: 7.5 sacks

Following a disappointing first season at Ohio State after he transferred to OSU from North Carolina, Atkinson has settled in as a Buckeye this offseason.

In 2025, he finished with only 11 tackles (2.5 TFL) and one sack, but all of those numbers will dramatically improve this season. Jackson was second on the team in TFL and tied for second in sacks last season, and Atkinson is now in line to be Ohio State’s No. 2 defensive end.

That said, he will finish with fewer than eight sacks because Larry Johnson could very well rotate his defensive ends more often than usual, given the depth the Buckeyes have in the room.

Prediction: Under 7.5 sacks

Eddrick Houston

O/U: 8.5 tackles for loss

Among defensive tackles, Kayden McDonald led the group with nine tackles for loss in 14 games a season ago. After suffering an injury in the latter part of training camp in 2025, Houston finished with only 21 tackles (four TFL) and three sacks during the regular season last year, his second with the Buckeyes.

Taking on a more prominent role in 2026, Houston – along with James Smith – will lead a group of defensive tackles that has plenty of depth.

Given the depth and talent in the room, Houston likely won't play as much as McDonald did in 2025. That said, that will keep him much fresher throughout the season, and he will finish with more tackles for loss than McDonald did last regular season.

Prediction: Over 8.5 tackles for loss

James Smith

O/U: 8.5 tackles for loss

After transferring from Alabama to Ohio State, Smith certainly took advantage of what the Buckeyes have to offer this offseason.

Good luck trying to run up the middle against James Smith.

He’s an absolute unit pic.twitter.com/ETO3Ea780C
— BuckeyesFansOnly (@BuckeyesOnly) August 2, 2026

An absolute unit. A brick wall. He will take up multiple blocks in the middle of the line, making it easier for his teammates both beside him and the linebackers behind him.

While I don't believe he will have more tackles for loss than Houston, his presence at defensive tackle will allow other Ohio State players to fill up the box score, which is what's most important.

Prediction: Under 8.5 tackles for loss

Payton Pierce

O/U: 67.5 tackles

Sonny Styles led Ohio State with 82 tackles in 2025, including 68 during the regular season. But with Styles and Arvell Reese – the first pair of linebackers from the same school selected in the top 10 picks of a draft – now in the NFL, Pierce is expected to be the top linebacker in a very deep and talented group.

While Matt Patricia and Co. could rotate their linebackers given the depth, Pierce is expected to be on the field the majority of the time.

With that, there's a good chance he’ll lead the team in tackles this season. But just how many will he have? On the surface, it could be tough to match Styles' performance a season ago, but Pierce could certainly come close.

I'll predict that Pierce will finish one tackle short of Styles' performance in the regular season a year ago, finishing with 67.

Prediction: Under 67.5 tackles

Devin Sanchez

O/U: 2.5 interceptions

An Ohio State player hasn't had three interceptions in a season since 2022, when Tanner McCalister had three – and that includes the postseason.

Sanchez looks poised to be one of the best cornerbacks in the country sooner rather than later. With that, he will be the first Buckeye in four years to have more than two interceptions in a season. That said, by season's end, he might be so good that quarterbacks will not even throw it his way, making it tougher for him to cause turnovers.

Prediction: Over 2.5 interceptions

Jaylen McClain

O/U: 49.5 tackles

Caleb Downs led all OSU defensive backs with 68 tackles in 2025, including 52 during the regular season. While McClain no longer has Downs next to him in the defensive backfield, he's expected to make a huge jump while being one of the leaders at safety.

He finished with 53 tackles a year ago, including 44 during the regular season, while surprisingly playing more snaps than Downs.

It's easy to expect McClain to take another jump, but how many tackles will he total this season on a new-look defense?

I'll say McClain will have a career-high in tackles but still finish with fewer tackles than Downs had in 2025.

Prediction: Under 49.5 tackles

Earl Little Jr.

O/U: 44.5 tackles

Like McClain, Little will play all over the field and has impressed this offseason after transferring in from Florida State. Without Downs, it's unclear exactly how Patricia will deploy McClain and Little, but one thing is evident: They should both make a lot of plays.

Little had 76 tackles (two TFL) and four interceptions in 12 games at Florida State in 2025, but his role will change with more talent around him than he had on the Seminoles. Still, he will finish among the team's top six tacklers, and his total will be right around McClain's number of tackles during the regular season – enough to hit the over.

Prediction: Over 44.5 tackles

The Buckeye 20: Isaiah West Ranked 13th Entering Projected Breakout Sophomore Season

Dan Hope — Sunday, August 23, 2026 - 08:35

With Ohio State vs. Ball State now less than two weeks away, the countdown continues at lucky No. 13 with a projected breakout star on Ohio State’s offense: Sophomore running back Isaiah West.

