The spring period is officially in the books with Ohio State having its spring game on April 18. The Buckeyes progressed on both sides of the ball and, perhaps more importantly, created chemistry as a team, but still have plenty of questions to answer before the 2026 season officially kicks off in September.
Here are the five biggest questions facing the Buckeyes following the spring period.
Can Bo Jackson and Isaiah West Catch Up To Speed?
Ohio State had many of its biggest contributors from the 2025 season earn reps during the spring period, but sophomore running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West were on the sidelines. Jackson and West, each of whom established themselves as capable runners last season, were out for the spring with respective shoulder surgeries. Former Florida transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson did an admirable job as Ohio State’s de facto No. 1 running back in the spring, but the Buckeye coaching staff will certainly want West and Jackson healthy as soon as possible.
Jackson and West both said they spent the spring period taking mental reps, but will have some catching up to do in the fall. West, who finished last year with 310 yards and two touchdowns, plans to make up some ground in the fall.
“I’m going to take my mental reps,” West said. “I’m going to come back to fall camp and hit the road running.”
Can Beau Atkinson Claim Starting Spot At Defensive End?
If there was one player who seemed to take the biggest leap from last season in the spring, it was senior defensive end Beau Atkinson. The transfer from North Carolina struggled to make much of an impact in his first year as a Buckeye, and by the end of the season, he received very little playing time.
In the spring, though, Atkinson solidified himself as a legitimate candidate to start alongside senior defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
Atkinson, who said he worked hard during the spring to improve his mobility, consistently found himself in the backfield in spring practices made available to the media.
Jackson theorized that Atkinson’s growth can be attributed to an improved mentality.
“He took his mobility, his flexibility, seriously over the offseason,” Jackson said. “In my opinion, he was overthinking last year, and I don’t think he’s overthinking. He’s playing much faster and more explosive.”
Atkinson, who lined up with Ohio State’s first-teamers in the spring game, came up with an interception on a pass tipped by defensive tackle Will Smith Jr.
Atkinson will have to continue to battle with former Alabama transfer Qua Russaw and sophomore Zion Grady for a starting spot, but he seems well-positioned to start heading toward the fall.
Will O-Line Continue To Grow From Late-Season Season Struggles?
Coming off a disappointing finish to the 2025 season, the offensive line is in desperate need of some improvements to help the Buckeyes reach their national championship aspirations.
In Ohio State’s two postseason losses, starting quarterback Julian Sayin was sacked 10 combined times, and the running game was virtually nonexistent.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day decided to mainly stick with last year’s group. The Buckeyes return four starters on the offensive line, and upperclassmen offensive linemen Carson Hinzman and Luke Montgomery said the group is using last year’s adversity as fuel for the 2026 campaign.
“I think this season is going to be a great opportunity to kind of right some of our wrongs we had this last year,” Hinzman said. “But I think we have more experience, more skill work, and I think our guys have only gotten better.”
It’s always tough to judge offensive line play in the spring, but the Buckeyes struggled a bit in pass protection throughout the spring. It didn’t help the Buckeyes’ offensive line that starting tackles Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels were out in the spring with respective injuries. Sophomore offensive tackle Ian Moore was impressive, filling in for Siereveld in the spring. With continued growth, he may earn himself a spot in the Buckeyes’ starting offensive line before the season starts.
How Will Patricia/Laurinaitis Use Depth At Linebacker?
The Buckeyes were very active in the transfer portal during the offseason and one of the most prominent additions made by the team was at linebacker. Senior linebacker Christian Alliegro joins Ohio State after a solid three-year stint at Wisconsin. Last year, the Buckeyes used sophomore linebacker Arvell Reese as a defensive end in pass-rushing situations, which allowed then-sophomore Payton Pierce to earn playing time. Pierce is returning and will likely start this year after being a key backup last year.
Alliegro is an obvious candidate to start alongside Pierce, and like Reese, he lined up at the defensive end spot during much of the spring. The Buckeyes have plenty of depth at linebacker with talented youngsters Riley Pettijohn, Cincere Johnson and Tarvos Alford all waiting in the wings.
If Alliegro is used at defensive end as often as Reese was last year, the Buckeyes could tap into that depth at linebacker.
How does Sayin progress in Year two as starting QB?
In his first season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, Sayin made very few mistakes. In his redshirt freshman season, Sayin threw for 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 77.0 percent of his passes. In the postseason, though, Sayin had some struggles. In addition to throwing three interceptions in the Buckeyes’ two postseason losses, Sayin struggled to make plays with his legs, taking 10 sacks.
Day emphasized during the spring how important it was for Sayin to improve with his legs.
“We all know the ball comes out accurately (for him), throwing the football, but making an impact with his legs when appropriate, we know that that’s the X-factor that has to show up this year,” Day said. “He’s aware of that. He’s been working hard in the offseason.”
Sayin showed some more willingness to use his legs in the spring game when he had two rushes for 10 yards, but live action football is much different.
The five-star quarterback will hope to show he can pick up tough yards on the ground in real games during the fall.
