Ohio State’s roster is likely set for the 2025 season, and 15 practices this spring gave us an idea of how the Buckeyes’ depth chart could stack up this fall.
With the transfer portal closed, Ohio State not expected to add any more transfers and spring football now a few weeks behind us, it’s time for an updated look at what Ohio State’s three-deep depth chart could look like this fall.
Quarterback
1. Julian Sayin
2. Lincoln Kienholz
3. Tavien St. Clair
The Sayin vs. Kienholz competition has been closer than most expected it would be so far, but Sayin’s strong showing in the spring game brought momentum back to his side. If the top-ranked quarterback from the 2024 recruiting class can build off that performance with more consistency in preseason camp, he’ll have the inside track to winning the job even with Kienholz making a push.
The runner-up in that competition will be Ohio State’s No. 2 quarterback this season as St. Clair, despite his five-star talent, still has a long way to go in his development before he’ll be ready to play a major role.
Running Back
1. James Peoples
2. CJ Donaldson
3. Bo Jackson
Peoples and Donaldson will likely play about the same number of snaps as Ohio State’s top two running backs – just as TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins did last year – but Ohio State’s coaches talked about Peoples this spring as though he’s in line to be RB1. An impressive first 15 practices at Ohio State for Donaldson, though, ensured the West Virginia transfer will play a major role in the Buckeyes’ backfield rotation this year.
Jackson also had an excellent first spring as a Buckeye, giving him a real chance to turn Ohio State’s two-man RB rotation into a three-man rotation if he continues on his current trajectory. Even if Ohio State chooses to lean primarily on Peoples and Donaldson, Jackson is strongly positioned to be RB3 on the depth chart this year, with redshirt freshman Sam Williams-Dixon and fellow true freshmen Anthony “Turbo” Rogers and Isaiah West providing additional depth behind him.
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
With Smith and Tate leading the receiving corps as two of college football’s elite wideouts, Inniss is expected to join them in the lineup as Ohio State’s starting slot receiver after waiting his turn behind Emeka Egbuka for the past two years.
The biggest question surrounding the receiver rotation is how much playing time will be available to the backups. Graham and Porter both had outstanding springs, but the standard to take snaps away from Smith and Tate is high. Graham appears to have the inside track to being Ohio State’s first receiver off the bench, though Rodgers is also a contender for slot snaps behind Inniss.
There’s no clear path to regular playing time for any of Ohio State’s other receivers, but Bell and Jones will likely start their careers on the three-deep while Bodpegn Miller is likely in line for a redshirt as he transitions from playing quarterback in high school.
Tight End
1. Max Klare
2. Will Kacmarek
3. Jelani Thurman
It’s hard to pick just three tight ends for this depth chart projection. Klare’s the obvious choice to start after a fantastic season last year at Purdue, but Kacmarek is also expected to see plenty of playing time, particularly in two-tight end sets. Behind them, Thurman and Bennett Christian should also both see some playing time, too – and Nate Roberts would likely be in the three-deep for just about any other team in college football.
Ultimately, Thurman rounds out the three-deep after a strong spring in which Ohio State tight ends coach Keenan Bailey said Thurman was “off the charts, night and day more mature” than he’s been in past seasons, which could make it tough to keep him out of the rotation given his potential to be a difference-making weapon in the passing game alongside Klare.
Left Tackle
1. Ethan Onianwa
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. Simon Lorentz
Right Guard
1. Tegra Tshabola
2. Gabe VanSickle
3. Jayvon McFadden
Right Tackle
1. Austin Siereveld
2. Philip Daniels
3. Deontae Armstrong
This was what the first-team offensive line looked like for most of the spring, with Siereveld performing so well at tackle that Ryan Day declared last month that Siereveld is “going to be a starter.” It’s still possible that Siereveld could move back inside to guard, which would potentially jeopardize Tshabola’s starting job, particularly if Daniels has a strong preseason camp. But Siereveld starting at RT alongside the interior offensive line that finished off last year’s College Football Playoff run seems like the most likely outcome, with Onianwa favored to start at left tackle.
