4 Players To Watch for Ohio State Against Ball State

With only four days until the 2026 Ohio State Football campaign begins, here are four players Buckeye fans should keep an eye on as the Buckeyes start their season.

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Ian Moore (69) runs on the field during the third day of training camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Aug. 8, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There are officially four days until Ohio State opens their season against Ball State, and Buckeye fans are on watch to see how the new look roster will perform.

This team’s roster includes 11 new starters and 51 new players across the roster as well as a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith. This team is expected to look a lot different then past teams under the Ryan Day regime, and it will be interesting to see how much so in the Buckeyes home opener.

Ball State is expected to be towards the bottom of the Mid-American conference this year, so this game is seen very much as an easy warmup for Ohio State. Yet, it is a perfect opportunity to see how some of the new players look in new and elevated roles.

Creeping up to Week 1, here are four players to watch for against Ball State as we sit only four days away. 

Jay Timmons

There has been a lot of discussion about the rise of Timmons, a true freshman, through camp and now it is showing why as he is expected to be the starter at nickel for Week 1. 

With his stellar play in camp, Buckeye fans knew he was fighting for the position, but it was assumed he would need it to continue through the start of the season at practice to grab that spot.

Looking to be the starter now, it will be intriguing to see how college-ready he is. With nickel being one of the most versatile positions on the defense in the roles and responsibilities he will have, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will get a great look to see how he handles the early pressure. 

Ball State was one of the worst passing offenses in college football last year, but it will still show if he is ready for the challenge in his first ever college game.

Ian Moore

Moore comes in as the only new starter on the offensive line this upcoming season, and this first week will be a good showing if he is the surefire starter or if there will be a rotation.

He has had a stellar camp and played well with the first unit, but head coach Ryan Day has discussed how this unit has some of the best depth they have had in years. If Moore struggles early on, he could be stuck in a fight early in the season for the starting job.

Cincear Lewis and Jared Badie both bring a lot of experience to the Ball State defense, and will not make Moore’s job a cakewalk. Also, Ohio State should be looking to kickstart a more consistent rushing attack expected under Smith, putting some pressure on the performance on Moore.

Chris Henry Jr. 

There may not be a new player Ohio State is more excited to be heading into this season than Henry Jr., as he is playing on the outside next to returning star Jeremiah Smith looks to be one of the scariest in all of college football.

What the biggest thing to watch though in this first matchup is not particularly how he plays but how much.

Day said up to six receivers could play in rotation in the offense this season. It will be interesting to see who comes out first with the first-team offense and exactly how the rotation will look.

There is a chance Henry Jr. may not be an immediate starter with that group, but it will be something to watch along with how productive he could be with lesser snaps to start the year.

Devin Sanchez

There may not be a Buckeye expected to make a bigger jump this season than Sanchez, and it will be exciting to see the growth he has made in the offseason early on.

His development in camp has been discussed heavily, and it would be surprising if he has any kind of rotational role like he was in last season. With his size and ability, it seems he could be the best cornerback in the room for this upcoming season.

Donovan Hamilton and Jabari Smith Jr. are expected to be two of the best players in Ball State’s offense, and being down most of the game it would be surprising if the Cardinals do not have a heavy passing attack.

Yet, with this attack not being very strong, we could see a forced turnover from Sanchez, which would be the start to a stellar sophomore year all Buckeye fans want to see.