It won’t take long to figure out who Ohio State views as its best players entering the 2025 season when the Buckeyes play Texas on Saturday.
While Ohio State no longer releases an official depth chart, it’ll become clear who leads the depth chart at each position based on who plays the most snaps against the Longhorns. With the No. 1 team coming to town, there won’t be any time for Ohio State to play games with its depth chart; the players who the Buckeyes believe give them the best chance to win will be the players on the field in the season opener.
With only a few days of practice left before the season opener, Ohio State likely knows what its depth chart will look like against Texas on Saturday, barring any injuries or unforeseen developments this week. Ryan Day didn’t want to say much about the depth chart in his most recent press conference, outside of naming Julian Sayin the starting quarterback. But I’ve used what we’ve seen and heard all offseason to make my best and final guess at how the Buckeyes’ depth chart will stack up at every position this season – at least to begin the year.
A few notes before we get into it:
- The projected depth chart reflects what I expect the depth chart to look like for Ohio State’s season opener vs. Texas.
- Three players are included at every position unless there are only two players on the roster at that position (kicker and punter). Four tight ends are included to account for the likelihood that four or more tight ends will likely see at least some playing time with the first-team offense.
- Excluding kick and punt returner, each player included on the depth chart is only listed at one position even if they could potentially play multiple positions.
- The offensive and defensive positions included are based on Ohio State’s primary offensive and defensive formations from last season, though there will likely be changeups such as multi-tight end sets on offense and three-safety packages on defense.
Quarterback
1. Julian Sayin
2. Lincoln Kienholz
3. Tavien St. Clair
Ohio State’s preseason quarterback competition officially ended last Monday when Day announced Sayin would start against Texas. Day left the door open for Kienholz to potentially see some playing time in a situational package, but Sayin will be the primary QB leading the offense against the Longhorns.
Kienholz will be the No. 2 quarterback after battling Sayin for the starting job this spring and summer. Day said St. Clair isn’t quite ready to push for a spot on the two-deep yet, but the freshman is the “clear third” quarterback on the depth chart ahead of graduate transfer Eli Brickhandler.
Running Back
1. James Peoples
2. CJ Donaldson
3. Bo Jackson
Peoples seems likely to be the first running back on the field against his home-state Longhorns, but it’s expected to be a 1A/1B situation at the top of the RB depth chart with Peoples and Donaldson splitting the workload throughout the year just as TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins did last season.
The biggest question surrounding the running back depth chart is whether Jackson will also see a regular share of carries in the backfield rotation. Day said last week that Ohio State has three running backs it’s confident in entering the season. He didn’t specify who the third running back would be, but all signs point to Jackson, who looks ready to make an immediate impact as a freshman with how he’s performed in his first offseason as a Buckeye.
Wide Receiver (X)
1. Jeremiah Smith
2. Quincy Porter
3. David Adolph
Wide Receiver (Z)
1. Carnell Tate
2. Mylan Graham
3. Phillip Bell
Wide Receiver (Slot)
1. Brandon Inniss
2. Bryson Rodgers
3. De’zie Jones
Inniss’ selection as a team captain erased any doubt that he will be the third starting receiver this season alongside returning starters Smith and Tate.
The top three receivers will probably play most of the snaps out wide, but Graham projects to be the first receiver off the bench. Rodgers will likely be the No. 5 receiver, though he could be the first man to rotate in with Inniss in the slot.
Porter has the talent to make an immediate impact as a freshman, but he appears positioned to start his career as the sixth man on Ohio State’s loaded WR depth chart. Bell, the other freshman receiver who’s lost his black stripe, projects to be the seventh man in the receiver pecking order.
Tight End
1. Max Klare
2. Will Kacmarek
3. Bennett Christian
4. Jelani Thurman
As deep as Ohio State’s tight end room is, I couldn’t list just three tight ends.
Klare is one of college football’s top receiving tight ends and Kacmarek is one of college football’s top blocking tight ends, so they figure to play most of the snaps this season. But Christian, Thurman and even freshman Nate Roberts are also candidates for significant playing time, with Day saying last week that the Buckeyes feel comfortable with four or five tight ends.
Either Christian or Thurman could be the No. 3 tight end, but Christian gets the nod since he was the No. 3 TE last season and Keenan Bailey called him “the leader of my unit” last week. Christian’s blocking ability will likely lead to playing time in multi-tight end sets; Thurman saw offensive snaps in all but two games last season, too, so he’ll likely at least see occasional action even if he’s the No. 4 TE.
