Outside the spring game itself, there is no more informative a day for Ohio State football in the spring than Student Appreciation Day.
The media contingent and students gathered there were treated to approximately 75 minutes of 11-on-11 work from the Buckeyes' starters and backups, offering a look into where a litany of players are in their development. We've compiled a list of the 10 biggest standouts here.
Freshman running back Bo Jackson is making a fantastic first impression as he works through his first spring practice, as is freshman wide receiver Quincy Porter. Redshirt sophomore Kayden McDonald is building momentum as he prepares to take over for Ty Hamilton as Ohio State's starting nose guard in 2025 while the depth of the Buckeyes' cornerback room put on a show in kind.
RB Bo Jackson
Shortly after the media and students were allowed on the field to take in practice, Jackson shed multiple tacklers to gain 11 yards on a tough run between the tackles. Starting center Carson Hinzman walked by and made a remark that summed up Jackson's day nicely.
"Bo like that for real," Hinzman said.
Jackson broke off two 20-yard-plus runs before the end of practice, including a shotgun toss play where he burst past the entirety of Ohio State's second-string second-level defenders to set up a short 1st-and-goal. He added a touchdown later on a goal-line plunge. The freshman is emerging as a real threat for carries behind James Peoples and CJ Donaldson this fall.
DT Kayden McDonald
McDonald made something of a name for himself in goal-line situations for Ohio State last year, making key plays in famous stands against Penn State and Nebraska. That trend continued with his biggest flash on Saturday, stuffing a goal-line run for a loss and popping off with a big celebration. McDonald also batted down a pass and hurried Julian Sayin with pressure on a throw to force an incompletion, proving impactful against both the run and pass.
WR Quincy Porter
Jackson wasn't the only freshman to make a great impression at Student Appreciation Day. Working mostly with Ohio State's second-stringers, Porter made one of the day's best catches on a slant route, diving to catch a ball from Lincoln Kienholz through tight coverage. He made several more catches throughout the rest of the scrimmage. Porter became this year's first freshman to shed his black stripe after practice.
CB Aaron Scott Jr.
Scott squared off with superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith for most of the practice and more than held his own, recording a pass breakup on a throw intended for his fellow second-year Buckeye and staying step-for-step with Smith on a number of other throws, both complete and incomplete. Freshman five-star prospect Devin Sanchez might be the talk of the town behind Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Mathews Jr. at corner, but Scott, a five-star in his own right, is making an early case for reps.
LB Payton Pierce
Pierce has been one of the main linebackers talked up by coach James Laurinaitis and on Saturday he showed why, breaking up at least two passes and flowing sideline-to-sideline to impact both the running and passing games. Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese might be the Buckeyes' starters at the position, but it's clear as Laurinaitis has said that the plan is for Pierce to play plenty.
WR Brandon Inniss
Inniss is poised for a breakout season starting alongside Smith and Carnell Tate, and he showed why by making plays in all areas of the field at Student Appreciation Day. His explosive catch on a post route from Kienholz was easily the most eye-catching, but he got involved on some steady underneath throws too, including a crisp 5-yard out route.
QB Lincoln Kienholz
Kienholz proved the most consistent and had the brightest flashes of the quarterbacks as he battles to win the starting job over Julian Sayin, his best throw being a dot of a go-ball to Tate for a 45-yard touchdown.
Dan Hope and I gave more thoughts on Kienholz and the quarterback battle, as well as some other players on this list, on today's episode of Press Coverage:
CB Jermaine Mathews Jr.
Mathews made the day's lone interception along the left sideline on a throw from Sayin and otherwise looked strong in coverage. With Davison Igbinosun and Lorenzo Styles Jr. each also recording a PBU, the top of Ohio State's cornerback room shined with depth pieces like Scott.
WR Phillip Bell
Not to let Porter completely outshine him, Bell made a pair of nice intermediate grabs off the arm of freshman quarterback Tavien St. Clair, then added an underneath reception on a drag route for seven yards.
RB James Peoples
Peoples proved tough to bring down on his carries, finishing runs strong for consistent yardage and delivering a nice run after catch on an early checkdown from Sayin.
