The Ohio State football team is the best team in the country through the first five weeks of the season. The combination of offensive explosion and defensive domination has put teams in a pickle. They might be better than the team that won the national championship last season.
Through the first few weeks of the season, three Buckeyes have really impressed NFL scouts. In fact, these guys have impressed scouts to the point that they could all be first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Only one of them is not a surprise to those outside of Columbus.
1. Carnell Tate, WR
Those who follow the Ohio State Buckeyes closely knew how good Carnell Tate was. He played a little bit as a freshman a couple of years ago when the receiver room was full of future NFL superstars. Even as the number two receiver for the Buckeyes, he's putting up gaudy numbers.
To this point in the season, Tate has 24 catches for 435 yards and four touchdowns. He has expanded his game, showing that he can be a deep-ball threat, as well as a guy who is good over the middle. His size allows him to be a good 50/50 ball-catcher, too. He's almost locked in to be a first-round pick next year.
2. Arvell Reese
The most dominant unit in college football has been the Ohio State defense, and Arvell Reese has arguably been the most impressive player on that unit. Reese has shown his range as a linebacker in his first year as a starter, including this incredible takedown of Demond Williams Jr. a couple of weeks ago.
Reese has shown that he can do almost everything at the linebacker position. He can rush the passer, spy the quarterback, and drop back into coverage. Scouts have already indicated that he could be a first-round pick in next year's draft, even with just one year of serious tape.
3. Austin Siereveld
By far the most surprising guy on this list is Austin Siereveld. Siereveld was battling for a job last year with the Buckeyes. In the offseason, Ryan Day talked about how much Siereveld improved. That improvement has shown up on the field, as he has yet to give up a sack.
While Siereveld has been the starting left tackle for the Buckeyes, he is likely going to be a guard at the next level. Scouts are starting to take notice of his play. There's a shot he rockets up to be a late first-round pick with his play at left tackle in a similar vein to what Donovan Jackson did a year ago.