Buckeyes Ranked No. 3 In Preseason AP Top 25

The Ohio State Buckeyes moved up one spot from last season's final Associated Press Top 25 poll rankings.

The Buckeyes checked in at No. 3 in the AP Top 25 Preseason Poll Monday, trailing No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan. Ohio State, which received one first-place vote, is one of five Big Ten teams ranked inside the initial top 25, as Penn State is ranked seventh, Wisconsin is No. 19 and Iowa rounds out the rankings 25th.

Ohio State has yet to name a starting quarterback, but whichever candidate between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown emerges will have plenty of help around him.

Running backs coach Tony Alford said this year's room of TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams, Dallan Hayden, Evan Pryor and Chip Trayanum is "top to bottom" the deepest group he's coached since his arrival to Ohio State in 2015.

At receiver, the Buckeyes have two of the best in the country in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, who combined for 151 receptions, 2,414 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. Julian Fleming returns for his senior season after his best year in Columbus in 2022, setting career-bests in catches, yards and touchdowns with 34, 533 and six, respectively.

The offensive line is another one of the big question marks the Buckeyes need to answer in the coming weeks. Ohio State has guards Donovan Jackson and Matt Jones locked down on the line, but the tackle and center positions are up for grabs.

Both tackle positions appeared to be a battle between four players: Jimmy Simmons, Josh Fryar, Tegra Tshabola and Luke Montgomery.

At center, Carson Hinzman and Victor Cutler Jr. were the two Day named as competing for the job with Jakob James on the outside looking in. James missed all of spring ball with an injury.

Defensively, Ohio State returns all but three starters from a season ago, as cornerback Cam Brown and safeties Ronnie Hickman and Tanner McCalister all departed for the NFL. Looking to fill those roles are cornerback Jordan Hancock and safeties Sonny Styles and Syracuse transfer Ja'Had Carter.

Jack Sawyer, who played defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' hybrid linebacker JACK position, has ceased the cross training and strictly has been working as a defensive end opposite of J.T. Tuimoloau.

Ohio State opens the season against Indiana Sept. 2 at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.

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