No school has ever had more players drafted across two years than Ohio State did in the 2025 and 2026 NFL drafts.
After tying the school record with 14 total draft picks in 2025, Ohio State had another 11 players selected in the 2026 NFL draft, bringing their two-year total of draft selections to 25.
Ohio State ties Georgia, which had 25 total selections between the 2022 and 2023 NFL drafts, for the most total draft picks from one school in a two-year span.
Ohio State had more players selected than any other school in both drafts.
Ohio State’s previous record for the most total draft picks across two years was 24, set in 1975 and 1976, as the Buckeyes had 13 players drafted in 1975 and 11 players drafted in 1976.
The Buckeyes also broke their program record for the most defensive players drafted in a two-year span with 15. All eight starters from the 2024 Ohio State defense who entered the 2025 draft were selected (all within the first five rounds). Seven of the eight starters from the 2025 Ohio State defense who entered the 2026 draft were selected; defensive tackle Tywone Malone Jr. was the only one who went undrafted.
| Round | Pick | Players | Pos | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | EMEKA EGBUKA | WR | TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS |
| 1 | 24 | DONOVAN JACKSON | G | MINNESOTA VIKINGS |
| 1 | 28 | TYLEIK WILLIAMS | DT | DETROIT LIONS |
| 1 | 32 | JOSH SIMMONS | OT | KANSAS CITY CHIEFS |
| 2 | 36 | QUINSHON JUDKINS | RB | CLEVELAND BROWNS |
| 2 | 38 | TREVEYON HENDERSON | RB | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS |
| 2 | 45 | JT TUIMOLOAU | DE | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS |
| 4 | 115 | CODY SIMON | LB | ARIZONA CARDINALS |
| 4 | 122 | LATHAN RANSOM | S | CAROLINA PANTHERS |
| 4 | 123 | JACK SAWYER | DE | PITTSBURGH STEELERS |
| 5 | 148 | TY HAMILTON | DT | LOS ANGELES RAMS |
| 5 | 170 | JORDAN HANCOCK | CB | BUFFALO BILLS |
| 5 | 174 | DENZEL BURKE | CB | ARIZONA CARDINALS |
| 6 | 185 | WILL HOWARD | QB | PITTSBURGH STEELERS |
| Round | Pick | Pos | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | WR | CARNELL TATE | TENNESSEE TITANS |
| 1 | 5 | LB | ARVELL REESE | NEW YORK GIANTS |
| 1 | 7 | LB | SONNY STYLES | WASHINGTON COMMANDERS |
| 1 | 11 | S | CALEB DOWNS | DALLAS COWBOYS |
| 2 | 36 | DT | KAYDEN MCDONALD | HOUSTON TEXANS |
| 2 | 61 | TE | MAX KLARE | LOS ANGELES RAMS |
| 2 | 62 | CB | DAVISON IGBINOSUN | BUFFALO BILLS |
| 3 | 87 | TE | WILL KACMAREK | MIAMI DOLPHINS |
| 5 | 172 | DB | LORENZO STYLES JR. | NEW ORLEANS SAINTS |
| 6 | 214 | DE | CADEN CURRY | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS |
| 7 | 231 | OT | ETHAN ONIANWA | ATLANTA FALCONS |
Ohio State had four first-round picks in each of the last two drafts, including four of the top 11 picks in this year’s draft, which made Ohio State the first school since Michigan State in 1967 to have four of a draft’s top 11 picks.
The Buckeyes also had three second-round picks in both drafts, joining Alabama as the second school ever to have seven first- or second-round picks in back-to-back drafts.
It’s the third time Ohio State has had double-digit selections in back-to-back drafts. The Buckeyes had exactly 10 players selected in each of the 2020 and 2021 NFL drafts.
Twenty-three of the 25 Ohio State players selected in the last two drafts were members of the Buckeyes’ 2024 national championship team. The only two who didn’t win a national championship ring were 2025 second-round pick Max Klare and seventh-round pick Ethan Onianwa, as both of them transferred to Ohio State after the 2024 season.
Ohio State will look to continue its run of prolific drafts in 2027 with a class that will be led by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith – another starter from the national championship team – and quarterback Julian Sayin.
