Updated 2025 Ohio State Depth Chart Projection Following Buckeyes’ Open Practices

For the first time since April, Ohio State reporters and fans had the chance to see the Buckeyes in on-field action as OSU opened its first three practices of preseason camp to paying members of the public. As the Buckeyes’ offense and defense went head-to-head for three days, we got a glimpse into which players are tracking toward starting jobs and who else is pushing for playing time at each position.

With that in mind, I’ve updated my three-deep depth chart projection for the 2025 season, taking into account everything we saw from Thursday to Saturday as well as what we’ve seen and heard all offseason and who’s already played big roles at Ohio State or elsewhere.

A few notes before we begin:

• 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

Kienholz has made Ohio State’s quarterback competition a real battle, and if past years are an indication, Ryan Day will likely wait another week or two before naming a starter. Through the first three days of camp, Kienholz and Sayin have taken equal reps with Ohio State’s top units, with Kienholz taking the first reps with the first-team offense when the Buckeyes went to full-team 11-on-11 on Saturday.

That said, Sayin has been viewed as the frontrunner to start all offseason and his performance in Saturday’s practice – the most competitive of the three open practices – strengthened his case for being Ohio State’s best quarterback. Kienholz has also looked the part of a capable starter if the Buckeyes need him to play this season – and his running ability makes the possibility of a situational package for Kienholz an intriguing option – but Sayin, the top-ranked quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, looks like the team’s top passer.

St. Clair is firmly entrenched as Ohio State’s No. 3 quarterback for 2025. He didn’t take any reps with the first- and second-team offenses during the first three days of camp, but took all the third-team snaps in team drills ahead of transfer addition Eli Brickhandler, who will be the Buckeyes’ No. 4 quarterback.

Running Back

1. James Peoples
2. CJ Donaldson
3. Bo Jackson

Peoples and Donaldson aren’t household names like TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins yet, but they look capable of splitting lead running back duties like Henderson and Judkins did for Ohio State last year. I’d expect Peoples to be in the game when Ohio State’s offense takes the field for its first snaps against his home-state Longhorns, but this will be a timeshare situation with Donaldson and Peoples playing a similar number of snaps throughout the year unless one of them clearly separates himself as the Buckeyes’ top RB.

The biggest question with the running back depth chart is whether a third or even a fourth RB will also see playing time regularly. Jackson, fellow freshman Anthony “Turbo” Rogers and redshirt freshman Samuel Dixon all performed well during the open practices to make their case that they belong in the rotation. A strong spring and bigger build likely give Jackson the leg up to be Ohio State’s No. 3 RB, but Rogers is also a player to watch after showing explosiveness and quickness that lived up to his nickname in his first few practices as a Buckeye.

Wide Receiver (X)

1. Jeremiah Smith
2. Quincy Porter
3. Bodpegn Miller

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

There’s no debate on who Ohio State’s starting wide receivers will be. Smith is the best player in college football, Tate looks poised to be one of the nation’s top wideouts and Inniss has looked ready to be a breakout star in the slot all offseason.

Graham has also shown breakout star potential, which should prompt Brian Hartline to find a role for him as a redshirt freshman. He’ll likely be the first receiver off the bench, though Rodgers is also in that conversation and could rotate with Inniss in the slot. 

Porter, who’s still the only freshman at any position to lose his black stripe so far this year, is positioned to round out the two-deep. Fellow freshmen Bell, Jones and Miller all made some plays during the first few days of camp, but it’s hard to see a path to regular playing time for any of them this year. 

Fourth-year receiver David Adolph, who’s been a regular on special teams for the last two years, is also a candidate for a spot on the three-deep.

Tight End

1. Max Klare
2. Will Kacmarek
3. Bennett Christian
4. Jelani Thurman

While I typically only include three players per position on my depth chart projection, I felt like I had to find a way to include both Christian and Thurman. Christian gets the nod to be Ohio State’s No. 3 tight end this season, as his blocking ability will likely lead to regular playing time in multi-TE sets as it did last year, but Thurman turned heads with his playmaking during the first few days of camp and is too talented not to see at least a little playing time as a junior.

Klare and Kacmarek will play the majority of snaps as Klare is one of the nation’s best pass-catching TEs while Keenan Bailey expects Kacmarek to be college football’s best blocking TE, giving Ohio State incentive to find ways to get both of them on the field together even with how loaded it is at wide receiver.

