Three Offensive Buckeyes to Keep an Eye on for Ohio State's Spring Game

With the 2026 Ohio State Spring Game more than two months away, here is an early look at three offensive Buckeyes that could make an impact.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Tavien St. Clair (9) warms up prior to the NCAA football game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Oct. 11, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State announced Friday that its annual Spring Game will take place April 18 inside Ohio Stadium.

With tickets going on sale Feb. 20, many fans will flock to watch players such as All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Heisman finalist quarterback Julian Sayin battle it out during the Scarlet vs. Gray scrimmage.

Though the Buckeye stars are often the big attraction, the Spring Game serves as a major proving ground for rising talent, recent transfers and long-time Ohio State players looking to simply show what they have to offer.

Among the long list of Buckeyes who are expected to participate in the Spring Game, three offensive players will be worth keeping an eye on to see what their future holds at Ohio State.

Sophomore RB Anthony “Turbo” Rodgers

Ryan Day revealed Friday on 97.1 The Fan that star running back Bo Jackson and presumed backup running back Isaiah West will be out for the start of spring due to both recovering from offseason shoulder surgeries.

Their absences leave the door wide open for Ohio State’s running back room to develop major depth in not just the Spring Game, but all throughout spring practices. Of those looking to climb their way to the top of the depth chart, Anthony Rodgers looks the most promising.

Rodgers, the No. 4 running back prospect in the 2025 recruiting class per 247Sports, did not record any stats last season. Despite that, the rising sophomore will look to carve out a role behind Jackson and West as a backup and rotational player. Depending on how his spring and early 2026 season go, Rodgers could surpass West on the depth chart, similar to how Jackson earned the starting running back position throughout 2025.

Sophomore QB Tavien St. Clair

Sayin will be the first quarterback to start in back-to-back seasons since C.J. Stroud in 2021 and 2022, meaning there will be no quarterback competition for the Buckeyes this offseason.

Even though the position is set in stone, backup quarterback Tavien St. Clair will be a definite attraction for the Spring Game. St. Clair was a five-star prospect in 2025 and the No. 4 recruit nationally.

With Sayin draft-eligible after 2026 and widely expected to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft, the Buckeyes’ Spring Game provides a fantastic opportunity to the 19-year-old backup quarterback. If St. Clair performs well, he would have a lot of momentum heading into 2027 to earn the starting quarterback role.

Senior WR Devin McCuin (UTSA transfer)

The position group that took the biggest blow during the offseason was the wide receiver corps. The departure of six outgoing receiver transfers and Carnell Tate, who declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, leaves the wide receiver room with multiple holes.

With five-star recruit Chris Henry Jr. expected to replace Tate as the starter across from Smith, one incoming transfer could prove to be a solid rotational slot receiver behind veteran Brandon Inniss.

Senior UTSA transfer Devin McCuin is positioned to be one of the best offensive transfers the Buckeyes secured in the portal this offseason. Over his three seasons as a Roadrunner, McCuin caught 152 passes for 1,696 yards and 16 touchdowns. If both Smith and Inniss are limited in the Spring Game, McCuin could take advantage and impress early this offseason.