Scouting Report

The Buckeye 20, Preseason 2026
Rank	Pos	Player	Class
20	CB	JAY TIMMONS	FR
19	WR	CHRIS HENRY JR.	FR
18	RT	PHILLIP DANIELS	SR
17	DT	JAMES SMITH	SR
16	DT	EDDRICK HOUSTON	JR
15	LB	CHRISTIAN ALLIEGRO	SR
14	CB	JERMAINE MATHEWS JR.	SR
13	RB	ISAIAH WEST	SO

A three-star recruit out of high school, West was a revelation as a freshman, climbing as high as the second spot on the running back depth chart. While his 2025 numbers don’t jump off the page (310 yards and two touchdowns on 59 attempts), the Philadelphia native showed explosiveness out of the backfield, the elusiveness to make defenders miss and good vision to find running lanes between the tackles.

Coming off of what Ryan Day’s described as a “tremendous offseason,” West looks ready to form a two-headed monster at running back with fellow sophomore Bo Jackson. He’s stood out in preseason practices by finishing runs through contact, breaking free for big-play runs with his speed and demonstrating he can add value in the passing game as a receiver out of the backfield and as a blocker.

Why He’s Ranked 13th

After West already exceeded expectations last year, Ohio State coaches are expecting a big jump from the 5-foot-10, 222-pound running back in year two, now that he’s two years removed from the knee injury that cut his high school career short. He’s earned his way into being a 1B running back this season, and he should see considerable playing time in a co-starting role as Ohio State looks to keep Jackson fresh.

His ranking is based more on what he has the potential to be than what he’s already done at the collegiate level, but West looks to be on a trajectory toward being one of the Big Ten’s best running backs in 2026 – even as the second running back on Ohio State’s depth chart – if he can build off of his performance as a freshman.

What They’re Saying

“You can see his body, you can see the work he's put in. Had a tremendous offseason, one of the best in the whole building. Consistency, and when he was in there last year, he showed some real good things.”– Ryan Day on Isaiah West

2026 Black Stripe Tracker: UCF Transfer Long Snapper Dalton Riggs Sheds Black Stripe

Black Stripe Removals

Dalton Riggs

Cam Calhoun

Simeon Caldwell

Khary Wilder

Luke Fahey

Jay Timmons

Stanley Jackson Jr.

Ja'Kobi Jackson

Chris Henry Jr.

Hunter Welcing

Terry Moore

Dominick Kelly

Mason Williams

John Walker

James Smith

Devin McCuin

Qua Russaw

Christian Alliegro

Brock Boyd

Earl Little Jr.

Kyle Parker

Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Breaks Down Offensive Line Plan, Why Brandon Inniss Deserves Block O and Doesn’t Like NFL Players Joining College Rosters

Ian Moore Would Start at Left Tackle With Austin Siereveld at Right Guard If Ohio State’s Season Started Today

2026 Ohio State Schedule Breakdown: Road Trips to No. 5 Texas and No. 22 Iowa Highlight the First Half of the Buckeyes’ Regular-Season Slate

Sept. 5 - Ball State

Sept. 12 - At Texas

Sept. 19 - Kent State

Sept. 26 - Illinois

Oct. 3 - At Iowa

Oct. 10 - Maryland

The Buckeye 20: Earl Little Jr. Ranked 12th As He Draws Caleb Downs Comparisons After Florida State Transfer

Scouting Report

Why He’s Ranked 12th

The Buckeye 20: Ranking the Best Football Players on Ohio State's Roster

What They’re Saying

Skull Session: Payton Pierce Received the Most Votes of Any Captain, Ball State’s Quarterback is a Bowling Ball and Brady Edmunds Throws for 446 Yards

Captain Calls: Ohio State’s Captains, Including “Block O” Brandon Inniss, Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin, Tell Families About Their Captaincy

Captain Calls: Ohio State’s Captains, Including “Block O” Brandon Inniss, Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin, Tell Families About Their Captaincy

“Block O” Brandon Inniss

Jaylen McClain

Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

Austin Siereveld

Jeremiah Smith

Payton Pierce

Julian Sayin

2026 Season Preview: College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy Predictions From the Eleven Warriors Staff

Lyle Alenstein

Heisman

12-team CFP

Josh Poloha

Heisman

12-team CFP

Dan Hope

Heisman

12-team CFP

Chase Brown

Heisman

12-team CFP

Ramzy Nasrallah

Heisman

12-team CFP

2026 Season Preview: Predicting Over/Under Results For Ohio State’s Stars This Year

Julian Sayin

Bo Jackson

Isaiah West

Jeremiah Smith

Devin McCuin

Brandon Inniss

Chris Henry Jr.

Brock Boyd

Nate Roberts

Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

Beau Atkinson

Eddrick Houston

James Smith

Payton Pierce

Devin Sanchez

Jaylen McClain