Freshman tight end Nate Roberts already looks like a player who could make an impact for most college football teams, too, but he’ll likely have to settle for being Ohio State’s No. 5 tight end this year thanks to the Buckeyes’ unmatched depth at the position.

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. Isaiah Kema

Right Guard

1. Tegra Tshabola
2. Gabe VanSickle
3. Jayvon McFadden

Right Tackle

1. Austin Siereveld
2. Phillip Daniels
3. Deontae Armstrong

Ohio State’s starting offensive line looks to be pretty well set even with four weeks of preseason camp to go. Onianwa, Montgomery, Hinzman, Tshabola and Siereveld took all of the first-team reps on the offensive line during Saturday’s practice, the only open practice that included full-team 11-on-11 work. Montgomery, Hinzman and Tshabola were the starting interior offensive line for last season’s national championship run, Onianwa was brought in to be the starting left tackle and it would be a shock if Siereveld doesn’t start after earning Iron Buckeye honors for both winter and summer workouts.

Moore, Cook, Padilla, VanSickle and Daniels also appear to be fairly established as the second-team offensive line as of now, as they took all the second-team reps on Saturday after manning those same positions with the second unit in the spring game.

Six scholarship offensive linemen are competing for the final five spots on the three-deep, with West Virginia transfer Justin Terry also a candidate for a third-team spot at either tackle or guard. Kema, a late addition to the 2025 class after initially signing with Oklahoma State, handled third-team center duties on Saturday, though Montgomery would likely slide over to center if OSU needed someone other than Hinzman or Padilla to man the middle.

Daniels and Moore could each potentially play either tackle spot on who emerges as the No. 3 tackle behind Onianwa and Siereveld. VanSickle is likely to be the next man up at guard, though it’s also possible Ohio State could move Padilla or even Siereveld or Hinzman to guard – to get its best five on the field – if it needs anyone other than Montgomery or Tshabola to play there.

Defensive End

1. Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
2. C.J. Hicks
3. Logan George

Defensive End

1. Beau Atkinson
2. Caden Curry
3. Zion Grady

I expect Ohio State to rotate much more at defensive end this year than it did last year, when Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau played more than twice as many snaps as any other DE. Jackson, Atkinson, Curry and Hicks all look ready to make an impact for the Buckeyes off the edge this season, and George – who’s been only a limited participant in the first few days of camp, presumably due to a minor injury – is expected to see playing time as well.

Jackson seems like a sure bet to start with all the praise he’s garnered, including Iron Buckeye honors for summer workouts, from his coaches and teammates this offseason. Atkinson gets the nod to play the second-most snaps at DE based on his production at North Carolina and strong start to camp, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Curry start either. Hicks probably won’t start but is also making a case for substantial playing time, especially if Ohio State uses standup rushers more regularly under new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

Grady and fellow freshman Epi Sitanilei have also looked like players who could contribute early in their careers, but they’ll likely have to wait their turn until next year to play bigger roles with all the veterans atop the depth chart in front of them. 

Defensive Tackle (3-Tech)

1. Eddrick Houston
2. Tywone Malone Jr.
3. Jason Moore

Defensive Tackle (Nose)

1. Kayden McDonald
2. Will Smith Jr.
3. Eric Mensah

Assuming he’s able to make a quick return from the seemingly minor knee injury he suffered on the first day of camp, Houston will start alongside McDonald at defensive tackle. As the only returning DTs who played regularly last season, they’re the clear-cut starters if healthy.

Smith appears set to be the No. 2 nose tackle with Malone and Moore competing to be the top backup at 3-technique. Malone was the more consistent performer between them in the first week of camp, so he gets the nod to round out the two-deep for now.

Jarquez Carter is the top candidate among Ohio State’s freshmen to contend for a spot on the three-deep, but he hasn’t had a chance to move up the depth chart yet in camp as he’s been a limited participant due to injury. Like Malone and Moore, Carter is better suited to play 3-tech than nose guard, opening the door for Mensah to round out the three-deep.

