Five Roster Questions Ohio State Buckeyes Must Answer Before Next Season

The Buckeyes ended the 2025 season with a disappointing loss to Miami in the Cotton Bowl, 24-14. After being the odds-on favorite to win the national championship, Ohio State entered the offseason early and lost over 30 players to the transfer portal.

Despite the start of January being rough for the Buckeyes, they recovered strong thanks to the portal and expect to be highly competitive next season with a slew of returning stars and incoming freshmen.

While Ohio State has lofty expectations for 2026, with its stacked roster full of future first-round picks, there are still many questions surrounding the make up of the Buckeyes.

Is There Enough Depth at Wide Receiver?

The Buckeyes have the best wide receiver, and arguably the best player in college football, in Jeremiah Smith. They’re gaining highly touted five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. and retaining veteran wide receiver Brandon Inniss. Although the starting wide receiver unit looks primed for a fantastic 2026, depth remains a concern.

Although incoming transfers Devin McCuin and Kyle Parker are notable additions to Ohio State’s pass-catching corps, the unit still feels as though it is missing a core rotational option. If the Buckeyes find themselves in a position in 2026 like they did in 2025, when Smith and Carnell Tate were sidelined, they may end up scrambling to find suitable replacements.

Is Isaiah West the Surefire No. 2 RB?

Bo Jackson’s freshman season with the Buckeyes solidified him as the starting running back for the next two seasons. Much like Smith to the receivers, it is hard to complain about a running back room that starts with Jackson. However, it appears that it ends with Jackson as well.

Back up Isaiah West showed flashes in 2025, but with a crowded running back room, he wasn’t able to fully prove himself as a solid No. 2 option. If Ohio State wants to fix its run game under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the program must ensure that West can provide the Buckeyes with a one-two punch in the backfield.

Will Special Teams Finally Be Reliable?

The Buckeyes have been in a rut since the 2020s when it comes to special teams, as both Ohio State kickers and punters have had their fair share of lackluster performances.

It seems as though the program had enough this season and finally made moves to directly improve the unit as a whole by adding kicker Connor Hawkins and punter Brady Young through the transfer portal.

Hawkins replaces former Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding, while Young will be competing with Joe McGuire for the starting punter position. The offseason investment in special teams is a step in the right direction for the Buckeyes; the question still remains whether the two incoming transfers can play up to the standard of Big Ten football.

Hawkins is coming from Baylor, and Young from Houston Christian.

Will the Linebacker Room Recover?

The 2026 NFL Draft took linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles away from Ohio State, leaving the program with two huge holes to fill. Rising junior linebacker Payton Pierce is set to lead the linebackers into 2026 alongside rising sophomore Riley Pettijohn and incoming senior transfer Christian Alliegro.

All three are very talented linebackers, but filling the shoes of Reese and Styles will be a difficult task. Pierce did finish No. 8 in tackles last season with 44, so he should be a safe bet to fit into one of the starting linebacker spots. The same can’t be said for Pettijohn, who, despite being the No. 6 linebacker in the 2025 class, will compete for the other starting spot.

What Does the Buckeye Secondary Look Like Without Caleb Downs?

Along with Reese and Styles, safety Caleb Downs is off to the NFL as well and is expected to be an early first-round pick. With the Buckeyes’ leader in the secondary out, a new era of Ohio State pass defense must be ushered in quickly.

Replacing Downs is nearly impossible. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has loads of talent to nullify his departure, though, with safety Jaylen McClain and cornerback Devin Sanchez entering starting roles in 2026. Add transfer safety Terry Moore from Duke and nickel Earl Little Jr. from Florida State, and Ohio State’s secondary looks dangerous despite the loss of their best defender.