by Ohio State enters the 2026 season with national championship aspirations once again, but this year’s team will not be identical to the one Buckeye fans watched in 2025.
While some of the program’s biggest stars return, the roster has undergone several notable changes during the offseason. Some of those changes could help Ohio State take another step forward, while others will present new challenges for Ryan Day and his coaching staff.
With that in mind, here are three key ways Ohio State’s 2026 team will differ from the 2025 Buckeyes.
Julian Sayin Returns With a Full Season Under His Belt
Entering the 2025 season, quarterback Julian Sayin had never started a collegiate game. While there were expected growing pains early in the season, the redshirt freshman quickly settled into the starting role and proved capable of leading one of the nation’s most talented offenses. As the year progressed, Sayin’s confidence continued to grow, earning increased trust from head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeye coaching staff.
By year’s end, Sayin had put together one of the best seasons by a quarterback in the country, throwing for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns while earning a spot as a Heisman Trophy finalist. With a full season as Ohio State’s starter now under his belt, Sayin enters 2026 as one of the nation’s premier quarterbacks and a legitimate contender to return to the Heisman conversation.
Ohio State also returns seven offensive starters, providing Sayin with an experienced supporting cast and strong chemistry with many of the players around him. While Ohio State will have a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith, the former NFL head coach has a track record of building quarterback-friendly offenses.
Between another offseason of development, an experienced supporting cast and the confidence gained from a breakout 2025 campaign, the pieces are in place for Sayin to take another step forward in 2026.
The Buckeyes Have a Kicker?
Over the past few seasons, Ohio State’s kicking game has been defined more by uncertainty than reliability. The Buckeyes have cycled through moments of promise and frustration at the position, never quite finding consistent production when it mattered most. Whether it was Georgia in 2022, Michigan in 2024 or Indiana in 2025, special teams miscues have loomed large in high-pressure situations.
Now, the Buckeyes turn to Baylor transfer Connor Hawkins in hopes of changing that narrative. In his first full season as a starter last year, Hawkins went 37-for-37 on extra points and converted 18-of-22 field goals, including a long of 54 yards. As a redshirt sophomore, he arrives in Columbus as one of Ryan Day’s top transfer portal additions.
If Hawkins delivers on his potential, it could quietly become one of Ohio State’s most important under-the-radar upgrades for the 2026 season.
A New Look at Linebacker
Ohio State will face significant turnover at linebacker heading into the 2026 season after losing two of its most impactful defensive players in Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. Even with those departures, Ryan Day and the Ohio State staff have worked quickly to retool the position group through a mix of the transfer portal, player development and recruiting.
Christian Alliegro arrives from Wisconsin with valuable experience and a strong spring showing behind him, giving Ohio State a veteran presence who is expected to factor into the rotation immediately. Alongside him, junior Payton Pierce is expected to finally get his opportunity after patiently developing behind the scenes over the past few seasons.
The Buckeyes also return an intriguing blend of young talent. Sophomore Riley Pettijohn, a former five-star recruit, has the physical tools and upside to emerge as a future standout, while fellow sophomore Tarvos Alford showed flashes in limited action a year ago and could carve out a larger role.
Freshman Cincere Johnson adds yet another high-upside option to the room, continuing the Glenville-to-Columbus pipeline of defensive talent.
Final Takeaways
If Ohio State gets the expected growth from its returning core and key newcomers, the 2026 team could end up more complete than last season’s group. There are still unknowns to sort through, but the combination of experience, depth and development gives the Buckeyes a chance to improve as the year goes on. If things break right, this is a team that should be playing its best football late in the season.
