The Ohio State football team officially started spring practice on Tuesday morning. It's the first time that this group of players has taken the field together. After a poor finish to the 2025 season, the Buckeyes are hoping for a better 2026 season that will result in them winning a national championship.
The Ohio State Buckeyes lost 31 players to the Transfer Portal in the offseason. With that many guys leaving, the turnover on the team is pretty high. Still, Ryan Day acknowledged that the team is still very experienced because they added veteran guys in the portal.
As spring practice starts, the Buckeyes have a few guys out for spring practice. In fact, there are four key guys who are either out for the entirety of the spring or who will be limited while practices are going on.
These key Ohio State football players are hurt for spring practice
Both of the running backs at the top of the depth chart are out for the entirety of spring. Bo Jackson and Isaiah West are out after undergoing surgery in the offseason. Jackson is entrenched as the starter, and West looks like he will be the backup, so not having either isn't a huge deal.
Linebacker Riley Petijohn is out for the spring, as well. He looks to be dealing with a shoulder injury. With both Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles heading to the NFL, Petijohn was looking for a big spring to possibly challenge for a starting spot. Instead, he will be sidelined.
Day also mentioned that offensive lineman Josh Padilla will be limited during spring practice. Padilla is one of the linemen who is fighting for the starting right guard spot with Tegra Tshabola now gone. The Buckeyes will have Gabe VanSickle be the starting right guard during spring practice.
This means that VanSickle has the inside track to win the final starting spot on the offensive line. These injuries will certainly be felt throughout the spring.