As Ohio State wraps up spring practice, the Buckeyes’ annual spring game can provide an early glimpse at how the roster is shaping up ahead of the 2026 season.
With injuries, incoming talent and position battles all in the spotlight, there are several key storylines to follow as the Buckeyes take the field.
Buckeye Sports Bulletin identified three things to watch for when Ohio State kicks off its spring game at noon on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
Running Backs Banged Up, New Faces To Earn Significant Time
Ohio State’s top two running backs, sophomores Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, have spent much of the spring recovering from shoulder surgeries, meaning the Buckeyes will be forced to lean on a depleted running back room for the spring game.
Additionally, freshman Legend Bey suffered a hamstring injury that has hampered him late in the spring, and sophomore Anthony “Turbo” Rogers has also missed time, as the pair are unlikely to see any reps on Saturday.
With four of its six scholarship running backs out for the spring game, senior transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson, freshman Favour Akih and junior Stanley Jackson Jr. are next in line to see time at the position.
Ja’Kobi Jackson, a seventh-year out of Florida, will likely be the top back on Saturday. The 5-11, 217-pound Jackson had the most productive season of his career with the Gators in 2024, totaling 95 carries for 509 yards and seven touchdowns, before playing just four games in 2025.
Behind Ja’Kobi Jackson is the former four-star running back Akih out of Delaware (Ohio) Rutherford B. Hayes. Akih has shown flashes throughout the spring, drawing praise from running backs coach Carlos Locklyn as well as other backs in the room, including Ja’Kobi Jackson. Though Locklyn identified Akih as one of two running backs in the room along with Rogers, who still need work with pass-catching skills.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said that with the running back room shorthanded, the Buckeyes may lean a bit more on their passing game during the spring game, while still maintaining a presence on the ground.
Transfers Galore On Defense
While Ohio State added 17 incoming transfers in its 2026 class, several of the defensive newcomers have already begun to make an impact during spring practice.
The Buckeye defense, which lost eight of 11 starters from a season ago, could feature five-plus transfers in starting roles, with even more set to contribute.
On the defensive line, defensive tackles John Walker of UCF and James Smith of Alabama have competed with rising junior Eddrick Houston on the interior in the spring. Crimson Tide defensive end Qua Russaw has made a push start opposite Kenyatta Jackson Jr. in a position battle with rising senior Beau Atkinson and rising sophomore Zion Grady.
Ohio State also brought in Wisconsin linebacker Christian Alliegro, who is projected to start alongside rising junior Payton Pierce. Alliegro totaled 53 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks in 10 games in 2025 with the Badgers, missing time due to a broken arm that he suffered in the first quarter against the Buckeyes on Oct. 18, 2025.
In the secondary, Duke transfer Terry Moore is the top candidate to play free safety alongside rising junior and 2025 starter Jaylen McClain. Earl Little Jr., who transferred from Florida State, came in as a safety, but is projected to replace Lorenzo Styles Jr. at nickelback this season.
Cornerbacks Cam Calhoun of Alabama and Dominick Kelly of Georgia have also shown promise in the spring, and while they won’t start ahead of returners Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Devin Sanchez, both will make their first appearances in Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
Tight Ends Vying For Starting Role
With opportunities up for grabs at tight end following the departures of Max Klare and Will Kacmarek to the NFL Draft, this spring has been an ongoing battle for playing time.
In a room featuring returning rising sophomore Nate Roberts, graduate Bennett Christian, and transfers Mason Williams of Ohio University and Hunter Welcing of Northwestern.
All four have rotated reps with the Buckeyes’ first-team offense during spring practice, leaving the pecking order unsettled heading into the offseason.
After a strong freshman campaign, earning 160 total reps primarily as a blocker, Roberts was seen as the Buckeyes’ leading candidate for the starting role, prior to Ohio State’s pickups in the transfer portal.
Williams is coming off a solid campaign for the Bobcats in 2025, in which he earned All-MAC Third-team honors, catching 26 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns. Welcing, now in his seventh year, had similar figures to Williams’ last season, hauling in 28 passes for 296 yards and two scores.
Christian returns for his graduate season with the Buckeyes and, while he’s unlikely to start, provides veteran leadership and should once again contribute as a blocker.
Former three-star freshman Nick Lautar of Lebanon, Ohio, has also impressed throughout spring camp, while rising junior Maxence Leblanc and rising sophomore Brody Lennon are rounding out the tight end room.
Heading into Saturday’s spring game, Ohio State’s tight end battle remains one of the most unsettled position groups on the roster, with Roberts, Williams, Welcing, and Christian all continuing to compete for snaps as the Buckeyes evaluate how the rotation will shape up for the 2026 season.
