The talent of Ohio State’s freshman class was on full display during the Buckeyes’ second game of the season against Grambling State.
A 35-0 halftime lead allowed Ohio State’s newcomers to see plenty of playing time in the second half, and several of them took advantage with standout performances in their first extended playing time as Buckeyes, helping lead the way for another 35-0 half in the third and fourth quarters of Ohio State’s 70-0 win.
No freshman had a better day than linebacker Riley Pettijohn, who scooped and scored a 23-yard touchdown on a fumble forced by Kayden McDonald on the first play from scrimmage of the second half. He ended Grambling’s next possession with a third-down pass breakup, then ended the Tigers’ following possession with a forced fumble that fellow freshman Epi Sitanilei recovered.
Might as well add a defensive TD
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 6, 2025
No. 1 @OhioStateFB makes it a 42-0 game.
: BTN pic.twitter.com/UzJYN008R4
Asked after the game which players that didn’t play much against Texas stood out to him against Grambling State, Pettijohn was the first player Ryan Day mentioned.
“Riley Pettijohn seemed to pop, for sure,” Day said. “We've seen Riley in practice do some really good things, but you want to put him in a game to see how he responds, and when you see him make plays like that in his first time on the field, it's a great sign for a young player.”
Pettijohn wasn’t the only freshman to draw praise from Day. Both of Ohio State’s freshman running backs who played against Grambling State, Bo Jackson and Isaiah West (Anthony “Turbo” Rogers was unavailable due to injury), were also named by Day as players who impressed him after both of them scored their first touchdowns as Buckeyes on Saturday.
“I thought Bo and Isaiah both ran hard, and it was good to see them break some tackles and get some positive runs out there,” Day said.
Jackson stood out in particular as he led Ohio State with 108 yards on just nine carries, including an 11-yard touchdown run on his first-ever carry as a Buckeye and a 51-yard run later in the game. The Cleveland native’s immediate success in his Ohio State debut came as no surprise to OSU wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who’s been expecting big things from Jackson all offseason.
“That’s the guy right there. I’ve been saying it since spring. Bo Jackson is next up, for sure,” Smith said. “He’s a tough, tough running back, fast, I mean, he can do it all. Me and him was working out together in the offseason, and I was like, yeah, this guy is going to be the next great running back to come through, for sure.”
The first career TD for Bo Jackson @ohiostatefb pic.twitter.com/wT3tMMFi5f
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West ran for 42 yards on eight carries, highlighted by a 12-yard touchdown run on the second rushing attempt of his Ohio State career.
Isaiah West with his first career rushing touchdown .
— The Scarlet and Gray Podcast (@TheSG_Podcast) September 7, 2025
(@IsaiahWest_12) pic.twitter.com/YKcoU99HeT
Another freshman who flashed was defensive end Zion Grady, who forced a three-and-out on Grambling State’s final possession of the third quarter by taking down Ashton Frye for a sack 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage on third down.
The first of many sacks for Zion Grady.
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Fellow defensive end Caden Curry said he wasn’t surprised by Grady’s successful debut based on how the Alabama native has performed in practice.
“Zion's a great player,” Curry said. “I mean, he goes against the best every single day. He's definitely been coachable, and he's definitely been somebody that looks up to me and (Kenyatta Jackson Jr.) as leaders. And he definitely just puts the work in, and you definitely see it out there. I mean, he definitely earned it.”
Other freshmen who had notable moments included safety Faheem Delane, who had two tackles, including a thumping tackle of Frye for no gain on a rushing attempt, and linebacker TJ Alford, who had two tackles, including a 2-yard tackle for loss against GSU running back Tre Bradford.
In total, 20 freshmen saw action against Grambling State, also including quarterback Tavien St. Clair; wide receivers Quincy Porter and Phillip Bell; tight ends Nate Roberts and Brody Lennon; offensive linemen Jake Cook, Carter Lowe, Jayvon McFadden and Isaiah Kema; defensive tackles Jarquez Carter and Trajen Odom; linebacker Eli Lee; and cornerback Devin Sanchez.
Will first impressions lead to bigger roles?
The question now is which of those freshmen made enough of an impression to earn more playing time against better opponents.
Jackson stands out as perhaps the top candidate to parlay his strong showing vs. Grambling State into a more consistent role going forward. James Peoples (eight carries for 59 yards) and CJ Donaldson (five carries for 45 yards and a touchdown) were more dynamic in Week 2 than they were against Texas. Still, Jackson showed a different level of explosiveness than either of them, giving Ohio State reason to consider expanding their regular rotation to three running backs.
Pettijohn also made a strong case that he’s a player who needs to be on the field more with how he performed against Grambling State, though consistent reps at linebacker could be harder to come by behind Ohio State’s standout starting tandem of Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese.
Ohio State has a strong two-deep of defensive ends ahead of Grady in Curry, Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Beau Atkinson and C.J. Hicks, but the pass-rush ability he showed against Grambling State could give Larry Johnson reason to find spots to get him on the field.
Delane is already on the two-deep as Ohio State’s No. 2 strong safety, and while that might not lead to a ton of playing time behind Jaylen McClain, his performance against Grambling is reason for confidence in his ability to step in and play more if needed.
Regardless of how much each of them play for the rest of the 2025 season, what the second game of the year made clear is that the Buckeyes’ freshman class includes plenty of players with the potential to be future stars at Ohio State – especially considering the freshmen who stood out most against Grambling State didn’t even include the three five-star prospects in Ohio State’s 2025 class (St. Clair, Sanchez and Porter) or the three freshmen who saw action on offense or defense against Texas (Sanchez, Roberts and Carter).