In that event, Moore and Daniels are in line to be Ohio State’s backup tackles with some combination of Lowe, Deontae Armstrong and West Virginia transfer Justin Terry rounding out the three-deep behind them. Cook, Padilla and VanSickle formed Ohio State’s second-string interior offensive line in the spring game; Padilla is safely positioned to be on the two-deep backing up Hinzman at center, but Devontae Armstrong, McFadden and Terry could still push Cook and VanSickle for the backup guards, with Cook also a candidate to be the third-team center.
Defensive End
1. Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
2. Caden Curry
3. Zion Grady
Defensive End
1. Beau Atkinson
2. C.J. Hicks
3. Logan George
The post-spring addition of Atkinson makes Ohio State’s defensive end depth chart one of the toughest to project going into summer. That said, it would be a surprise if the North Carolina transfer isn’t a starter for the Buckeyes as he’s now the most proven DE on the roster. Ohio State coaches appear to view Jackson as the team’s top returning defensive end, so he seems likely to be a starter, too.
Curry was likely in line to start opposite Jackson before the signing of Atkinson, so he projects as likely to be the first defensive end off the bench. The biggest question might be whether Hicks or George rounds out the two-deep, and whether there will be room for both of them to see consistent work in the rotation. Hicks lands the fourth spot in the two-deep in this projection because of his high upside as a pass-rusher, though he could end up playing most of his snaps situationally as an edge-rushing linebacker rather than as a true defensive end.
A good spring for Grady puts the highly touted freshman in position to round out the defensive end three-deep, though redshirt freshman Dominic Kirks could also be in that mix after an impressive spring of his own.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. remains a projected starter at defensive end even with the addition of Beau Atkinson.
Defensive Tackle
1. Eddrick Houston
2. Tywone Malone
3. Jarquez Carter
Defensive Tackle
1. Kayden McDonald
2. Will Smith Jr.
3. Jason Moore
Houston and McDonald are the clear frontrunners to start at defensive tackle since Ohio State didn’t add a DT in the transfer portal. Who will be the next men up behind them is the biggest question mark on the entire depth chart coming out of spring.
Malone and Moore were the first defensive tackles off the bench in the spring game, but Smith – who didn’t play in the spring game – ran with the second-team defense for much of the spring. Smith projects as a better fit to back up McDonald at nose tackle than either of Malone or Moore, who played NT in the spring game but has spent most of his time at Ohio State lining up at 3-technique, though OSU might need him to play some nose tackle this year due to its lack of depth at the position.
Carter, who also projects to primarily play 3-technique, was the fifth DT to see action in the spring game and is the likeliest candidate of Ohio State’s freshman defensive tackles to push for playing time in 2025, though Maxwell Roy could emerge as a nose tackle depth option if he quickly acclimates to Ohio State as a summer enrollee.
Linebacker
1. Sonny Styles
2. Riley Pettijohn
3. TJ Alford
Linebacker
1. Arvell Reese
2. Payton Pierce
3. Garrett Stover
Styles will lead Ohio State’s linebacker corps as a returning starter at Will linebacker while Reese looks poised to be a breakout star alongside him as Ohio State’s new starting Mike linebacker. Pierce is also a real candidate to see significant playing time, particularly in three-linebacker packages, and will be the next man up at both linebacker spots after an excellent spring.
Pettijohn and Alford look primed to be the fourth and fifth linebackers in the pecking order as those two highly touted freshmen also saw some work with the first-team defense this spring. While Pettijohn likely projects as a Mike linebacker long-term, he played Will alongside Pierce to start the spring game with the second-team defense, an indicator that he’s well-positioned for a spot on the two-deep in year one.
Cornerback
1. Davison Igbinosun
2. Aaron Scott Jr.
3. Brenton “Inky” Jones
Cornerback
1. Jermaine Mathews Jr.
2. Devin Sanchez
3. Jordyn Woods
Mathews did everything he needed to do to lock down a starting job at cornerback this spring as he was one of Ohio State’s top performers throughout March and April. Igbinosun returns for his third year starting for the Buckeyes.
