It's very rare that a true freshman gets meaningful snaps for the Ohio State football team. As one of the premier programs in the country, they have talent all over the field at all times. That makes it extremely difficult for an 18-year-old kid to walk in and immediately get snaps.
Under Ryan Day, more freshmen have gotten snaps recently. Jeremiah Smith became Ohio State's best player as a freshman. Last season, Devin Sanchez got more snaps later in the season as a true freshman. Now, he is fighting for a starting cornerback spot this season.
As far as freshmen go, Chris Henry Jr. is the one who is most likely to receive a lot of snaps. Defensively, there isn't one freshman who is going to be on the field every down. However, one has a chance to earn significant snaps throughout the season.
The one defensive freshman who could see early snaps for Ohio State
Five-star defensive lineman Khary Wilder has a shot to see snaps early in his career. His talent is undeniable, and he is one of the best recruits that Larry Johnson has grabbed in the last few years. He comes in with a body that is ready for the rigors of college football right away.
The only thing keeping Wilder off the field is the depth that Ohio State added from the Transfer Portal up front. The Ohio State Buckeyes added three linemen from the portal this offseason. All of them have significant experience, so that could limit the time Wilder sees on the field initially.
Even so, Wilder is too talented to keep off the field for very long. He is someone who can push the pocket during passing plays and gobble up space on run plays. Eventually, he is going to be a starter who is very tough to take off the field. He's one of the best defensive linemen Ohio State has landed in a while.
Ohio State will play the best players regardless of experience level
One thing Day has made clear since becoming a head coach is that if you earn snaps, you will see the field. It doesn't matter how much experience you have: if you're good enough to play, the coaching staff will find snaps for you. That will be the case again this season, even with a huge game early in the year.
Ohio State takes on Texas in Week 2, and that will be a game with College Football Playoff implications early on. Winning that game would give the Buckeyes an inside track to earn a CFP spot. A loss wouldn't kill them, as they are still a great team with plenty of high-profile games left.
The 2026 recruiting class ended up being the fourth-ranked class in the country. That talent will eventually rise to the top and be what the Buckeyes lean on. This season, they have experience they can lean on early. After the Texas game is when we could see more young guys see the field.
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