2026 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

2026 Ohio State Buckeyes football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record0–0 (0–0 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorArthur Smith (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinatorKeenan Bailey (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorMatt Patricia (2nd season)
Co-defensive coordinatorTim Walton (2nd season)
Home stadiumOhio Stadium
2026 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Illinois   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Indiana   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Iowa   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Maryland   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Michigan   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Michigan State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Minnesota   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Nebraska   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Northwestern   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Ohio State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Oregon   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Penn State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Purdue   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Rutgers   0 – 0     0 – 0  
UCLA   0 – 0     0 – 0  
USC   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Washington   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Wisconsin   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Championship: December 5, 2026
As of March 23, 2026
Rankings from AP poll

The 2026 Ohio State Buckeyes football team will represent the Ohio State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference (B1G) during the 2026 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They will be led by eighth-year head coach Ryan Day, and play their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. It will be the Buckeyes' 137th season overall and 114th as a member of the Big Ten.

Offseason

Positions key
Offense Defense Special teams
  1. ^ Sometimes referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE)
  2. ^ Includes nose tackle (NT)
  3. ^ Includes middle linebacker (MLB or MIKE), outside linebacker (OLB, WILL, SAM), and off-ball linebacker
  4. ^ Includes free safety (FS) and strong safety (SS)
  5. ^ Also known as a placekicker (PK)
  6. ^ Includes kickoff and punt returners

Coaching staff changes

Departures

Name Position New team New position
Brian Hartline Offensive coordinator South Florida Head coach
Marcus Johnson Assistant offensive line coach Arkansas Offensive line coach
Tony Washington Jr. Assistant defensive line coach Kentucky Outside linebackers/Defensive ends coach
Michael Hunter Jr. Assistant defensive backs coach Los Angeles Rams Cornerbacks coach

Additions

Name Position Previous team Previous position
Cortez Hankton Wide receivers coach LSU Wide receivers coach
Anthony Schlegel Associate director of strength and conditioning None
Arthur Smith Offensive coordinator Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive coordinator
Robby Discher Special teams coordinator Illinois Special teams coordinator

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2026 NFL draft
Round Pick NFL team Player Position

Transfers

Outgoing

Player Number Position Height Weight Class Hometown New school

Incoming

Player Number Position Height Weight Class Hometown Previous school

Recruiting class

Main article: 2026 college football recruiting class
College recruiting information (2026)
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date

N/A N/A  
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 0    247Sports: 0    ESPN: 0
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2026 Ohio State Football Commitment List". Rivals. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  • "2026 Ohio State Football Commitment List". ESPN. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  • "2026 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  • "Ohio State 2026 Football Commits". 247Sports. Retrieved January 19, 2026.

Recruiting class rankings

Website National rank Conference rank 5 star recruits 4 star recruits 3 star recruits Total
On3 3 2 5 10 13 28
247 Sports 5 3 1 17 10 28
ESPN 9 3 2 18 8 28

Walk-ons

Player Number Position Height Weight Class Hometown Previous school

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResult
September 5TBDBall State*
TBD
September 12TBDat Texas*
TBD
September 19TBDKent State*
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
TBD
September 26TBDIllinois
TBD
October 3TBDat Iowa
TBD
October 10TBDMaryland
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
TBD
October 17TBDat Indiana
TBD
October 31TBDat USC
TBD
November 7TBDOregon
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
TBD
November 14TBDNorthwestern
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
TBD
November 21TBDat Nebraska
TBD
November 28TBDMichigan
TBD

Rankings

Ranking movements
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
AP
Coaches
CFPNot releasedNot released

Game summaries

vs Ball State

Ball State Cardinals (0–0) at Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 0 0 000
Buckeyes 0 0 000

at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio

  • Date: September 5
Statistics BALL OSU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Ball State Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving

at Texas

See also: 2026 Texas Longhorns football team
Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) at Texas Longhorns (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buckeyes 0 0 000
Longhorns 0 0 000

at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium • Austin, Texas

  • Date: September 12
Statistics OSU TEX
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Texas Passing
Rushing
Receiving

vs Kent State

Kent State Golden Flashes (0–0) at Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Golden Flashes 0 0 000
Buckeyes 0 0 000

at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio

  • Date: September 19
Statistics KENT OSU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Kent State Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving

vs Illinois (Illibuck)

See also: 2026 Illinois Fighting Illini football team and Illibuck
Illinois Fighting Illini (0–0) at Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Fighting Illini 0 0 000
Buckeyes 0 0 000

at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio

  • Date: September 26
Statistics ILL OSU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving

at Iowa

See also: 2026 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) at Iowa Hawkeyes (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buckeyes 0 0 000
Hawkeyes 0 0 000

at Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa

  • Date: October 3
Statistics OSU IOWA
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Iowa Passing
Rushing
Receiving

vs Maryland

See also: 2026 Maryland Terrapins football team
Maryland Terrapins (0–0) at Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Terrapins 0 0 000
Buckeyes 0 0 000

at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio

  • Date: October 10
Statistics MD OSU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Maryland Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving

at Indiana

See also: 2026 Indiana Hoosiers football team
Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) at Indiana Hoosiers (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buckeyes 0 0 000
Hoosiers 0 0 000

at Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, Indiana

  • Date: October 17
Statistics OSU IU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Indiana Passing
Rushing
Receiving

at USC

See also: 2026 USC Trojans football team
Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) at USC Trojans (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buckeyes 0 0 000
Trojans 0 0 000