Left Tackle
1. Austin Siereveld
2. Ian Moore
3. Carter Lowe
Left Guard
1. Luke Montgomery
2. Jake Cook
3. Devontae Armstrong
Center
1. Carson Hinzman
2. Joshua Padilla
3. Isaiah Kema
Right Guard
1. Tegra Tshabola
2. Gabe VanSickle
3. Jayvon McFadden
Right Tackle
1. Phillip Daniels
2. Ethan Onianwa
3. Deontae Armstrong
The biggest changes from our last depth chart projection three weeks ago come at offensive tackle. Day confirmed last week that Siereveld, who started preseason camp at right tackle, will be Ohio State’s starting left tackle after switching sides in the second week of camp. Daniels, who started camp as the second-team right tackle, now looks likely to start at the position after making a surge over the last few weeks.
Onianwa, who was projected to be Ohio State’s starting left tackle entering camp, now appears likely to be the sixth man on the offensive line. He’s listed at right tackle since that’s where he’s most likely to see playing time in a rotation with Daniels, but he’d also be the next man up at left tackle and could be the first man off the bench at guard, too, after cross-training inside in camp.
Padilla is also in the next-man-up conversation at guard, though his primary role will be backing up Hinzman at center.
Montgomery, Hinzman and Tshabola are all expected to remain starters after starting on the interior offensive line during last year’s national championship run, but Day said Ohio State could also rotate in two or three unspecified offensive linemen off the bench. Onianwa can safely be assumed to be one of those linemen if he doesn’t start. Padilla would likely be next in line, though VanSickle is also a candidate to be the top guard off the bench if the Buckeyes choose to keep Onianwa at tackle and Padilla at center.
Defensive End
1. Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
2. C.J. Hicks
3. Logan George
Defensive End
1. Caden Curry
2. Beau Atkinson
3. Zion Grady
I projected Atkinson to start opposite Jackson in my last depth chart projection, but Curry and Jackson have consistently been identified by teammates and coaches as the leaders of the defensive line this preseason. With that in mind, I now expect Curry to be on the field for Ohio State’s first defensive snaps against Texas, though Atkinson will still see plenty of playing time in the rotation as the most proven defensive end on the Buckeyes’ roster.
Hicks also seems to have shown coaches what they needed to see to earn a spot in the Buckeyes’ edge rusher rotation. Given that, it’s anticipated that Ohio State will rotate more at defensive end than it did the last couple of years, with all of the Buckeyes’ top four DEs playing regularly, though Jackson is likely to play the most snaps with all the preseason hype he’s received.
George’s name didn’t come up much in the defensive end conversation this preseason following Atkinson’s arrival, so he may find himself on the outside of the regular rotation as the projected No. 5 DE in the pecking order. Grady is talented enough to play as a freshman, but he isn’t likely to see frequent action this year unless the Buckeyes are hit by injuries on the edge.
Caden Curry could be a starter on Ohio State’s defensive line for the first time this season after serving as one of Ohio State’s top backup DEs for the last two seasons.
Defensive Tackle (3-Tech)
1. Eddrick Houston
2. Tywone Malone Jr.
3. Jarquez Carter
Defensive Tackle (Nose)
1. Kayden McDonald
2. Will Smith Jr.
3. Jason Moore
As long as Houston is good to go after injuring his knee on the first day of preseason camp, he and McDonald will be the starting defensive tackles.
Smith emerged as Ohio State’s top backup defensive tackle with a strong offseason; he’ll primarily rotate in behind McDonald at nose tackle, though it’s possible he could see some snaps at 3-technique too, especially if Houston is limited in any way to start the season.
Carter’s made some noise in his first offseason as a Buckeye, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he emerges as Ohio State’s backup 3-technique at some point this season, much like Houston did midway through last season. Given that Carter still has his black stripe as of now, however, Malone seems most likely to be Houston’s top backup to start the year.
Moore is also a candidate to be Ohio State’s second 3-technique, though his status for the start of the season is in question after he was spotted in a walking boot last week. Eric Mensah would likely enter the three-deep as OSU’s No. 3 nose tackle if Moore misses time.
