If Ohio State is going to make it back to the College Football Playoff and reestablish itself as a national championship contender this season, it’s going to need more leadership than last season.
Ryan Day made that much clear this spring, when he said cultivating leadership was the Buckeyes’ top priority this offseason. He didn’t think the Buckeyes had enough leadership last year, and he believes that was a big reason why they lost two games last year, including their rivalry game against Michigan, which kept them from achieving all of their major goals.
“We decided that leadership was the No. 1 thing we needed to get done in this offseason,” Day said on the first day of spring practice. “We didn't have that in the Team Up North game, that's just the truth … when we get our backs up against the wall, we need guys to step up.”
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, there appear to be plenty of candidates to fill that leadership void this season.
Ohio State had only six captains in 2021, the fewest captains the Buckeyes had since 2015. A smaller number of captains isn’t necessarily a bad thing – plenty of Ohio State fans have advocated for fewer captains, not more, in years where the Buckeyes have had as many as nine captains – yet that may have been an early indicator that Ohio State’s leadership going into last season wasn’t quite as strong as it had been in previous years.
That’s not to say Ohio State fans should expect to see a significantly larger group of captains this year. In the three years prior to last year, Ohio State had seven captains each season. And the Buckeyes certainly don’t want their leadership to be exclusive to their captains; Day said the Buckeyes formed a leadership council this offseason that consists of 24 players.
Day didn’t specify who those 24 players were. But based on which players have been talked up as leaders by others within the program, and which veteran Buckeyes appear poised to be unit leaders this season, we can make an educated guess at which Ohio State players are most likely to be captains in 2022.
Since recent precedent would suggest Ohio State will have at least six captains – the Buckeyes have had at least that many every year since 2013 – we start by taking a look at the six Ohio State players who are most likely to be among the team’s elected leaders this fall. Then, we take a look at eight other Buckeyes who are also likely to at least receive some votes in the captaincy election.
Most Likely Captains
Kamryn Babb, WR
Even though he has yet to catch a pass in four seasons at Ohio State, Babb is the surest bet to be a captain for the 2022 Buckeyes. While repeated knee injuries have prevented Babb from making an impact on the field, he’s a spiritual leader for the Buckeyes off the field, as evidenced by the team prayer he led during the halftime tribute to Dwayne Haskins at the spring game.
After that beautiful Dwayne Haskins video, former teammate Kamryn Babb (@kamm_o) led @OhioStateFB in prayer. pic.twitter.com/3cV7VBMUvL
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) April 16, 2022
“He would be a guy that, when you look back, probably has made more of an impact on others than maybe anybody else around this team,” Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline said earlier this year.
Babb, who tore his meniscus this spring but is expected to be available for preseason camp, believes he can have more influence as a leader if he’s also contributing on the field. But regardless of how much playing time he sees in the wide receiver rotation, Babb – who’s also a likely frontrunner to wear Ohio State’s Block 0 jersey this year – will be one of the top players other players turn to for guidance.
C.J. Stroud, QB
A returning starter at quarterback is usually one of the top candidates to be a team captain, and Stroud checks all the boxes for fulfilling that role this year.
Stroud’s teammates seemingly rallied around him more and more as he established himself as Ohio State’s No. 1 quarterback last season. Day said earlier this summer that Stroud’s leadership has “been excellent” this offseason. He’s the face of the team after his Heisman finalist debut campaign, and he’s looked comfortable all offseason in the spotlight that comes with that.
It would come as a huge surprise if Stroud isn’t selected as a captain by his teammates during preseason camp.
Zach Harrison, DE
Like Babb, Harrison was already a team captain last season, so it would be surprising if he isn’t a captain again this year, especially considering he could have entered this year’s NFL draft but chose to stay for his senior season at Ohio State instead.
As seen in Ohio State’s cinematic recap of the Rose Bowl, Harrison was one of the players who gave a rousing speech at halftime to help spark the Buckeyes’ second-half comeback against Utah.
#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/CtOmVHXY1j
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 20, 2022
The Buckeyes will be counting on Harrison to bring that same energy to help lead a defensive turnaround for Ohio State this season.
Teradja Mitchell, LB
Mitchell is also a returning captain from last season, and he continued to be a vocal leader for the Buckeyes this spring, as new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles described Mitchell as someone who “gives us a lot of that energy.”
Last year didn’t go the way Mitchell hoped it would on the field, as his playing time waned over the course of the season, and he’s not projected to be a starter this year. But that doesn’t preclude Mitchell from being a key leader for the Buckeyes, and his teammates surely respect his unwavering loyalty to Ohio State despite his uncertain position on the depth chart.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR
Being a star player often goes a long way toward being selected as a captain, and outside of Stroud, there’s no bigger star on the Buckeyes than Smith-Njigba. And now that Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are in the NFL, Ohio State is counting on JSN to be a leader of the receiver room right alongside Babb.
“Jaxon’s a guy that needs to be a leader,” Mickey Marotti said in May. “A leader has to be felt, a leader has to be heard, a leader has to be seen every day, all the time.”
Marotti said he was “busting his chops” with that challenge to Smith-Njigba, but the fact that Smith-Njigba was selected to be one of Ohio State’s Big Ten Media Days representatives suggests Smith-Njigba has responded to that challenge.
He might be more of a leader by example than a demonstrative vocal leader, but so was Chris Olave, and Olave was a captain last year. And Smith-Njigba’s fellow receivers have seen him become more of a leader this offseason, with Harrison describing Smith-Njigba this spring as “motivated more than anybody here, probably.”
