by The Ohio State buckeyes are National Champions of the 2024-2025 season. The Buckeyes had to go through a gauntlet of top teams to bring the trophy home, but were able to get the job done thanks to stars like Jack Sawyer, Will Howard, Caleb Downs, and Jeremiah Smith, just to name a few. However, not much time passed before people start looking forward to next year, and the Buckeyes will look much different then.
The Buckeyes key to success this season was veterans, and that will be flipped completely on its head for next season as they’ll be losing 9 impact seniors on both sides of the ball. And that’s not even mentioning juniors Quinshon Judkins, Sonny Styles, and Davidson Igbinosun who are all eligible to declare for the draft. Let’s take a look at what the scarlet and grey will be looking like in 2025.
Starting with the offense there’s great news for the Buckeyes because arguably the best player in the country, Jeremiah Smith, was only a true freshman in 2024 and still has 2 years of eligibility. As for quarterback, the keys belong to Alabama transfer Julian Sayin, who was a freshman backup in 2024. Sayin is a 5 star prospect, the top QB for his class, from Southern California, and has the ability to be the next great quarterback that comes out of Ohio State.
The skills positions look great as usual for the buckeyes in 2025. I mentioned Jeremiah Smith, but he will not be alone. The best receiver room in the country will also include proven players like Carnell Tate and Brandon Innis, along with young and unproven guys like Mylan Graham and Bryson Rodgers. The Buckeyes also landed some impact transfers like tight end from Purdue Max Klare and West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson, who will likely share the backfield with young talented back James Peoples.
The biggest question going into next season for the Buckeyes is once again the offensive line. With the injuries on the line this season players like Carson Hinzman and Luke Montgomery stepped up huge into their roles and I expect big things from them next year. The rest of the gaps will help get filled by transfer tackles Ethan Onianwa from Rice and Phillip Daniels from Minnesota. Overall, despite a lot of new faces and guys moving around, I expect good things from this unit next year.
The defense is very similar to the offense, some star returners, but a lot to replace. Safety Caleb Downs will be back for his junior season as he tried to lead the Silver Bullets to back to back #1 defense in the country. The secondary around him however will undergo many changes. Downs’s counterpart safety will be a competition between Jaylen McClain and Malik Hartford, but I expect both to play. Cornerback will be highlighted by sophomores Bryce West and Aaron Scott, junior Jermaine Matthews, and incoming 5 Star freshman Devin Sanchez. Many think that Sanchez can play a huge roll in his freshman season, much like Jeremiah Smith did.
Linebacker has some question marks going into next year but one of them is not Sonny Styles. Styles announced that he will be coming back for his senior season for the Buckeyes, but that doesn’t mean others won’t have to step up. The top of that list is highlighted by former 5 star and veteran CJ Hicks and sophomore Arvell Reese. Both would have to step into major positions after not getting much playing time in 2024 due to Styles and Cody Simon being down backers.
Finally, the room taking the biggest hit, the defensive line. All 4 core starters on the D-line are seniors, so a lot of guys are going to have to step up into bigger roles. The good news is that most of the guys who will be starting next year played a significant amount this year as rotational pieces. Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson will be the premier edge rushers for the buckeyes in 2025. Both guys have made big plays throughout their careers and will finally get to show Buckeye Nation what they’re all about as starters in 2025. Defensive tackles will be highlighted by Kayden McDonald, Eddrick Houston, Eric Mensah and Jason Moore. All of these guys are young, but have the ability to fill in perfectly for the players leaving.
Overall, while losing a lot of talent this offseason, I don’t expect the Buckeyes to skip a beat heading into next year. They have all the talent in the world, they just have to work together in the offseason and put it all together. If there’s anyone who can have this team ready to play next year, it’s National Champion coaches Jim Knowles, Chip Kelly and Ryan Day. The Buckeyes open next year up with a big game at home against Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns