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, California

  • Date: October 31
Statistics OSU USC
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving
USC Passing
Rushing
Receiving

vs Oregon

See also: 2026 Oregon Ducks football team
Oregon Ducks (0–0) at Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Ducks 0 0 000
Buckeyes 0 0 000

at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio

  • Date: November 7
Statistics ORE OSU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Oregon Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving

vs Northwestern

See also: 2026 Northwestern Wildcats football team
Northwestern Wildcats (0–0) at Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Wildcats 0 0 000
Buckeyes 0 0 000

at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio

  • Date: November 14
Statistics NU OSU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Northwestern Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving

at Nebraska

See also: 2026 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) at Nebraska Cornhuskers (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buckeyes 0 0 000
Cornhuskers 0 0 000

at Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska

  • Date: November 21
Statistics OSU NEB
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Nebraska Passing
Rushing
Receiving

vs Michigan (The Game)

See also: 2026 Michigan Wolverines football team and Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry
Michigan Wolverines (0–0) at Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Wolverines 0 0 000
Buckeyes 0 0 000

at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio

  • Date: November 28
Statistics MICH OSU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics
Michigan Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Ohio State Passing
Rushing
Receiving

Personnel

Roster

2026 Ohio State Buckeyes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 1 Brandon Inniss (C) Jr
QB 3 Lincoln Kienholz Jr
WR 4 Jeremiah Smith So
WR 5 Mylan Graham So
QB 6 Eli Brickhandler GS
WR 7 Phillip Bell Fr
WR 8 De'Zie Jones Fr
QB 9 Tavien St. Clair Fr
QB 10 Julian Sayin So
WR 11 Quincy Porter Fr
RB 12 CJ Donaldson Sr
WR 13 Bryson Rodgers Jr
QB 14 Trey Robinette Fr
TE 15 Jelani Thurman Jr
QB 16 Mason Maggs Sr
WR 17 Carnell Tate Jr
WR 18 Bodpegn Miller Fr
RB 20 James Peoples So
RB 21 Anthony "Turbo" Rogers Fr
WR 23 Nolan Baudo Jr
RB 24 Sam Dixon So
RB 25 Bo Jackson Fr
QB 26 Kolton Stover Fr
RB 28 Stanley Jackson Jr. So
WR 30 Preston Wolfe So
RB 32 Isaiah West Fr
WR 34 Brennen Schramm Jr
OL 51 Luke Montgomery Jr
OL 56 Isaiah Kema Fr
OL 57 Ian Gecse Jr
OL 58 Gabe VanSickle So
OL 62 Joshua Padilla Jr
OL 63 Julian Goines-Jackson Sr
OL 64 Simon Lorentz So
OL 65 Justin Terry So
OL 67 Austin Siereveld (C) Jr
OL 69 Ian Moore So
OL 70 Phillip Daniels Jr
OL 71 Jayvon McFadden Fr
OL 72 Deontae Armstrong So
OL 73 Devontae Armstrong So
OL 74 Carter Lowe Fr
OL 75 Carson Hinzman Sr
OL 76 Jake Cook Fr
OL 77 Tegra Tshabola Sr
OT 78 Ethan Onianwa Sr
WR 80 Shawn Lodge Sr
WR 81 Damarion Witten So
WR 82 David Adolph Sr
TE 83 Nate Roberts Fr
WR 84 Dorian Williams So
TE 85 Bennett Christian Sr
TE 86 Max Klare Jr
TE 87 Brody Lennon Fr
TE 88 Maxence LeBlanc So
TE 89 Will Kacmarek GS
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
LB 0 Sonny Styles (C) Sr
CB 1 Davison Igbinosun Sr
S 2 Caleb Downs (C) Jr
CB 3 Lorenzo Styles Jr. GS
CB 5 Aaron Scott Jr. So
CB 6 Devin Sanchez Fr
CB 7 Jermaine Mathews Jr. Jr
LB 8 Arvell Reese Jr
S 9 Malik Hartford Jr
S 10 Faheem Delane Fr
LB 11 C. J. Hicks Sr
CB 12 Bryce West So
CB 13 Miles Lockhart So
DL 14 Beau Atkinson Sr
DL 15 Zion Grady Fr
DB 16 Keenan Nelson Jr. Sr
LB 17 Tarvos "TJ" Alford Fr
S 18 Jaylen McClain So
CB 19 Jordyn Woods Fr
LB 20 Riley Pettijohn Fr
LB 21 Brenten "Inky" Jones Sr
LB 23 Garrett Stover So
S 24 Deshawn Stewart Fr
LB 25 Ty Howard Sr
LB 26 Payton Pierce So
S 28 Leroy Roker III So
DB 29 Glorien Gough Jr
S 30 Cody Haddad Fr
S 32 JJ Sebert So
LB 33 Eli Lee Fr
CB 34 Buakri Miles Jr. So
S 35 Jaystin Gwinn Fr
LB 37 Zach Hayes So
LB 38 Eli Riggs So
LB 39 Joey Velazquez GS
CB 43 Dianté Griffin Sr
DE 44 Epi Sitanilei Fr
S 46 Ryan Rudzinski Jr
DL 48 Logan George Jr
S 49 Gavin Thobe Fr
LB 50 Alec DelSignore Jr
DE 52 Joshua Mickens Jr
DL 53 Will Smith Jr. Jr
LB 54 Dylan Furshman Fr
DE 55 Dominic Kirks So
DL 59 Ahmed Tounkara So
DL 88 Trajen Odom Fr
DL 90 Eric Mensah So
DL 91 Jarquez Carter Fr
DE 92 Caden Curry Sr
DT 93 Maxwell Roy Fr
DL 94 Jason Moore Jr
DT 95 Tywone Malone Jr. GS
DE 96 Eddrick Houston So
DE 97 Kenyatta Jackson Jr. Sr
DL 98 Kayden McDonald Jr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P 19 Nick McLarty So
LS 35 Collin Johnson Sr
K 38 Jayden Fielding Sr
LS 41 Grant Mills So
P 42 Joe McGuire Jr
LS 43 John Ferlmann GS
K 96 Jackson Courville Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Arthur Smith – Offensive coordinator
  • Matt Patricia – Defensive coordinator
  • Tim Walton – Assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator/secondary/cornerbacks
  • Keenan Bailey – Co-offensive coordinator/tight ends
  • Matt Guerrieri – Safeties/pass game coordinator
  • Tyler Bowen – Offensive line/run game coordinator
  • Larry Johnson – Associate head coach/defensive line
  • James Laurinaitis – Linebackers
  • Carlos Locklyn – Running backs
  • Cortez Hankton – Wide receivers
  • Billy Fessler – Quarterbacks
  • Mickey Marotti – Associate AD/director of football sport performance
  • Robby Discher – Special teams coordinator
  • Sam McGrath – Assistant linebackers
  • TBD – Assistant defensive backs
  • Gunner Daniel – Program assistant - special teams
  • Devin Jordan – Program assistant - wide receivers
  • Joshua Chorba – Program assistant - linebackers
  • Tony Johnson – Analyst - running backs
  • Charlie Dickey – Program assistant - offensive line
  • TBD – Assistant offensive line
  • Wendy Laurent – Assistant tight ends
  • Austin Fields – Quality control - offense
  • Tim Hinton – Executive director for football relations/special assistant to the head coach
  • Billy Yates – Quality control - defense
  • Taver Johnson – Analyst - defensive backs
  • Miguel Patrick – Quality control - defense
  • Nate Ebner – Quality control - special teams
  • Colin Keanu – Program assistant - quarterbacks
  • TBD – Program assistant - defensive line
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Roster
Last update: August 6, 2025

