It’s an odd feeling walking the halls of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for Kenyatta Jackson Jr. as he prepares for his fifth and final season of college football.
Only two other members of his recruiting class remain at Ohio State: Carson Hinzman and Bennett Christian. Fifty-one new players came to Columbus either as transfers or freshmen in January.
“Made me feel old,” Jackson said on March 12. “But we’re the older guys on the team, just trying to take in new faces, new freshmen and just lead them, pull them aside with us.”
Jackson didn’t have to hang around for all the newness. He’d have likely been selected in the 2026 NFL draft had he declared, possibly on day two. But he’s back. Back to improve that draft stock, and back to lead all the new faces around him.
“I came back just to be a more complete football player, not just on the field, but off the field with IQ and things of that nature,” Jackson said. “I'm taking a leadership role. We have new guys in the room. I'm just taking them in and showing them the ropes of Ohio State football, the standard of what Ohio State football is.”
Injuries created a rocky start to the 2025 season for Jackson. A player rolled up on him during the Texas game in Week 1, and though he returned the following week, it gave him a leg injury that nagged him going forward in the season. Then, in Ohio State’s fifth game against Minnesota, he sustained a minor shoulder injury as well.
Jackson managed just six tackles with two tackles for loss and one sack in those five games, though he did record eight quarterback pressures at Washington, per Pro Football Focus. But he turned up the production as the season progressed. He recorded 3.5 sacks over his next three games, then turned up the heat again late in the season with a sack against Michigan and two against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game.
“Late in the season, I just trusted myself,” Jackson said. “In the beginning (of the season) with all the injuries, I was doubting myself. But became healthy, stayed healthy, and that confidence has kept growing. And coming into this new season, I'm just trying to take it day by day. Don't worry about the future. Just stay where my feet are, worry about the present.”
Ohio State lost that Big Ten Championship Game, of course, and in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff to Miami to end its season. Once he decided to return to Columbus, Jackson set to work doing his part to write a better closing chapter to the 2026 season.
“Number one, I've been focusing on my body,” Jackson said. “Probably gained like eight and a half pounds of lean mass. Dropped a couple percentage (points) of fat. I've been focusing on my body pretty much, just trying to get stronger, more explosive. And number two is just pass rush. I'm taking that next step in my development with my pass rush.”
Teammates from 2025 who are advancing to the NFL this season are expecting big things from Jackson in 2026.
“Kenyatta's that type of guy that really just owns the offensive line, and he just plays it in a way that is such a high level,” defensive end Caden Curry said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Feb. 25. “He could definitely be an NFL prospect. He could be standing right next to me here today. He's just one of those guys that has such a great mentality and such a great motor. Honestly, he's just going to be such a great player next year.”
One change for Jackson in 2026: His number. He’s reverting to his high school jersey number, No. 2, after donning No. 97 his first four years at Ohio State. Now that Caleb Downs has vacated it, anyway. Like Downs, Jackson is likely to be a captain in his final year with the Buckeyes.
Jackson isn’t naturally a vocal leader; he has said multiple times that he’s typically a quiet person. He was a veteran in 2025, though, so he’s gotten used to it – but this year is another step up from that.
“It's still hard,” Jackson said. “You've got 51 new players coming from different universities. With my room, I've got like two, three transfers in there, and the rest (of the new guys) are freshmen. It's pretty hard, but I'm pretty comfortable. I've been here for a very long time. I know what the standard is.”
Ohio State had one of the nation's best defensive lines in 2025, anchored by Jackson, Curry and unanimous first-team All-American defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. A slight step back is expected, even after the additions of transfer defensive linemen James Smith (Alabama), John Walker (UCF) and Qua Russaw (Alabama).
Then again, everyone expected a step back from the unit after replacing all four starters from 2024's No. 1 defense, too.
“From a defensive line standpoint, I want the world to see that we're the hardest, toughest defensive line in the country,” Jackson said. “That's what I want people to say about the D-line. And I want the team to look well-polished, even though it's still early in the spring. But they're well-polished, they know what they're doing, high-IQ guys, and they're ready for football, they're ready for the season to come.”
