Every year, the Ohio State football program reloads with talent. They are one of the few programs that never seem to have a rebuilding year. With their history of success, rich tradition, and player development, they are able to accumulate A+ talent year after year.
The 2026 season will be no different in that regard. Despite the fact that the Ohio State Buckeyes lost four first-round picks from last year's roster, they will still be one of the best teams in the country. Between the Transfer Portal and high school recruits, they have replaced that talent well.
Ahead of this season, one of the major outlets agrees that the Buckeyes will have plenty of talented newcomers. ESPN released its top 100 newcomers for the 2026 season. On that list, they have five Buckeyes listed, which shows just how talented they are.
Five Ohio State football players appear on top 100 newcomers list
The first player on the list is Earl Little Jr. Little Jr. will be playing slot cornerback for the Buckeyes this season after playing at Florida State in each of the last two seasons. He appears 28th on the list, and he is expected to bring some experience to a suddenly young secondary.
James Smith is the next player from the Buckeyes to appear on the list. He sits 47th on the list and will be the best defensive tackle that Ohio State has after coming over from Alabama. He's not the only Alabama transfer to appear, as Qua Russaw comes in at 65th on the list.
Two true freshmen appear on this list from Ohio State. Chris Henry Jr. is the highest-ranked one, coming in at 51st. He has a shot to be the receiver opposite of Jeremiah Smith on the outside this season. He might be the next great Ohio State receiver.
Legend Bey is the other freshman to appear. He is 61st on the list after having an electric spring, even though he was hurt and didn't play in the spring game. It seemed pretty clear in those limited reps that he will factor into the offense somehow this season.
Ohio State will lean on experience to win games in 2026
While those two freshmen will get a lot of playing time, experience is what will help the Buckeyes win games this season. On offense, they have seven returning starters from last year's team. Defensively, the newcomers they brought in have played a lot of football elsewhere.
That cumulative experience is something that Ohio State is going to lean on for this season. This is a team that certainly has national championship aspirations, despite a very tough schedule. Smith and Russaw will be particularly important on the defensive line, as only one starter returns from that unit.
Ryan Day has to like what he has in terms of raw talent. It's now the coaching staff's job to get the talent to meld well together and develop the proper chemistry necessary to win all of the games on their schedule.
Add us as a preferred source on Google