Statistics

Team

Ohio State Opp
  Points per game
Total
First downs
  Rushing
  Passing
  Penalty
Rushing yards
  Avg per rush
  Avg per game
  Rushing touchdowns
Passing yards 1,958 919
  Att-Comp-Int
  Avg per pass
  Avg per game
  Passing touchdowns
Total offense
  Avg per play
  Avg per game
Fumbles-Lost
Penalties-Yards
  Avg per game
Punts-Yards
  Avg per punt
Time of possession/Game
3rd down conversions
3rd Down Pct.
4th down conversions
4th Down Pct.
Sacks-Yards
Touchdowns scored
Field goals-Attempts
PAT-Attempts

Individual leaders

Offense

Defense

Key: POS: Position, SOLO: Solo Tackles, AST: Assisted Tackles, TOT: Total Tackles, TFL: Tackles-for-loss, SACK: Quarterback Sacks, INT: Interceptions, BU: Passes Broken Up, PD: Passes Defended, QBH: Quarterback Hits, FR: Fumbles Recovered, FF: Forced Fumbles, BLK: Kicks or Punts Blocked, SAF: Safeties, TD : Touchdown

Special teams

Scoring

Ohio State vs. non-conference opponents

1 2 3 4 Total
Ohio State 0 0 0 0 0
Opponents 0 0 0 0 0

Ohio State vs. Big Ten opponents

1 2 3 4 Total
Ohio State 0 0 0 0 0
Opponents 0 0 0 0 0

Ohio State vs. all opponents

1 2 3 4 Total
Ohio State 0 0 0 0 0
Opponents 0 0 0 0 0

Notes

References

  1. ^ "2026 Ohio State Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  2. ^ "2026-27 Football Schedule". Ohio State Buckeyes. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
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