Tommy Eichenberg, LB
No Buckeye drew more consistent praise for his growth as a leader this spring than Eichenberg, who made a fast impression on Knowles and made great strides in the eyes of Day. Ohio State’s head coach was “really impressed” by Eichenberg’s improvement this spring, and Knowles described Eichenberg as “a great leader for us.”
“He’s quiet, but he’s fierce,” Knowles said.
Like former Ohio State middle linebacker Tuf Borland, Eichenberg isn’t one to say a lot in media interviews but is regularly described as one of the Buckeyes’ best leaders behind the scenes. Borland was a three-time captain for the Buckeyes, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Eichenberg follows in his footsteps as both a starting middle linebacker and a captain this year.
Others to Watch
Ronnie Hickman, S
Players who are chosen to represent Ohio State at Big Ten Media Days often end up becoming captains for the Buckeyes – over the past decade, only four total media days representatives for Ohio State have not been captains for Ohio State that season – and Hickman will be representing the Buckeyes alongside Stroud and Smith-Njigba in Indianapolis next week.
As Hickman adjusts to playing the “adjuster” position in Knowles’ defensive scheme, he’s clearly positioned to be one of the leaders of Ohio State’s defense this season, with Knowles describing Hickman this spring as a safety who can “run the show back there.” And that could lead to captaincy for the Buckeyes this fall.
Ronnie Hickman is among the top candidates to be a defensive captain for Ohio State this year.
Kourt Williams, S
Day predicted Williams would be a future captain for Ohio State on the day Williams signed his National Letter of Intent with the Buckeyes in December 2019. Since then, Williams has been described by a multitude of Ohio State staffers and players as the hardest-working player on the team, making it all the more likely Williams will fulfill that prophecy – if not this year, then likely at some point before his Ohio State career is over.
His on-field role for the Buckeyes this season remains in flux, as he’s competing with Josh Proctor to be Ohio State’s starting bandit safety, but that might not matter in the vote for captains if he continues to impress his teammates with his work ethic.
Cade Stover, TE
Stover’s team-first approach has been evident throughout his Ohio State career as he’s moved from position to position to help address the Buckeyes’ needs, and he’s earned a lot of respect from his peers within the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in the process.
He’s another Buckeye who’s known for having an excellent work ethic, and Kevin Wilson described Stover this spring as someone who “became truly one of the premier top leaders of this team, the way he approached our workouts and all that.” That’s reason enough to believe Stover has a chance to be a captain this year.
Mitch Rossi, FB/TE
A former walk-on running back who is now a key role player for the Buckeyes on offense and special teams, Rossi’s journey bears similarities to the journey that made C.J. Saunders a team captain in 2019.
Rossi already earned a scholarship from the Buckeyes last year, and he’s viewed as a leader in the tight end room now that Jeremy Ruckert is in the NFL. A sixth-year senior, Rossi is now tied with Jerron Cage and Bradley Robinson for longest-tenured player on the team, and that gives him plenty of influence despite the humble beginning of his Buckeye career.
Xavier Johnson, WR
Another walk-on who’s emerged as a key role player on special teams and a team leader, Johnson could also find himself in the conversation for captaincy. Mitchell, whose voice will surely hold weight in that conversation as a returning captain, named Johnson alongside Eichenberg and Babb as one of the Buckeyes who had stepped up most as leaders this spring.
Like Stover, Johnson has taken a selfless approach to his Ohio State career, moving back and forth between various positions after turning down scholarship offers to walk on in Columbus. The fifth-year senior might still face an uphill climb to regular playing time in a loaded wide receiver room, but it shouldn’t come as a shock if his loyalty and dedication are rewarded with captaincy.
Luke Wypler, C
Ohio State has had at least one captain on the offensive line in six of the last seven seasons, and there are four experienced upperclassmen on this year’s offensive line who could be candidates to keep that streak going. Among all of them, Wypler might be the one who’s most likely to be a captain at some point before his Ohio State career is done.
That’s partially because Wypler is the one among them who’s most likely to be at Ohio State beyond this year, but also because he’s already known as a highly competitive player who puts in extra work at his craft. As a returning starter at center who played the most snaps of any Buckeye in 2021, Wypler will certainly be expected to be a leader up front this year, and he plays a position that has spawned many other recent captains like Josh Myers, Billy Price, Pat Elflein, Jacoby Boren and Corey Linsley.
Paris Johnson Jr., OT
Another third-year offensive lineman and returning starter who seems like a logical candidate to be a captain this season is Johnson, who’s demonstrated a maturity beyond his years since before he even arrived at Ohio State.
A top performer in the classroom who’s on track to graduate from Ohio State in just three years, Johnson has also been a leader in community service through the Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation. He’s in line to play a major role on the field this year as the Buckeyes’ starting left tackle, and Day said this spring that Johnson’s “approach every day, his work ethic, all those things are really off the charts.”
Luke Wypler and Paris Johnson Jr. are two candidates to be a captain on the offensive line this season.
Tanner McCalister, S
It would be unprecedented for a player in his first year in Columbus to be named an Ohio State captain, but McCalister just might have a shot.
He’s played more snaps of college football than anyone else on Ohio State’s roster, and he immediately began helping his Ohio State teammates learn Knowles’ defensive scheme this spring after following Knowles to Columbus from Oklahoma State. It’s more conventional for captains to be players who have already been with the team for multiple years, but McCalister quickly gained the respect of his Buckeye peers this offseason and seemingly has all the attributes of a team captain except for longevity with the team.
