What would an all-Ohio State Buckeyes team look like for the 2026 NFL regular season?

We project how many wins an exclusively Buckeye team would have in the NFL, after building it's build a 53-man roster.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) and Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Chris Olave (2) congratulate Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (12) after a long run during the third quarter of a NCAA Division I football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Akron Zips on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Cfb Akron Zips At Ohio State Buckeyes | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

NFL Training camps are just around the corner, and the preseason isn’t too far away behind. And, just before the regular season starts in early September, all 32 teams will have to comply with roster cutdowns to just 53 men, down from the current 90-player limits. 

That got us thinking: what would an all-Ohio State Buckeyes roster look like for the 2026 regular season, and who would you have to cut to get down to the 53 man limit?

So, here goes our projection for each position, including which players make the final cuts for a theoretical all-Ohio State Buckeyes football team in the pros:

Quarterbacks

C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields, Will Howard

Pretty straightforward here, three arms with a clearly defined hierarchy -- all three make the 53-man roster.

Running Backs

Treyveon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, J.K. Dobbins, C.J. Donaldson

Again, there is little debate here in terms of order. Top three positions should be set with Henderson, Judkins and Dobbins, and Donaldson would look like a practice squad candidate. Unsigned Trey Sermon could also be available here. 

Wide Receivers

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Terry McLaurin, Carnell Tate, Gee Scott Jr., Xavier Johnson

This is where things get really complicated. JSN, Wilson, Olave, Egbuka, Harrison and Tate should make the first team, but leaving McLaurin doesn’t feel right, so we go with seven wideouts. And we didn’t even mention still unsigned Curtis Samuel and recently retired Parris Campbell. 

Tight Ends

Max Klare, Cade Stover, Jeremy Ruckert, Luke Farrell, Will Kacmarek

By no means is this a solid position, with Klare, Ruckert and Stover probably making the final 53, and Farrell and Kacmarek fighting for a spot on the practice squad. Unsigned Nick Vannett wouldn’t really add too much here, either. 

Offensive tackles

Paris Johnson Jr., Josh Simmons, Dawand Jones, Josh Fryar, Ethan Onianwa

Johnson and Simmons would be entrenched as the starters, with Jones as the swing option and Fryar as the backup. Still unsigned are Taylor Decker, Thayer Munford Jr. and Jamarco Jones. 

Guards

Jonah Jackson, Donovan Jackson, Michael Jordan

With both Jacksons as the starters and Jordan as a backup, the position seems set but uninspiring.

Center

Josh Myers, Luke Wypler, Seth McLaughlin

Myers as the starter and Wypler as the backup seems the way to go here, leaving McLaughlin out of the Top-53, partly because of the number of wideouts. 

Edge

Nick Bosa, Jonathon Cooper, Chase Young, Dre’Mont Jones, Zach Harrison, Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau, Caden Curry, Tyreke Smith

Bosa and Cooper start off the edges, leaving Young, Jones, Harrison and Sawyer as backups. Tuimoloau and Curry head to the practice squad. Joey Bosa and Tyquan Lewis remain as free agents.

Interior defensive linemen

Cameron Howard, Tyliek Williams, DaVon Hamilton, Kayden McDonald, Tommy Togiai, Ty Hamilton, Michael Hall Jr., Tywone Malone

Howard, Williams, Hamilton, McDonald and Togiai make up the main rotation up front, with Hamiton, Hall and Malone battling it out for a spot on the practice squad. Jalyn Holmes is still without a team.

Linebacker

Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese, Pete Werner, Baron Browning, Malik Harrison, Cody Simon, Tommy Eichenberg

Another really difficult position, with Styles, Reese, Werner and Browning locked in. Harrison, Simon and Eichenberg end up on the practice squad. Raekwon McMillan recently made his retirement official, while Jerome Baker is still looking for a team. 

Cornerback

Denzel Ward, Denzel Burke, Eli Apple, Davison Igbinosun, Shaun Wade

Five names for five spots looks pretty straight-forward, but a couple of still-unsigned names could shake things up. Among them, Marshon Lattimore, Damon Arnette, Jeff Okudah, and Kendall Sheffield.

Safety

Caleb Downs, Malik Hooker, Ronnie Hickman, Lathan Ransom, Jordan Hancock, Lorenzo Styles Jr., Tanner MacAlister

Downs and Hooker should hold down starting positions, with Hickman, Ransom and Hancock making up the rest of the rotation, and Styles and MacAlister staying put on the practice squad. 

Kicker

Jayden Fielding

Undrafted and still without a team, Fielding might be the only option at placekicker for our all-Buckeyes roster.

Punter

Cameron Johnston

Johnston is the only choice at punter, but a reliable one. 

Long Snapper

Liam McCullough

McCullough is the logical choice as long snapper, but unsigned Jake McQuaide could also be available. 

How many games would an all-Ohio State team win in the NFL?

Wide receiver and linebacker are loaded, but the interior offensive line is suspect, and the tight end position is lacking. Cornerback depth is concerning, both in numbers and talent. The kicking game could become a real headache.

This is by no means a 17-0 team, but depending on where you land, this does look like a team capable of fighting for divison titles and deep postseason runs. A couple of free agency additions like Lattimore and Decker could help depth overall.

I'd confidently set an over/under at 11.5 wins because of all the matchup problems this team could create in the passing game.