These Incoming Ohio State Freshman Will Make an Immediate Impact

With lots of playing time up for grabs, these guys will make their names known for the Buckeyes.

Chris Henry Jr. was at Ohio Stadium to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Michigan Wolverines in an NCAA football game on Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. | Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State brought in the second-ranked 2026 recruiting class according to 247 Sports, highlighted by three five-star prospects and 15 four-star recruits. Six of the 29 commits also land in the top 100 ranked players.

With how the transfer portal period went for the Buckeyes, losing 37 scholarship players to other teams, the incoming class will play a huge role for depth and starters.

Which of those new guys could make some noise for the Buckeyes? Let’s go over it.

Wide Receiver Chris Henry Jr.

Henry may be the obvious choice, but he’s also the most realistic. OSU lost six wide receivers to the transfer portal, including some potential depth/possible starters in Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham.

Henry has remained the crown jewel of this class since he committed to the program in 2023. Even after offensive coordinator and key former wide receivers coach Brian Hartline left to go to USF, Henry stuck to his word of playing for the Buckeyes.

Henry is 6’5”, 200 lb, smooth, rangey, wideout who will be a quarterback’s dream with his ability to make any catch, and especially the 50/50 balls. His speed and size will instantly make him a great target for Julian Sayin.

Cornerback Jay Timmons

Another place where the Buckeyes had some turnover was in the secondary. Timmons was ranked as a five-star recruit and a top-three cornerback in the nation. He plays like Chiefs All-Pro Trent McDuffie with the way he processes offenses and his superb coverage skills.

Timmons has a shot to get playing time at cornerback or the nickelback position for OSU. As Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Devin Sanchez are expected to start at cornerback, Timmons will be right behind them to make an impact.

Defensive End Khary Wilder

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the defensive line for Ohio State may look very different in the upcoming season. Wilder is already built like a college defensive lineman, measuring in at 6’4”, and weighing in at 260 pounds. He was ranked as the 51st best player in the nation, also ranking in the top three of defensive linemen.

Ohio State will regularly rotate players on the d-line, and with Wilder’s ability, he could find lots of success playing among great players. Wilder has a great get-off, along with great agility for his size; he also had the production to show for it in his senior season as he racked up 10 sacks and 20 tackles for loss.