All eyes were on Julian Sayin, who had a great debut for the Buckeyes in his first-ever start, but another pair of Buckeyes stood out in the 14-7 win over the Longhorns. Running back and trans from West Virginia, CJ Donaldson, and new starting linebacker Arvell Reese were huge difference makers for Ohio State.
CJ Donaldson had a tremendous game and showed why he’s RB1 for Ohio State. His 19 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown, and a catch for nine yards weren’t eye-popping stats, but were critical to victory. I know Ohio State likes to try to have their running backs be equal starters and play them 50/50. They did that very well last year with Henderson and Judkins. This year, however, Donaldson earned the edge going forward with his play against Texas
And he knew what to do in the end zone ⭕️🙌 https://t.co/UeCb4fOnc5
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) August 30, 2025
His running style stood out to many in Buckeye Nation, and I, for one, love it. He would see a hole or the design of the run, make a move, and hit it with speed and strength. Donaldson and the Buckeye running game just kept hammering away until they got what they needed, including the Buckeyes’ first touchdown of this win.
Arvell Reese is a new starting linebacker for Ohio State this season, and he flew around like an eightball on a pool table. Reese lived up to the hype surrounding him. He was in on nine tackles, including a tackle for a loss, a sack, and a big fourth-down stop early in the game.
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) August 30, 2025
Reese and Donaldson’s debuts helped propel Ohio State to victory over Texas and set a high standard for themselves for the rest of 2025. They’ve shown that they can be huge contributors to this team in critical moments. Ohio State found two new stars along with their big win to open the 2025 season!