Necessary? No. Way too early? Yes. Will probably be super, super wrong? Absolutely.
But it's the bye week and we're here to have fun. Dan Hope just did a "reset outlook" for our roster currently, so I thought it'd be fun to predict what it'll look like come 2025.
Here will be my structure for each section, paragraph by paragraph:
1. I will explain who I believe the starter is and why.
2. I will discuss back-ups and other notable contributors.
3. I will talk about possible transfer-outs as well as possible unexpected additions.
I'll end each section with a bold take and my expected depth chart to start the season (keep this in mind. I may hype up a young guy just for him to not show up on the two-deep behind a veteran. Different scales/methods of ranking and all).
Last thing: I'm not doing specialists (kicker, punter, longsnapper, etc). Not because I don't think they're valuable, but because I'm only a fan, so I am only taking shots in the dark in general, and it's even worse at those spots. I already expect you to take this list with many grains of salt, but if I did specialists, I'd have to upgrade that to pounds.
To give you a good example, I thought Joe McGuire was the one guy who wouldn't start at punter for us, and here he is proving me wrong. So that should tell you all you need to know about my level of knowledge regarding our specialists.
Quarterbacks
I believe that the Buckeyes got both their quarterback of the present (Will Howard) and their quarterback of the future (Julian Sayin) in the transfer portal last offseason. The coaches have shown their trust in Sayin's development both by pursuing him as a transfer in a room with 4 other scholarship quarterbacks and by promoting him to third-string as a true freshman. The only players above him on the depth chart were legitimate candidates to start this season.
The question is whether or not the other guys will transfer out, mainly Devin Brown. My expectation is that similar to this year, Brown makes it a competition that lasts until training camp, where Sayin will eventually be named the starter. Assuming he does not transfer, Brown should be the primary back-up due to his experience in the system and athleticism.
I expect Kienholz to be gone next offseason. He is simply the odd man out of the quarterback room, sandwiched between three five-star talents and a more experienced veteran in Devin Brown. I'm not too certain of Air Noland's status, and I think he could stay, but my expectation of his status will be revealed in my bold take.
Bold Take: Tavien St. Clair will usurp Air Noland in the preseason, leading to his eventual transfer.
Expected Week 1 Lineup:
1. Julian Sayin
2. Devin Brown
3. Tavien St. Clair
Wide Receivers
Jeremiah Smith not only cemented himself as our clear #1 next year, but perhaps even this year as a true freshman. He has absolutely lived up to the hype and it is looking like he could break any record he wants as long as he can stay healthy. Tate has also emerged as a solid starter, with Brandon Inniss being Emeka Egbuka's back-up since last season and receiving more snaps as the team's fourth receiver this season.
The more difficult question is what the back-ups will look like. Mylan Graham was a five-star prospect, but is just starting to get his feet wet as he did not enroll early. Other possibilities for back-up roles include veterans Kojo Antwi, Jayden Ballard, and Bryson Rodgers, along with newer recruits like Quincy Porter and Phillip Bell. David Adolph is another name to look out for, as the former walk-on has impressed the coaches enough to be put on scholarship.
My hang-up with the veterans is that they have been usurped by young guys already (namely Tate and Smith), so it almost seems as if the writing is on the wall for them. Do they ride out the rest of their careers as back-ups, or take the path of guys like Jameson Williams or Sam Wiglusz and transfer to start elsewhere? My unreliable guess is that Ballard goes, while Antwi stays.
Bold Take: There will not be a true freshman in the top 6, even by the end of the year, except in the event of injury.
Expected Week 1 Lineup:
1 (X): Jeremiah Smith
1 (Z): Carnell Tate
1 (SL): Brandon Inniss
2 (X): Mylan Graham
2 (Z): Kojo Antwi
2 (SL): Bryson Rodgers
Running Backs
I do not expect Quinshon Judkins to stay between his massive NFL draft hype, the shorter lifespan of running backs, and the fact that he left being a bellcow at Ole Miss to be a 1A/1B starter alongside TreVeyon Henderson. James Peoples is currently vying for the starting role next year as the first guy behind those two, otherwise Locklyn's only other options currently are another freshman in Sam Williams-Dixon, a walk-on in TC Caffey, or incoming freshmen.
SMD is currently positioned almost by default as the fourth-string back, since there are no other scholarship running backs. However, Ohio State is positioned to bring at least two more bodies next year in Isaiah West and Bo Jackson, the latter of whom is an Ohio native and a top 100 recruit according to 247Sports. My expectation is that Jackson will receive the back-up nod, except in the event of a transfer...
... that I do honestly expect Locklyn will add. At minimum he'll find a depth piece, but I think he will find a player to play in rotation and compete for the starting job. I won't say a name, mainly because I think that this list is already full of unreliable predictions, but that's one of two additions I think this team will make that are not currently listed. The other is in my bold take:
Bold Take: Locklyn will flip Anthony "Turbo" Rogers from Alabama, adding 3 RBs in this upcoming recruiting class.
