The regular season has concluded, and Ohio State won’t play another game for three more weeks until it finishes the 2023 season by playing Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.
With that in mind, it’s time for our second-to-last update for the 2023 season of the Buckeye 20, Eleven Warriors’ year-round ranking of Ohio State’s 20 best football players.
Heisman Trophy finalist Marvin Harrison Jr. remains atop the rankings as he has all season after receiving first-place votes from every member of our voting staff. Denzel Burke is ranked as Ohio State’s second-best player for the second month in a row, holding that spot after an excellent regular season in which his dominance in coverage led the way for the Buckeyes to lead the nation with only 147.4 passing yards allowed per game.
The biggest riser in our post-regular season rankings is TreVeyon Henderson, who was ranked seventh at the end of October but jumps up to third after averaging 134 yards from scrimmage per game in November. Tyleik Williams and Emeka Egbuka, who round out the top five, each dropped one spot in this month’s rankings as a result.
Ohio State’s recruiting class of 2021 has a big presence in our rankings to conclude the regular season as nine of the Buckeyes’ top 12 players, including all of their top six players, hail from the third-year class.
| Rank | Pos | Player | Previous Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WR | MARVIN HARRISON JR. | 1 | – |
| 2 | CB | DENZEL BURKE | 2 | – |
| 3 | RB | TREVEYON HENDERSON | 7 | ▲4 |
| 4 | DT | TYLEIK WILLIAMS | 3 | ▼1 |
| 5 | WR | EMEKA EGBUKA | 4 | ▼1 |
| 6 | DE | JT TUIMOLOAU | 6 | – |
| 7 | TE | CADE STOVER | 8 | ▲1 |
| 8 | LB | TOMMY EICHENBERG | 5 | ▼3 |
| 9 | FS | JOSH PROCTOR | 9 | – |
| 10 | DT | MIKE HALL | 11 | ▲1 |
| 11 | CB | JORDAN HANCOCK | 13 | ▲2 |
| 12 | DE | JACK SAWYER | 15 | ▲3 |
| 13 | CB | DAVISON IGBINOSUN | 14 | ▲1 |
| 14 | S | SONNY STYLES | 16 | ▲2 |
| 15 | LB | CODY SIMON | 17 | ▲2 |
| 16 | S | LATHAN RANSOM | 10 | ▼6 |
| 17 | RG | MATT JONES | 19 | ▲2 |
| 18 | LG | DONOVAN JACKSON | 18 | – |
| 19 | LB | STEELE CHAMBERS | 20 | ▲1 |
| 20 | WR | XAVIER JOHNSON | NR | ▲5 |
You can read more about all 20 ranked players and their performance during the regular season on our Buckeye 20 page. We highlight the biggest risers and fallers in this rankings update below.
Who’s In: Xavier Johnson
The only debutant in this month’s rankings is Johnson, who will conclude his six-year Ohio State career in the Cotton Bowl. Although Johnson hasn’t seen a substantial increase in offensive playing time this season, his versatility and effectiveness whenever opportunities have come his way impressed our staff enough for him to land the 20th spot in our rankings. Johnson has gained 292 yards from scrimmage on just 34 total touches (23 carries, 11 catches) this season while also leading the Buckeyes in special teams snaps.
Who’s Out: Kyle McCord
McCord dropped out of this month’s rankings because he’s no longer on Ohio State’s roster after entering the transfer portal on Monday. While McCord was ranked as high as seventh in our post-September ranking update after his game-winning drive against Notre Dame, and was ranked 12th in our most recent rankings after the second month of the season, the two interceptions he threw against Michigan led to Ohio State’s third straight loss to Michigan, which will now be the final game of his Buckeye career.
Biggest Risers: TreVeyon Henderson, Jack Sawyer
Among players who were already in the Buckeye 20, Henderson is the only player to move up more than three spots this month with his four-spot climb into the top three. Sawyer, who started the season ranked 12th but dropped to 20th after the first month of the season, is among the biggest risers in the Buckeye 20 for the second month in a row as he regained his preseason ranking with his strong play over the final two months of the season, climbing from 15th to 12th in this set of rankings.
Biggest Fallers: Lathan Ransom, Tommy Eichenberg
Among players still ranked in the Buckeye 20, Ransom is this month’s biggest faller, dropping from 10th to 16th as a result of missing the entire month of November with a foot injury. Eichenberg dropped three spots after missing two November games with an arm injury and struggling in his return to action against Michigan while seemingly still hampered by that injury.
Visit our Buckeye 20 page for full analysis of how each of Ohio State’s top 20 players performed during the regular season. Bookmark that page to keep up with the rankings all year long. Our final rankings for the 2023 season will be published in early January, while our first rankings for the 2024 season will be published in February before the start of spring practices.
