The initial snap counts for the 2025 season are in.
Unsurprisingly, Ohio State leaned heavily if not exclusively on its starters at most positions as it hosted the preseason No. 1 team in its season opener. Only 17 Buckeyes saw playing time on offense and 18 Buckeyes saw action on defense as Ohio State earned a 14-7 win over Texas at Ohio Stadium.
Ohio State utilized its depth at tight end, playing five different players at that position, and nine different defensive linemen saw action. The Buckeyes rotated CJ Donaldson and James Peoples at running back, inserted Ethan Onianwa into the game for one drive at right guard, used Payton Pierce as a third linebacker and used Devin Sanchez as a sixth defensive back.
Beyond them, however, Ohio State relied on its starting 22 as Julian Sayin played every snap at quarterback, only three wide receivers saw action, and each of Ohio State’s five starting defensive backs played at least 65 of the Buckeyes’ 67 defensive plays.
Ohio State’s full snap counts for Week 1, as compiled by Pro Football Focus, can be found below.
(Note: PFF had not posted special teams snap counts as of Sunday afternoon. Players listed as “Special teams only” are players that we can confirm played on special teams but did not play on offense or defense, but is not intended to serve as a complete list of Buckeyes who played on special teams, which also included kicker Jayden Fielding, punter Joe McGuire and long snapper John Ferlmann.)
Quarterbacks
Julian Sayin: 59
After playing just 27 snaps as a freshman in 2024, Sayin played all 59 offensive snaps in his first game as Ohio State’s starting quarterback.
He only threw the ball on 20 of those snaps due to a conservative offensive game plan, but he did what the Buckeyes needed him to do to win the game, completing 13 of his 20 attempts for 126 yards and a touchdown and no interceptions. Three of his seven incompletions were drops.
Running Backs
CJ Donaldson: 42
James Peoples: 20
While Peoples was viewed as the frontrunner to start at running back this offseason, Donaldson ended up starting and playing more than twice as many snaps as Peoples against Texas. The West Virginia transfer was Ohio State’s more effective RB vs. the Longhorns, rushing for 67 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts, while Peoples had just 20 yards on 10 carries.
Wide Receivers
Jeremiah Smith: 57
Carnell Tate: 46
Brandon Inniss: 23
David Adolph: Special teams only
Although Mylan Graham got plenty of hype this offseason, Ohio State relied entirely on its top three wide receivers in the season opener. Because the Buckeyes used multiple tight ends frequently against Texas, Inniss didn’t start the game and played less than half the offensive snaps as Ohio State’s No. 3 receiver.
Smith, who played all but two offensive snaps, led Ohio State with six catches but had a quiet game by his standards, gaining only 47 yards and dropping two passes. Tate, who started and played most of the snaps opposite Smith, caught two passes for 49 yards, highlighted by a 40-yard touchdown catch on a deep ball.
CARNELL TATE 40 YARD TD
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025
The @OhioStateFB Buckeyes make it a two-score game pic.twitter.com/QwOtTZExl6
Tight Ends
Will Kacmarek: 48
Bennett Christian: 28
Max Klare: 23
Jelani Thurman: 7
Nate Roberts: 1
Ohio State tight ends coach Keenan Bailey said in the preseason that the Buckeyes had “a handful” of tight ends that they felt were ready to play, adding that Ohio State could have as many as four tight ends on the field at the same time if the situation warranted. Ohio State’s tight end usage against Texas showed those comments weren’t just coachspeak.
Ohio State used its depth at tight end more than any other position against Texas, playing five different TEs in the season opener. That included a 4th-and-goal play on which Kacmarek, Christian and Thurman were all in the game as tight ends and Roberts entered the game as a fullback, leading the way for Donaldson to run for a touchdown.
