Ohio State is the preseason No. 1 team for the first time since 2015 and has the best national championship odds in The Athletic’s projections, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t uncertainty with 51 new players joining the roster and another 11 NFL Draft picks gone.
Can the defense finish atop the country for a third straight season? Can the offense improve after its inconsistent postseason showing?
If the Buckeyes are going to answer those questions positively and make a run to a second national championship in three years, these are the 10 most important players — plus an honorable mention — to Ohio State’s championship chase.
Honorable mention: Connor Hawkins, K
Jayden Fielding’s postseason inconsistency hurt Ohio State. He missed four kicks last regular season and had made eight straight heading into the Big Ten title game, but things unraveled in the postseason. Fielding missed what would have been a game-tying 27-yard field goal against Indiana and then missed a 49-yarder in the Cotton Bowl.
The thing about kickers is that it can all be good until it suddenly isn’t. Ohio State hopes for a full season of consistency from Hawkins, a Baylor transfer who made 18 of 22 field goals last year, including late game-winners against SMU (27 yards) and Kansas State (53 yards). The big leg will help, but whether he can be clutch against a difficult schedule could play a big role in the season’s outcome.
9.5 wins for Ohio State in 2026?
Ralph D. Russo and Stewart Mandel
No. 10: Christian Alliegro, LB
Alliegro is the lone newcomer on this list. The Wisconsin transfer brings three years of college football experience to the Buckeyes and will likely start alongside linebacker Payton Pierce. Alliegro’s versatility to play on the line of scrimmage is why he makes this list. I don’t think Ohio State’s defensive line has enough star power to rush four traditionally, so it’ll need to get creative with blitzes, stunts and twists. That’s where Alliegro comes in. He has 14 career tackles for loss, and his athletic upside can give Ohio State a dynamic weapon on defense for Matt Patricia to scheme with.
No. 9: Bo Jackson, RB
Jackson proved himself with 1,090 yards as a freshman. Though he has to show more big-play ability, this ranking is more about his ability to pass protect.
I’m fairly confident Ohio State will be more creative on offense this year, which should allow more space along the line of scrimmage. The interior line trio of Austin Siereveld, Carson Hinzman and Luke Montgomery is as good of a group as Ohio State could ask for, so the holes will be there. My question is if Jackson holds up in pass protection on third-and-long. That’s the difference. If Jackson and Isaiah West add that reliability, Ohio State’s offense can be lethal.
No. 8: Austin Siereveld, OL
I’ve been thinking about Siereveld in the same vein as Donovan Jackson in 2024. That’s not to say Siereveld is as talented as Jackson — although he could work himself into the first round at guard — but when Ohio State needed to shift around up front for the championship run, Jackson was the guy the Buckeyes moved. That’s the case now with Siereveld. He’s at right guard now, but if somebody gets hurt, he’ll be the first to move outside again.
No. 7: Devin Sanchez, CB
Ohio State will miss the physicality and personality of Davison Igbinosun more than some may think, but Sanchez has similar swagger. A five-star recruit in 2025, he played well at the end of his freshman season, and the offseason reviews have been good. He’s a 6-foot-2 corner who can run, has long arms and knows when and when not to be physical with a receiver. With Jermaine Mathews on one side and a freshman, Jay Timmons, potentially at nickel, hopes are high for Sanchez to be a lockdown corner against a schedule filled with talented quarterbacks.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. has 9 1/2 sacks in four seasons at Ohio State. (Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
No. 6: Kenyatta Jackson Jr., DE
It’s time for Jackson to turn into the All-Big Ten, All-America-caliber player we’ve glimpsed. He’s not the most important defensive lineman on this list, but if Ohio State’s defense is going to reach the heights of the past two years, it needs an elite pass rusher. Jackson has the most potential to be that. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Jackson No. 40 on his 2027 NFL Draft big board and said Jackson had the potential to be a first-round pick last year. If Jackson can solidify that status this year, Ohio State will be one step closer to answering its biggest defensive question.
No. 5: Jeremiah Smith, WR
The best player in college football had to make this list, right? Smith has taken on a lot of responsibility since the Cotton Bowl ended. He’s had to lead in the weight room, spring practice, summer workouts and camp. This receiving corps is bursting with potential but will go as far as Smith takes it. The only way Smith’s stats drop this year is if defenses sell out to stop him every game and force others to win. Regardless, Smith will make plays. His value to the team is clear.
No. 4: Eddrick Houston, DT
If you look at the past two No. 1 defenses, each has had dominant defensive tackles. Kayden McDonald was the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, and before him the duo of Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton was dominant. Houston, a five-star recruit in 2024, is not a prototypical nose tackle, but as a 3-tech he has pass-rushing upside with the intangibles to be a force in the run game.
Ohio State has to get Jackson playing at a high level and get the most out of its edge players, but I’m not sure the Buckeyes can make a deep run if Houston isn’t playing at a high level on the interior, too. Injuries are behind him, and it’s time to produce.
No. 3: Payton Pierce, LB
Pierce isn’t a typical first-time starter: He played 256 defensive snaps a year ago and has shown good athleticism and sound instincts on the field. What stands out most when people at Ohio State talk about Pierce is his mind. He doesn’t have to be Sonny Styles for Ohio State to make a deep run this year, but with the changes at defensive tackle, Pierce will have to be stellar in the middle and make plays when they are there to be made.
Pierce’s floor is high, but his ceiling could dictate just how dominant the defense can be. If Patricia can trust him in the middle, it will allow him to get even more creative with pressure looks up front. An All-Big Ten or All-American Pierce means Ohio State has a chance to be a top-three defense again.
No. 2: Carson Hinzman, C
It’s impossible to downplay the importance of having one of the most experienced centers in the country. Hinzman is a four-year starter with 35 starts and has a full season of cohesion with quarterback Julian Sayin. Having two returning starters at those positions brings calmness, and Hinzman also has traits that stand out. His athleticism is impressive. He played some guard in his career, particularly in the 2024 title run, and he’s shown that he’s not just a powerful center. He’s a quick lineman who can snap the ball and shift, move and focus on the defender he has to block.
My biggest critique of the offense in the losses to Indiana and Miami was that it didn’t move Sayin off of his mark enough in the passing game. Hinzman gives Ohio State a strong base to do that more. He can also move well in the run game.
It can be hard to quantify a center’s value, but Hinzman has the biggest fall-off from starter to backup. If one of the tackles is hurt, Siereveld can move over. If one of the guards is hurt, Josh Padilla jumps in. But if Hinzman is hurt, Ohio State has Padilla not only stepping in for his first start, but snapping and running the line, too. That’s a lot to ask.
No. 1: Julian Sayin, QB
Of course the guy with the ball in his hands is the most important, but it’s particularly true this season. Sayin has the opportunity to not only vault himself into the first-round draft conversation, but also dictate whether Ohio State can fulfill its championship potential. Sayin’s first year starting was good; he was a Heisman finalist who completed 77 percent of his passes, after all. But he left production on the table in the postseason losses to Indiana and Miami.
If he’s learned from those mistakes and meshes well with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Sayin can turn Ohio State into one of the best offenses in college football. With the attrition on defense, the Buckeyes are counting on Sayin to be more than a game manager in big games.