Linebacker (Will)
1. Sonny Styles
2. Riley Pettijohn
3. TJ Alford
Linebacker (Mike)
1. Arvell Reese
2. Payton Pierce
3. Garrett Stover
Reese will be Ohio State’s new starting Mike linebacker, but expect Pierce to see regular playing time too after James Laurinaitis said he views all of Styles, Reese and Pierce as starters. Pierce will be the top backup at both linebacker spots, which could lead to rotational snaps at both positions, while he’ll join them on the field in three-linebacker packages.
Pettijohn looks to be the third man up at both linebacker spots as Laurinaitis said he expects the talented freshman to be “on the field in some form or fashion” against Texas. Alford and Stover, in one order or the other, project to be the fifth and sixth linebackers on the depth chart, though most of their playing time this season will likely come on special teams and/or late in decisive wins.
Cornerback
1. Davison Igbinosun
2. Devin Sanchez
3. Brenton “Inky” Jones
Cornerback
1. Jermaine Mathews Jr.
2. Aaron Scott Jr.
3. Jordyn Woods
Nickelback
1. Lorenzo Styles Jr.
2. Bryce West
3. Miles Lockhart
Even with the hype surrounding Sanchez as a top-10 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, Igbinosun and Mathews are the clear-cut starters at outside cornerback. Either Sanchez or Scott could be the next man up behind them, with Scott potentially having the early edge to be the first cornerback off the bench thanks to the year of experience he already has as a Buckeye.
Styles isn’t a guaranteed starter at nickelback, but he’s been the frontrunner at that spot all offseason, though Caleb Downs is also expected to line up at nickel a good amount. West projects to round out the cornerback two-deep and be the No. 2 nickelback, though it’s also possible Ohio State could kick Mathews inside in some situations to get Scott and/or Sanchez on the field.
Free Safety
1. Caleb Downs
2. Malik Hartford
3. Leroy Roker III
Strong Safety
1. Jaylen McClain
2. Faheem Delane
3. Keenan Nelson Jr.
McClain and Hartford are both expected to see substantial playing time in this year’s defense, but McClain – the more natural strong safety of the two – seems to be trending toward starting alongside Downs in base personnel. Regardless of who starts in two-safety lineups, Hartford projects to take Downs’ place at free safety with McClain at SS when Downs lines up at nickel.
Day named Delane and Roker last week as safeties who are also pushing for playing time, so they’ll be the fourth and fifth safeties on the depth chart, with Delane projecting to play primarily at strong safety and Roker offering additional depth at free safety.
Kicker
1. Jayden Fielding
2. Jackson Courville
While Courville gives Ohio State the best second option it’s had at kicker in several years after making 26 of 34 field goal attempts in two years at Ball State, Fielding is expected to remain the Buckeyes’ top kicker this year after finishing last season strong in the College Football Playoff.
Punter
1. Joe McGuire
2. Nick McLarty
Day said last week that the punting competition between McGuire and McLarty remained close and that he would be comfortable with either of them being the punter. Given that McGuire was steady as Ohio State’s starting punter last season, a tie likely goes to the incumbent, though Day said both have improved.
Long Snapper
1. John Ferlmann
2. Grant Mills
3. Collin Johnson
Ferlmann, the only scholarship long snapper on the roster, will be Ohio State’s starting long snapper for the third straight year. Mills, who played in two games with one start for North Carolina last season, projects as the top backup.
Kick Returner
1. Mylan Graham
2. Carnell Tate
3. Anthony “Turbo” Rogers
Ohio State didn’t practice kickoff returns during its three open practices to start preseason camp, and its coaches haven’t made any public comments on who will return kicks this season, so it remains a mystery who will fill this role.
Graham seems like the most logical candidate, as he has the skill set to be an explosive returner and it would allow him to play a bigger role than just being the No. 4 receiver. Tate has been mentioned as a kickoff return option in the past, so he’s another top candidate if the Buckeyes prefer to go with an experienced veteran. Rogers’ speed and quickness make him an intriguing candidate to return kicks if the Buckeyes trust the freshman with ball security.
Punt Returner
1. Brandon Inniss
2. Caleb Downs
3. Bryson Rodgers
Inniss and Downs were an effective tandem of punt returners for Ohio State last season, so they’re likely to be the Buckeyes’ top options at the position again. Considering how immensely important Downs is to Ohio State’s defense, it probably makes sense to have Inniss handle most of the punt return work, though Downs proved very capable of providing a big spark in the return game with his 79-yard punt return touchdown last season against Indiana.
Rodgers has the surehandedness and quickness to be another effective punt return option if Ohio State opts to have Downs and/or Inniss focus on their bigger roles.