THE BUCKEYES STRIKE FIRST AND SCORE THEIR FIRST TD OF THE SEASON @ohiostatefb pic.twitter.com/Mlb8CiRyt7
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025
Surprisingly, Ohio State’s most-hyped offseason transfer addition played only the third-most snaps among tight ends against Texas. Klare started the game along with Kacmarek in a two-tight end set, but the Purdue transfer ended up playing only 23 snaps – in large part due to Ohio State’s run-heavy game plan, as the Buckeyes frequently paired Kacmarek and Christian, their two best run blockers, as the two tight ends in 12 personnel, with Thurman joining them in some three-tight end sets.
| Pos | Player | TEXAS |
|---|---|---|
| QB | JULIAN SAYIN | 59 |
| RB | C.J. DONALDSON | 42 |
| RB | JAMES PEOPLES | 20 |
| WR | JEREMIAH SMITH | 57 |
| WR | CARNELL TATE | 46 |
| WR | BRANDON INNISS | 23 |
| TE | WILL KACMAREK | 48 |
| TE | BENNETT CHRISTIAN | 28 |
| TE | MAX KLARE | 23 |
| TE | JELANI THURMAN | 7 |
| TE | NATE ROBERTS | 1 |
| OL | PHILLIP DANIELS | 59 |
| OL | CARSON HINZMAN | 59 |
| OL | LUKE MONTGOMERY | 59 |
| OL | AUSTIN SIEREVELD | 59 |
| OL | TEGRA TSHABOLA | 44 |
| OL | ETHAN ONIANWA | 15 |
Offensive Linemen
Austin Siereveld: 59
Luke Montgomery: 59
Carson Hinzman: 59
Phillip Daniels: 59
Tegra Tshabola: 44
Ethan Onianwa: 15
Joshua Padilla: Special teams only
Gabe VanSickle: Special teams only
As was expected, the starting offensive line for the season opener consisted of Siereveld at left tackle, Montgomery at left guard, Hinzman at center, Tshabola at right guard and Daniels at right tackle.
Onianwa was the only offensive lineman who rotated in off the bench; somewhat surprisingly, he rotated in at right guard rather than right tackle. The Rice transfer played just one drive, but it was the Buckeyes’ longest drive of the game, as they drove 80 yards in 15 plays (two of which didn’t officially count as plays due to Texas penalties, but still count toward these snap counts) to score a touchdown on their third possession of the game.
Defensive Ends
Caden Curry: 59
Beau Atkinson: 35
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.: 34
C.J. Hicks: 19
Jackson and Curry were Ohio State’s starting defensive ends, but Atkinson – the first DE off the bench – ended up playing the second-most snaps at the position after Jackson left the game with an injury in the third quarter. Ryan Day said after the game that he didn’t expect Jackson’s injury to be “long-term,” though he didn’t specify what injury Jackson suffered.
Curry played a career-high 59 snaps against the Longhorns as he was on the field for all but eight of Ohio State’s defensive plays, and he took advantage with a career-high six tackles. As the Buckeyes frequently had three defensive ends on the field on passing downs, both Atkinson and Jackson also played more than half of Ohio State’s defensive snaps, with either Atkinson or Curry manning the nose tackle position when the Buckeyes moved into their 3-2-6 defense in obvious passing situations.
Hicks saw most of his playing time in pass-rushing situations in the second half after Jackson went down. He capitalized on the opportunity, making one of the game’s biggest plays when he hit Manning to force the Texas quarterback into a short throw on 4th-and-5 on the Longhorns’ final possession, allowing Caleb Downs to make a game-sealing tackle short of the sticks.
THE BUCKEYE DEFENSE SHUTS DOWN TEXAS ON 4TH DOWN... AGAIN @ohioStatefb pic.twitter.com/W9ziVhZYc5
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025
Defensive Tackles
Eddrick Houston: 39
Kayden McDonald: 38
Will Smith Jr.: 16
Tywone Malone Jr.: 14
Jarquez Carter: 3
As expected, Houston and McDonald played most of the snaps at defensive tackle when Ohio State had its base four-man front on the field. Both of them played career-high snap counts with McDonald recording eight tackles and Houston tallying three.
