Ohio State Football Names Seven Team Captains Ahead of 2026 Season

Ohio State Football enters this year looking to replace 11 starters from last year’s team, with four of them being top-12 draft picks in last year’s draft. Reloading this team to stay at the top of the country, the program needed to lean on their returning stars to keep the standard.

So far this offseason, it has looked like the leadership of the returning veterans has already made a huge impact on this team.

After a team scrimmage Saturday, Head Coach Ryan Day named seven Buckeyes as captains for this upcoming season, only the seventh time in the program’s history that many or more have been chosen.

The seven players to earn the honor were wide receiver Brandon Inniss, offensive lineman Austin Siereveld, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, safety Jaylen McClain, quarterback Julian Sayin, defensive lineman Kenyatta Jackson Jr., and linebacker Payton Pierce.

Six of the seven captains were starters on this Ohio State squad last season, with Pierce the lone rotational player from last season to earn the honor. He along with Wisconsin transfer Christian Alliegro will take over the linebacker position after Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese were both top-5 picks last April.

Austin Siereveld and Brandon Inniss will both be two-time captains, as they were also chosen in 2025. Inniss was also given the honor of wearing the Block O jersey, being only the third wide receiver ever to receive it.

What the Chosen Captains Say About the Current Team Climate

A big emphasis of this team going into the offseason was acclimating the new talent quickly into the scheme and program, but keeping the values and roots that has led this team to so much success in the last five years.

With the great play from the new starters reported in camp already, it has looked like the work from these returners have paid off and shows why so many were named captains.

Payton Pierce being named one is another great example of the culture set in the program currently. Pierce faces one of the toughest jobs this upcoming season, leading this linebacker unit after the loss of both Styles and Reese, who were All-Americans last season

He not only took on the responsibility well, but also used the values of the program to be a leader himself and win a spot as a captain in his first-year as a full-time starter.

As there may be questions on some of the new starter’s ability to replicate the production from last season, there should be no question on their ability to step in and play within the roots of Buckeye Football.

Ryan Day’s Comments About the 2026 Captains

Head coach Ryan Day commented on the values of this team in a statement he released on social media after the captains were announced, stressing what makes these guys earn the captain role.

“Our culture is built on tough love and fight,” said Day in a statement posted on Instagram by the Ohio State Football page, “they understand our standard and what it means to carry our culture forward.”

This culture Day has carried has led this team to double-digit wins in every season at the helm besides the 2020 shortened season, and back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances with a national championship in 2024.

He also highlighted how these players passed the culture forward to the revamped roster, which included 51 new players from a season ago.

“They helped bring this team, which includes 51 new players from a year ago, and together challenged their teammates, and built accountability across the roster.”

This accountability is one that helps Ohio State stand out as one of the best programs in the country, and one that will be looked at heavily as they will look to return back to the National Championship game with a daunting 2026 schedule ahead of them.

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