Heartbreaking News: Ohio State Buckeyes Head Coach Confirm dead few minutes ago in…..
Heartbreaking News: Ohio State Buckeyes Head Coach Confirm dead few minutes ago in…..
The case for the Buckeyes to capture a second straight title begins with the presence of superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and All-American safety Caleb Downs.
Neither underclassman is eligible to leave early for NFL, providing them with cornerstone players. Smith and Downs could be considered the best players in the nation on their sides of the ball.
Carnell Tate should continue to complement Smith as another talented playmaking wideout, and Purdue transfer Max Klare arrives as another weapon. Klare’s 51 receptions in 2024 were third among Big Ten tight ends.
But there will be heavy roster attrition. Thirteen of their 22 starters during the playoff were seniors with eligibility expiring.
That includes Will Howard, a seasoned quarterback who spent a year at Ohio State after transferring from Kansas State.
Julian Sayin is likely to take over for Howard and was the top-ranked passer in his high school class, but he is inexperienced and redshirted as a freshman this past season.
The heaviest losses for the Buckeyes are on defense. Eight starters were seniors, cornerback Davison Igbinosun or linebacker Sonny Styles are juniors who are eligible to declare for the NFL draft.
But Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson shined as part of the defensive end rotation and Jermaine Mathews Jr. also gained experience in the playoff when he replaced Denzel Burke for the second half of the semifinal win over Texas.
