Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Brandon Inniss will be able to flash his versatility in the offense during the 2026 season, as opposed to being confined to a slot role. Thank Ryan Day, Mark Pantoni, and Co. for that, with the additions of UTSA Roadrunners and LSU Tigers transfers Devin McCuin and Kyle Parker.
As SB Nation's Cole VanWiechen noted, Inniss won't have to carry the slot position by himself. That should allow him to line up on the outside and make big plays as a WR-X or even as a WR-Z in Arthur Smith's system.
"Inniss gives Ohio State something every elite offense wants in the slot, a known quantity. He has already lived the weekly grind of Big Ten coverage plans and the physical reality of working between linebackers and safeties. That matters because the slot is where protections, hot route answers, and third-down conversions usually live. When Ohio State needs the offense to stay on schedule, the slot receiver is often the stabilizer, not the headline," VanWiechen wrote.
"The real takeaway is that Inniss no longer has to carry the slot by himself. Ohio State has built the room to function like an engine, waves of reliable options that keep the offense on schedule, instead of a one-player solution that can be neutralized or derailed by injury."
Ohio State aiming to overwhelm with offensive talent in 2026
Implementing a pro-style play-caller is a sign that there are several pros on your roster. Many have Jeremiah Smith tabbed as a future No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, while Heisman candidate Julian Sayin showed the kind of efficiency that typically translates to the pros. The running back room might have two future pros, Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, and there are likely more than a handful of other skill-position players in the unit who will be playing on Sundays in the future.
Talent is going to win the day in 2026 if Ohio State gets back to its winning ways. If Smith can make his stars look like pros in the same way Matt Patricia did for the defense during the 2025 campaign, there's no doubt the Buckeyes will.
Overly competitive schedule be damned.