Three Takeaways From Ohio State’s Spring Game
Ohio State football officially closed the book on spring camp Saturday afternoon, concluding its 15-practice slate with its annual spring game at Ohio Stadium.
Despite a rainy Columbus afternoon, the Buckeyes offered fans a first look at a roster defined by a mixed group of high-profile transfers, returning veterans and emerging young stars.
While the spring game rarely captures the true intensity of a Saturday in “The Shoe,” the performance still provided key insight into the depth chart and position battles ahead of the 2026 season.
With that in mind, Buckeye Sports Bulletin selected the three most notable takeaways from the Buckeye defense’s 35-26 victory over the Ohio State offense in the spring game.
Offensive Tackles Struggle, Defensive Line Dominates
The battle in the trenches was one of the biggest storylines of the spring game, as the Buckeye defensive line was dominant against a banged-up Ohio State offensive line.
With both of Ohio State’s starting offensive tackles from 2025, Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels, out for the spring game, the Buckeyes rolled out Carter Lowe and Ian Moore with the starting group.
The two inexperienced offensive tackles faced an uphill battle against Ohio State’s defensive front, with graduate defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. recording multiple sacks. In the first quarter, defensive tackle Will Smith Jr. tipped a pass that defensive end Beau Atkinson intercepted. All stats are unofficial and recorded by Buckeye Sports Bulletin.
Of the two, Lowe had the tougher outing. Despite drawing difficult matchups against Jackson for much of the game, he was frequently beaten off the edge, resulting in multiple sacks.
Future Tandem Shines
Two of Ohio State’s brightest young stars gave an early glimpse of what the future of Buckeye football could look like.
Freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. and sophomore quarterback Tavien St. Clair put on an impressive showing in the ‘Shoe, connecting twice on pass plays of 30 or more yards.
St. Clair first connected with Henry on a 34-yard strike along the left sideline midway through the first quarter, then went back to him later for a 40-yard touchdown grab by the former five-star receiver.
Henry also caught two more passes and neared 100 yards on the day. St. Clair threw 20 passes for just over 160 yards.
Depleted Running Back Room Suffices
With four of Ohio State’s top six running backs out for the spring game, seventh-year transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson earned the start for the Buckeyes.
While Jackson earned the start, it was freshman Favour Akih who saw the most time of the unit.
Both Jackson and Akih caught at least one pass, a strong sign after Ohio State running backs coach Carlos Locklyn said Akih had to improve his pass-catching skills.
Sophomore Stanley Jackson Jr. was also in the mix in the backfield.
Sophomore backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West missed all of spring practices after undergoing shoulder surgeries. Freshman Legend Bey was unable to go due to a hamstring injury that had hampered him late in the spring, while Anthony “Turbo” Rogers was also unavailable for the spring game.