While there was a school of thought entering the spring that Sanchez could make a Jeremiah Smith-esque rise up the depth and prove too good to keep off the field as a freshman, he’ll enter camp needing to beat out Scott just to be the first cornerback off the bench. That said, Scott and Sanchez are both candidates to play significant snaps depending on how much Tim Walton wants to rotate at cornerback this season.
Nickel
1. Lorenzo Styles Jr.
2. Bryce West
3. Miles Lockhart
Styles looked ready to be Ohio State’s starting nickel cornerback this spring after backing up Jordan Hancock at that position last year. West and Lockhart were the other scholarship players who regularly took snaps at that spot this spring, with West looking poised to be the next man up behind Styles, though Mathews is also a candidate to move inside situationally – particularly if Sanchez and/or Scott makes a big push for playing time in August.
Free Safety
1. Caleb Downs
2. Faheem Delane
3. Leroy Roker III
Strong Safety
1. Malik Hartford
2. Jaylen McClain
3. Keenan Nelson Jr.
Hartford and McClain are both expected to have roles in the 2025 defense, as Ohio State could use more true three-safety packages this year with Hancock’s departure and Matt Patricia’s arrival as defensive coordinator, but Hartford seems to have the inside track to starting as he took most of the reps alongside Downs with the first-team defense this spring.
Delane showed the potential to contribute as a freshman this spring and probably has the inside track for the fourth place on the safety two-deep, though Roker is also a contender for that spot. Nelson was sidelined by injury this spring after a quiet first year at Ohio State, but he’ll likely round out the three-deep at safety given his starting experience at South Carolina.
Kicker
1. Jayden Fielding
2. Jackson Courville
Ohio State’s kicking competition suddenly became interesting with the signing of Courville earlier this month. He’s plenty good enough to push Fielding for the starting job, having made 26 of 34 field goals in two years at Ball State, but Fielding’s strong finish to last season in the College Football Playoff as well as a great spring keeps him in the pole position to be Ohio State’s top kicker for a third year.
Punter
1. Joe McGuire
2. Nick McLarty
McLarty’s massive leg and status as a scholarship player gives Ohio State good reason to give him another chance to beat out McGuire for the punting job this offseason. Consistency remains a major question mark for McLarty, however, whereas McGuire was steadily solid last season even though he doesn’t quite the power McLarty does.
Long Snapper
1. John Ferlmann
2. Grant Mills
Ferlmann is expected to retain his job as Ohio State’s top long snapper for a third straight year. Mills, who started one game last year as a true freshman at North Carolina, gives Ohio State a solid backup for this season and a potential successor to Ferlmann next season.
Kickoff Returner
1. Mylan Graham
2. Carnell Tate
3. Brandon Inniss
As is often the case at this time of year, Ohio State’s plans at kickoff returner for 2025 remain a mystery as there weren’t any opportunities for media to watch live kick returns this spring. With TreVeyon Henderson and Emeka Egbuka both gone, there’s no obvious answer for who will take over kick return duties. Graham seems like a logical choice, though, as he has the open-field running ability to be a dynamic returner and it would give him another opportunity to get on the field as Ohio State’s No. 4 receiver.
Tate was mentioned as a candidate to return kickoffs last season and Inniss had a brief stint as Ohio State’s kick returner in 2024, so both of them could also be candidates for kick return duties, especially if Ohio State chooses to prioritize experience and reliable hands in that role as it often has in recent years.
Punt Returner
1. Brandon Inniss
2. Caleb Downs
3. Mylan Graham
Downs was the Buckeyes’ most dynamic punt returner last year, returning a punt 79 yards against Indiana for OSU’s first punt return touchdown in 10 years, but Inniss typically led the punt returner line this spring, suggesting the Buckeyes might prefer Inniss to handle the majority of punt return duties. That said, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ohio State continues using both Inniss and Downs as punt returners in a rotation as they did for the second half of last year.
Graham, Carnell Tate, Bryson Rodgers and Jeremiah Smith were among the other Buckeyes regularly seen fielding punts this spring.