Smith was the first nose tackle off the bench while Malone was the first 3-technique DT off the bench. Carter, one of just three freshmen to play on offense or defense against Texas along with tight end Nate Roberts and cornerback Devin Sanchez, also mixed in for three snaps in the fourth quarter – all of which came in a Rushmen package which featured Beau Atkinson also playing DT in between Caden Curry and C.J. Hicks.
Linebackers
Arvell Reese: 64
Sonny Styles: 57
Payton Pierce: 15
Riley Pettijohn: Special teams only
Garrett Stover: Special teams only
Joey Velazquez: Special teams only
Reese started the game alongside Styles as Ohio State’s new No. 1 Mike linebacker and was the Buckeyes’ biggest star of the game, recording nine total tackles, including a fourth-down stop and a pair of third-down stops, one of which was the Buckeyes’ only sack of the game. He played all but three defensive snaps.
Styles played all but 10 defensive snaps, leaving the game briefly after a diving interception attempt in the fourth quarter but returning later in the drive. Pierce rotated in at each linebacker spot whenever Styles or Reese wasn’t on the field, and also joined them on the field for a couple of plays as a third linebacker.
Cornerbacks
Davison Igbinosun: 67
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 67
Devin Sanchez: 11
Miles Lockhart: Special teams only
Bryce West: Special teams only
Igbinosun and Mathews each played every snap of the game as Ohio State’s two primary cornerbacks. Igbinosun recorded a career-high 10 tackles and a fourth-down pass breakup while Mathews had three tackles and two passes defensed, including the game’s only interception on a deep throw by Arch Manning.
ARCH MANNING IS PICKED OFF
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025
The @ohiostatefb defense comes up with another massive play pic.twitter.com/5yaBXYZrQm
Sanchez entered the game in dime packages as a sixth defensive back and played 11 snaps, all in those situations, in his first game as a Buckeye.
| Pos | Player | TEXAS |
|---|---|---|
| DE | CADEN CURRY | 59 |
| DE | BEAU ATKINSON | 35 |
| DE | KENYATTA JACKSON | 34 |
| DE | C.J. HICKS | 19 |
| DT | EDDRICK HOUSTON | 39 |
| DT | KAYDEN McDONALD | 38 |
| DT | WILL SMITH JR. | 16 |
| DT | TYWONE MALONE | 14 |
| DT | JARQUEZ CARTER | 3 |
| LB | ARVELL REESE | 64 |
| LB | SONNY STYLES | 57 |
| LB | PAYTON PIERCE | 15 |
| CB | DAVISON IGBINOSUN | 67 |
| CB | JERMAINE MATHEWS JR. | 67 |
| CB | DEVIN SANCHEZ | 11 |
| S | CALEB DOWNS | 67 |
| S | JAYLEN McCLAIN | 67 |
| S | LORENZO STYLES JR. | 65 |
Safeties
Caleb Downs: 67
Jaylen McClain: 67
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 65
Faheem Delane: Special teams only
Malik Hartford: Special teams only
Leroy Roker III: Special teams only
Ryan Rudzinski: Special teams only
While coaches had said this preseason that they expected both McClain and Hartford to have roles in this year’s defense, Hartford played only on special teams against Texas as McClain was on the field for all 67 of Ohio State’s defensive snaps alongside Downs.
Styles was on the field for every play except the two plays that the Buckeyes brought Pierce into the game as a third linebacker. While he’s listed as a cornerback on Ohio State’s roster, he’s listed here as a safety since that’s the position he primarily played – similar to how Jordan Hancock was utilized as Ohio State’s nickelback last season – against Texas.
McClain recorded eight tackles while Styles recorded seven tackles in their first game as starters, with Downs recording five including the final tackle that sealed the Buckeyes’ victory.