Linebacker (Will)

1. Sonny Styles
2. Riley Pettijohn
3. TJ Alford

Linebacker (Mike)

1. Arvell Reese
2. Payton Pierce
3. Garrett Stover

Reese remains in line to replace Cody Simon as Ohio State’s starting Mike linebacker, but Pierce also took a lot of first-team reps during the open practices. Pierce will be the next man up at both linebacker positions and seems primed for considerable playing time in rotation with the starters and in three-linebacker formations.

Pettijohn, who’s also repped at both linebacker spots, seems likely to be the fourth LB on the two-deep, though he faces competition from fellow freshman Alford. Stover’s year of experience gives him a head start on Eli Lee for the last spot on the linebacker three-deep, though Lee could push for that spot after flashing on several occasions during the first few practices.

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

Free Safety

1. Caleb Downs
2. Malik Hartford
3. Leroy Roker III

Strong Safety

1. Jaylen McClain
2. Faheem Delane
3. Keenan Nelson Jr.

Downs, Igbinosun and Mathews are the three locks to start in the secondary. Both Downs and Mathews – particularly Downs – have taken some reps at nickel early in camp as the Buckeyes have tinkered with a variety of lineups at DB, but it’s likely Mathews will primarily play outside and Downs will still play a majority of his snaps at free safety.

Where Downs plays most should be determined primarily by where the Buckeyes think he can make the biggest impact, but it could also depend partially on who they view as the best two starters between Styles, McClain and Hartford. McClain seems to be trending toward the starting strong safety job, with Hartford likely to play free safety when Downs lines up at nickel. Styles still seems like the top candidate to start at nickel when Downs is at safety, though the Buckeyes’ continued experimentation at that spot suggests that’s not set in stone.

Scott, Sanchez and West are also candidates to see playing time at cornerback. Scott seems like the leading candidate among them right now to rotate with Igbinosun and Mathews outside, though Sanchez has flashed the five-star talent that should get him on the field sooner than later. West and Styles would be the next men up behind them at outside cornerback even though they’re likely to play mostly at nickel.

Delane’s regular work with the top two units during the first three days of camp suggests he’s in line to round out the two-deep at safety, though whoever doesn’t start between McClain and Hartford will be the first safety off the bench. Roker, who’s also mixed in with the top units, is the only other safety who looks like a candidate for meaningful playing time on defense this year.

Kicker

1. Jayden Fielding
2. Jackson Courville

Courville’s transfer from Ball State gives Ohio State a legitimate second option at kicker, forcing Fielding to perform to keep his job after an up-and-down 2024. But given the way last season ended, with Fielding going 4-for-4 on his field goal attempts in Ohio State’s CFP wins over Oregon and Notre Dame, Fielding is expected to be the Buckeyes’ starting kicker for a third year in a row.

Punter

1. Joe McGuire
2. Nick McLarty

McGuire and McLarty are competing for the second year in a row as Ohio State is giving the big-legged McLarty another shot to win the starting punting job. The incumbent McGuire gets the nod for now, as McLarty still had some noticeable mishits during the first week of practices, but McLarty could still steal the job away if he shows consistency over the next few weeks.

Long Snapper

1. John Ferlmann
2. Grant Mills
3. Collin Johnson

Mills and Johnson, both walk-ons, aren’t expected to challenge Ferlmann for the starting job. Ferlmann enters his third year as Ohio State’s top long snapper.

Kick Returner

1. Mylan Graham
2. Carnell Tate
3. Anthony “Turbo” Rogers

Ohio State didn’t practice any kickoffs during its three open practices, so there’s no clear indication of who will return kicks this year. 

Graham has the skill set to be a dynamic returner and seems like a logical choice as it would give him a bigger role beyond just being the No. 4 receiver. Tate has been mentioned as a kickoff return candidate in the past and could be the choice if Ohio State prioritizes ball security above all else. Using a true freshman on kickoff returns would carry more risk, but Rogers may have the best skill set for kick returns of anyone on the roster and it would allow him to contribute right away.

Punt Returner

1. Brandon Inniss
2. Caleb Downs
3. Bryson Rodgers

Inniss and Downs split punt return duties last season and each of them finished the year with more yards than any Ohio State punt returner in six years, so the Buckeyes have good reason to run it back with one or both of them. Should Ohio State choose to have them focus on their offensive and defensive responsibilities, Rodgers and Mylan Graham are among the other players who took punt return reps regularly during the first week of camp.