For the first time since their 24-14 loss to Miami in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve, the Buckeyes will be back in action on Tuesday with the start of spring practice. Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Buckeyes have a slew of questions needing to replace 12 starters from last year’s team.
Here are the most pressing questions facing the Buckeyes headed into the spring period.
Can Chris Henry start in Year One?
Under head coach Ryan Day, Ohio State has rarely ever been short of collegiate-ready wide receivers. The Buckeyes still have star receiver Jeremiah Smith, but Carnell Tate declared for the NFL Draft and others who were in the room last year, including Mylan Graham, Quincy Porter and Bryson Rodgers, hit the transfer portal after the season.
The Buckeyes still have plenty of options at receiver, even with all of those departures. Ohio State added former LSU transfer Kyle Parker and UTSA transfer Devin McCuin out of the portal, but the favorite to start opposite Smith may be freshman receiver Chris Henry Jr. Henry, the five-star prospect out of Mater Dei High School, certainly has the talent to start for the Buckeyes, but will need to use the spring period to prove he can make an immediate impact.
Who fills Styles and Reese’ shoes at linebacker?
Ohio State’s defense, as a whole, was incredibly dominant last year. The Buckeyes easily ranked first in total defense and scoring defense, but if there was one position group that stood apart, it was the linebackers. Both former starters, Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese, earned All-American honors after finishing the season first and second on the team, respectively, in total tackles.
However, each player departed for the NFL Draft, leaving open positions for youngsters, such as Riley Pettijohn and Payton Pierce and former Wisconsin linebacker Christian Alliegro.
Having started eight games at linebacker last year for the Badgers, Alliegro is the most experienced player of the bunch, but Pierce proved he can make plays last year when he recorded 44 tackles. Pettijohn, a former top-50-ranked recruit, also has the talent to get on the field.
At times, the Buckeyes used three linebacker formations last year, but they mainly had two linebackers on the field.
Alliegro, Pettijohn and Pierce will all have a chance to show what they can do in the spring.
Who steps up at Running Back?
On paper, the Buckeyes have a lot of continuity at the running back position heading into next season with sophomore running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, two of the 2025 team’s more dependable ball-carriers, returning. However, both Jackson and West are sidelined in the spring while recovering from shoulder injuries.
With Jackson and West out, Florida transfer running back Ja’Kobi Jackson, redshirt freshman running back Anthony Rogers and freshman Favour Akih should all earn reps.
Rogers may be the most intriguing option of those three. He was a top-100-ranked prospect who was out last year with an injury, but his speed and abilities as a pass-catcher could enable him to get on the field even when Jackson and West return.
How will the Buckeyes align in the secondary?
The Buckeyes’ secondary was a key piece of its dominant 2025 defense, with Caleb Downs leading the way as one of the best safeties in the country. However, he is headed to the draft along with cornerback Davison Igbinosun and nickel cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr.
The Buckeyes have safety Jaylen McClain and cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. returning to the secondary, but also added defensive backs Earl Little Jr. and Terry Moore from the transfer portal.
Sophomore Devin Sanchez, a former five-star prospect out of high school, is likely to start as an outside cornerback, meaning one of the two transfers will probably play nickel, and the other will line up at safety.
Can Sayin take strides in year Two?
Being a Heisman Trophy candidate in his first year as Ohio State’s quarterback, Julian Sayin doesn’t have too much room to improve, but down the stretch of the season, he seemed to miss some opportunities to pick up yards with his legs.
He wasn’t helped much by his offensive line in two postseason games, but Sayin was sacked 10 times in losses to Indiana and Miami (Fla.).
Sayin won’t take many, if any, hits in the spring, but he has the opportunity to improve his pocket presence and mobility in spring practices.