Expected Week 1 Lineup:
1. James Peoples
2. Incoming Transfer
3. Bo Jackson
Tight Ends
The first two weeks of this season have involved a LOT of rotation, with three tight ends each receiving over 40 total snaps, those being Gee Scott Jr., Will Kacmerak, and Jelani Thurman. The competition next year will primarily come down to the latter of those two names, since Scott will have exhausted his eligibility. My expectation is that the receiving upside of Thurman will lead to him having a leg up as he develops his blocking with more playing time this season.
Kacmerak and Bennett Christian will compete for the primary back-up roles. Christian had his coming out party in week two after being suspended last season for testing positive for a banned substance, but has drawn a lot of praise as a blocker and is starting to get used in multi-tight end packages. Barring an unexpected surprise or transfer, the top 3 in my mind is fairly settled.
Tight end coach Keenan Bailey has brought in two tight ends in each of his two recruiting classes. I would also not be surprised if he played a role in getting Jelani Thurman the year before, since he was on staff at that time. But with this many players, not everyone can play: Sam Hart and Joe Royer were both lost to the transfer portal last offseason, and I am expecting more to come, if not next offseason, definitely the one after.
Bold Take: Damarion Witten will not see a snap at tight end next season, fully switching to wide receiver for his career at Ohio State.
Expected Week 1 Lineup:
1. Jelani Thurman
2. Will Kacmerak
3. Bennett Christian
Offensive Line
Bad news first: every current starter on our line is draft-eligible following this season. I only expect to keep Tegra Tshabola, and even that's not a guarantee. The good news is that we have multiple young guys who have shown promise: Carson Hinzman will likely start at center next year after starting nearly every game in 2023, Austin Siereveld is a frontrunner to start at a guard spot next year, and Luke Montgomery could start at right guard after competing for the job this season. Assuming Tshabola kicks out to one of the tackle spots (which I expect due to his size and positional history), that only leaves one spot unaccounted for.
The rest of our room doesn't offer up any clear answers. Ian Moore, Deonte Armstrong, and Carter Lowe are all young guys that could compete for the job if they develop quickly, while Zen Michalski and George Fitzpatrick are some of the older guys that are currently higher on the depth chart. My expectation is that Day will look for a transfer to start, or at minimum compete, for that remaining tackle job. In terms of inner offensive linemen, the most notable back-up seems to be Joshua Padilla, who has taken some back-up center reps, but boasts guard-center flexibility.
Offensive line may be the hardest room to predict transfers for, since it's already hard to grade offensive line play as it is. There's no predictable metric like yards, tackles, or touchdowns, and PFF grades and snap counts only tell part of the story. So while I have wasted a lot of speculative words on this page, I'll just put it in my bold take.
Bold Take: Between Michalski and Fitzpatrick, at least one will transfer after getting jumped by a younger guy like Moore, Armstrong, or Lowe.
Expected Week 1 Lineup:
LT: Tegra Tshabola
LG: Austin Siereveld
C: Carson Hinzman
RG: Luke Montgomery
RT: Incoming Transfer
Back-Up LT: Zen Michalski
Back-Up LG: Toby Wilson
Back-Up C: Joshua Padilla
Back-Up RG: Devontae Armstrong
Back-Up RT: Ian Moore
Defensive Line
I'm tempted to leave one player off between Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Caden Curry: big school guys with big potential tend to draw NFL interest even if they don't start. It is fully possible one of them leaves, especially if we win it all this year, but I'll leave them on the list for now. Kayden McDonald has separated himself as our clear 3rd defensive tackle and will likely start at the nose tackle spot, while 3-tech looks like a competition between Jason Moore and Hero Kanu.
The other wrench being thrown into the gears of our defensive end room is Eddrick Houston, a true freshman who has already been showing out in the second half of our first two games. I'm having him as our third pass-rusher, but his development this year could skyrocket him into a starting job. On the inside, former Ole Miss transfer Tywone Malone and Will Smith Jr. are returning veterans with a chance to contribute, while Larry Johnson is currently slated to bring in at least 6 players on the D-line in his next recruiting class.
While you would expect a lot of roster turnover with this many new recruits coming in, most of our holdovers are young guys, so I think it's possible we don't lose a transfer on the D-line this upcoming offseason. Other guys I haven't mentioned, such as Dominic Kirks, Eric Mensah, and Joshua Mickens, are still younger guys and do not have the urgency of their eligibility running out soon. But in this day and age, anything's possible, so I certainly wouldn't count it out.
Bold Take: Jarquez Carter will be this upcoming recruiting class's hidden gem, skyrocketing above the other freshmen into the rotation at nose tackle.
