Heading into the 2026 season, the Ohio State Buckeyes have incredibly high expectations. They are expected to be one of the best teams in the country. Those expectations are there because of the offensive firepower that returns from a year ago, as they have seven returning starters.
The Buckeyes will once again be led by the passing game, as Jeremiah Smith is the best player in the country. Julian Sayin was a Heisman Finalist a year ago. Bo Jackson emerged as the starting running back and a great talent, too. All three have now been named to the Maxwell Award preseason watchlist.
Three Ohio State football players named to Maxwell Award watchlist
Sayin was a finalist for the award a year ago, but lost out to Fernando Mendoza, who also beat him out for the Heisman. Both Sayin and Smith are some of the preseason favorites to win the Heisman, as well. Jackson is hoping to emerge as a playmaker on par with those two.
Jackson missed all of spring after he had offseason surgery, but the Buckeyes expect him to be fully healthy once practice starts in a few days. With Arthur Smith taking over as the offensive coordinator, Ohio State will be more focused on having an effective run game.
Ohio State has the most players from one team on the Maxwell Award preseason watchlist. Only Miami also has three players on the list, but no one has more than the Buckeyes. That shows just how talented this team is heading into the season, even though they lost a lot of talent from last year.
It makes a lot of sense for them to include all three players. Jackson is the only slight surprise, and he is poised to have a massive season as a sophomore. Now that he is fully healthy and with a new offensive coordinator who loves to run the ball, he could rush for 1,700 yards this year.
Ohio State has plenty of offensive talent other teams should be scared of
Those three players are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the offensive firepower that the Buckeyes have going into the year. Chris Henry Jr. could emerge as the next great Ohio State receiver as a freshman, since he is a five-star talent. He has a great chance to start next to Smith.
Ohio State also has two new tight ends that they are going to integrate into the offense, as well. Of course, everything is predicated on the play of the offensive line. That was the worst unit at the end of 2025, and that is why the Buckeyes lost in the final two games of the year.
Ohio State has a month before its Week 1 matchup against Ball State. That game should be a bloodbath, but Week 2 against Texas is going to be a massive test for them. These three players are going to be a big reason the team wins against the Longhorns if they are able to pull it out.
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