Four Ohio State players have earned Iron Buckeye honors for their performance during this year’s winter workouts.
Wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss, safety Jaylen McClain and linebacker Garrett Stover were named Friday as Ohio State’s first Iron Buckeyes of 2026, recognizing them as players who exhibited “unquestionable training, dedication, determination, discipline, toughness and leadership” during Ohio State’s offseason strength and conditioning workouts leading into spring practice.
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 13, 2026
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Smith earns Iron Buckeye honors for the fourth consecutive time, dating back to Ohio State’s summer workouts during his freshman year in 2024. Ohio State’s best player continued to be one of its hardest workers, which was evident when the Buckeyes opened spring practice this week, as the superstar wideout opened spring looking even bigger and stronger than last year while showing plenty of explosiveness and quickness.
McClain becomes a two-time Iron Buckeye as he also earned the honor for his performance in summer workouts last year. The junior safety is entering his second year as a starter for the Buckeyes, and his selection as an Iron Buckeye solidifies his status as one of Ohio State’s top defensive leaders entering 2026.
Inniss earns Iron Buckeye honors for the first time, but his selection is also unsurprising. Already established as one of the Buckeyes’ top leaders as a team captain last season, Inniss now looks to turn a strong start to the offseason into more production on the field as the senior receiver enters his second year as a starter.
Stover is the most eye-opening selection among the four winter Iron Buckeyes. Entering his third year at Ohio State, Stover hasn’t yet played a big role for the Buckeyes, appearing mostly on special teams in his first two seasons. Even with Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese headed to the NFL, Stover still faces steep competition from the likes of Payton Pierce, Christian Alliegro, Riley Pettijohn, TJ Alford and Cincere Johnson to earn a bigger role on defense. But Stover is known to be one of Ohio State’s fastest players, and his selection as an Iron Buckeye suggests he shouldn’t be overlooked this offseason, as the vast majority of players who have earned Iron Buckeye honors in past years have gone on to play significant roles during the season.