Expected Week 1 Lineup:
LE: Caden Curry
3T: Hero Kanu
NT: Kayden McDonald
RE: Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
Back-Up LE: Joshua Mickens
Back-Up 3T: Jason Moore
Back-Up NT: Tywone Malone
Back-Up RE: Eddrick Houston
Linebackers
CJ Hicks' inability to secure a starting job is becoming to look concerning for his long-term future as a Buckeye, particularly with Arvell Reese usurping him as the third linebacker and a talented class of freshmen coming in under new linebacker coach James Laurinaitus. I will pencil in Reese and Hicks as the starters anyways (assuming Styles declares for the draft), but the seat has grown hotter each year for Hicks, who has not quite lived up to his hype as a five-star linebacker.
That new linebacker class I mentioned includes the likes of Riley Pettijohn and Tarvos Alford: two high-profile recruits from Texas and Georgia respectively who drew huge hype for Buckeye fans when they committed. Gabe Powers also has been beginning to see the field more, and the Ohio native is an option to be the third linebacker alongside fellow Ohioan Garrett Stover and another native Texan in Payton Pierce.
I do not expect to see any major positional turnover at this position. We have 7 linebackers on scholarship this season, lose 2 to the draft next year (which I expect due to Styles' freaky athletic traits, even if he is new to LB), and gain 3 in the next recruiting class. Perhaps Powers or Hicks get a good offer elsewhere if they find themselves jumped by younger players, but I would be surprised to see either a major contributor or even a back-up linebacker's name in the transfer portal next offseason.
Bold Take: Payton Pierce becomes our unexpected star next season, pulling an Arvell Reese and becoming the third linebacker late in the season.
Expected Week 1 Lineup:
WILL: CJ Hicks
MIKE: Arvell Reese
Back-Up WILL: Payton Pierce
Back-Up MIKE: Gabe Powers
Cornerbacks
Jermaine Mathews Jr. has only been part of our team for one full season, but it feels like he's been needing to get on the field for a while now with how great he's played right out of the gate. While on the smaller side of the position, he's locked up a starting job for sure. Aaron Scott Jr. has forced his way into the two-deep as a true freshman and seems to be the guy to beat for the other outside slot, leaving nickel cornerback somewhat of a headscratcher. My solution to that spot will be addressed in my bold take.
There's no satisfying way to organize the depth chart for this room: no matter what you do, you're burying elite talent somewhere. Calvin Simpson-Hunt was a much sought-after prospect in high school who will have to fight hard for a starting job, alongside Devin Sanchez and Na'eem Offord: the top 2 cornerbacks in next year's recruiting class. Props to Tim Walton for making writing this blog 10 times harder and making it easier on the hearts of Buckeye fans when we're on defense.
With the abundance of talent coming in, a transfer feels almost inevitable, whether it's next offseason or the one after. We could see an AJ Harris situation with Sanchez or Offord, where they stay for one year before leaving a clogged room. Players like Bryce West, Lorenzo Styles Jr., and Miles Lockhart are also names that could leave the room for greener pastures should they get leapfrogged by the incoming freshmen.
Double Bold Take: 1. Tim Walton opts to move Mathews Jr. to nickel, leaving an open competition for a starting job on the outside, 2. which is won by Devin Sanchez.
Expected Week 1 Lineup:
LCB: Aaron Scott Jr.
RCB: Devin Sanchez
NB: Jermaine Mathews Jr.
Back-Up LCB: Calvin Simpson-Hunt
Back-Up RCB: Na'eem Offord
Back-Up NB: Lorenzo Styles Jr.
Safeties
And ending the list with one of the easiest rooms to project, we have Caleb Downs and whoever starts next to him.
In all seriousness, I base the answer to that question more on where Downs is than from what I've seen from the other guys. Both Malik Hartford (who is primarily a free safety) and Jaylen McClain (who is primarily a strong safety) have shown potential. Since Downs is playing free safety this season, but played strong safety last season at Alabama, both a Downs-Hartford or a Downs-McClain pairing makes sense.
This means we're in a pretty solid spot when it comes to starters. In terms of depth, it could be a bit better, but we do have some veterans in Keenan Nelson Jr. and Jayden Bonsu. The Buckeyes are also bringing in three more safeties in the next recruiting class, topped by Faheem Delane, who is considered on most outlets to be the top recruit in his home state of Maryland.
Similar to the linebacker room, I would be surprised to see a lot of transfer-outs here. Even if, say, Malik Hartford were to be a back-up, Caleb Downs is going to be gone for sure in 2026, leaving the door open for him to start the year after. Perhaps a guy like Leroy Roker or Keenan Nelson Jr. ends up leaving for greener pastures.
Expected Week 1 Lineup:
SS: Caleb Downs
FS: Malik Hartford
Back-Up SS: Jaylen McClain
Back-Up FS: Faheem Delane
