Ohio State dominated the NFL draft again in 2026.
Ohio State had the most selections of any school for the second year in a row as 11 total Buckeyes were drafted. After tying the school record with 14 total selections in the 2025 NFL draft, Ohio State tied the two-year record for any school with 25 picks across two years.
Just like in 2025, Ohio State had four first-round picks, three second-round picks and double-digit draft selections overall.
All of Ohio State’s four first-round picks, the most of any school, came in the first 11 picks of the draft – only the third time a school has ever had four of the top 11 selections in an NFL draft. Carnell Tate (No. 4 overall, Titans), Arvell Reese (No. 5, Giants), Sonny Styles (No. 7, Commanders) and Caleb Downs (No. 11, Cowboys) were the first quartet of players from the same school to be selected in the top 11 picks of the same NFL draft since Michigan State’s Bubba Smith, Clint Jones, George Webster and Gene Washington all went in the top eight picks of the 1967 NFL draft.
| Year | School | Picks |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Notre Dame | Frank Dancewicz (1), Johnny Lujack (4), George Connor (5), Emil Sitko (10) |
| 1967 | Michigan State | Bubba Smith (1), Clint Jones (2), George Webster (5), Gene Washington (8) |
| 2026 | Ohio State | Carnell Tate (4), Arvell Reese (5), Sonny Styles (7), Caleb Downs (11) |
Ohio State also led all schools with seven picks in the first two rounds, becoming the second school ever (along with Alabama) to have seven first- or second-round picks in back-to-back drafts. Ohio State also joined Alabama as the second school ever to have seven first- or second-round picks in three separate drafts; no other school has ever had more than one.
| SCHOOL | YEAR(S) |
|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 2026 (7), 2025 (7), 2016 (7) |
| GEORGIA | 2022 (7) |
| ALABAMA | 2021 (8), 2020 (7), 2017 (7) |
| LSU | 2020 (7) |
| USC | 2008 (7) |
| TENNESSEE | 2000 (7) |
The Buckeyes topped Alabama and Texas A&M, who each had 10 picks, for the most picks of any school in this year’s draft.
With 25 total picks over the last two years, Ohio State broke its school record for the most selections in a two-year span, previously set at 24 in 1975 and 1976. It’s the third time Ohio State has had double-digit selections in back-to-back drafts, as Ohio State had exactly 10 selections in the 2020 and 2021 NFL drafts.
| Year | Total |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2004 | 14 |
| 1975 | 13 |
| 1971 | 13 |
| 2016 | 12 |
| 2026 | 11 |
| 1976 | 11 |
| 1957 | 11 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2020 | 10 |
Notable Firsts
- Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles are the first-ever pair of linebackers from the same school to both be selected in the first 10 picks of the same NFL draft.
- Ohio State became the first school ever with three defensive players selected in the first 11 picks of an NFL draft (Reese, Styles and Caleb Downs).
- Max Klare and Will Kacmarek are the first pair of tight ends from Ohio State to be selected in the same NFL draft. Ohio State was the first school to have two tight ends selected in the same NFL draft since Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant were both first-round picks in 2019.
Numbers to Know
4
Ohio State’s drafts with 10 or more draft picks under Ryan Day.
5
Ohio State’s drafts with four or more first-round picks (1971, 2006, 2016, 2025, 2026). Alabama (six) is the only school with more.
6
Ohio State wide receivers selected in the first round of the last five NFL drafts (Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave in 2022, Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2023, Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024, Emeka Egbuka in 2025 and Carnell Tate in 2026). No other school has had more than three first-round wide receivers (USC) in that span.
14
The number of times Ohio State has had the most first-round picks of any school. No other school has had the most first-round picks more than 12 times (Alabama, Notre Dame and USC).
15
Defensive players drafted from Ohio State over the past two years, tying Alabama (2017-18) for the most ever from one school in a two-year span. All eight starters from Ohio State’s 2024 defense that entered the 2025 NFL draft were selected last year. Seven of the eight starters from Ohio State’s 2025 defense that entered the 2026 NFL draft were selected; defensive tackle Tywone Malone Jr. was the only one who went undrafted.
18
Ohio State’s total of first-round picks through seven NFL drafts following seasons in which Ryan Day was Ohio State’s head coach. By comparison, Urban Meyer and Jim Tressel each had 14 first-round picks in their Ohio State tenures (seven years for Meyer, 10 years for Tressel).
28
Ohio State’s total of first- and second-round picks – the standard Day says he wants all Ohio State recruits to aspire to – in Day’s first seven drafts as Ohio State’s head coach. Meyer had 24 first- and second-round picks in his seven drafts as Ohio State’s head coach; Jim Tressel had 19 for his entire 10-year tenure as Ohio State’s head coach.
Ryan Day wants Ohio State recruits to expect to be first- or second-round NFL draft picks.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 24, 2026
We expect to win every game. Does it always happen? No. Does everybody become a first or second rounder? No. But the mindset is that way, and that's been here for a long time. pic.twitter.com/gYrDjVIKcn
58
The number of consecutive drafts, dating back to Michigan State in 1967, in which no school had four of the draft’s top 11 picks until Ohio State accomplished the feat this year.
70
The all-time total of defensive backs drafted from Ohio State following the selections of Caleb Downs, Davison Igbinosun and Lorenzo Styles Jr. Ohio State has had more defensive backs drafted than any other school and more defensive backs drafted than any other position.
99
Ohio State’s all-time total of first-round picks, the most of any school, positioning Jeremiah Smith or Julian Sayin to become Ohio State’s 100th all-time first-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft.
