Skull Session: Ohio State Ranks No. 101 Nationally in Returning Production for 2025, Five Buckeyes Appear in College Sports Network’s Top 100 Returning Players

By Chase Brown on February 25, 2025 at 5:00 am
Sonny Styles
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

Settle a debate for me: Chipotle, Qdoba or Moe's?

I look forward to the responses in the comments.

Have a good Tuesday.

 NEVER REBUILD, ALWAYS RELOAD. Each winter, Bill Connelly of ESPN examines the returning production for all FBS teams. A month after the 2024 season ended with Ohio State as national champions, Connelly’s research is complete. Where were the Buckeyes? You have to scroll… then scroll… then scroll… then scroll – and boom, there’s the Men in the Scarlet and Gray, ranked No. 101 out of 136 FBS teams with 46% of its production returning in 2025.

The defending national champion is probably going to start next season ranked No. 1 or 2 in the preseason polls, and that makes plenty of sense. When you have receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs and other teams don't, that's going to make you awfully appealing. But the Buckeyes did lose a 4,000-yard passer (Will Howard), two 1,000-yard rushers (Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson), a 1,000-yard receiver (Emeka Egbuka), an All-American left tackle (Donovan Jackson), their top four defensive linemen (who combined for 49 tackles for loss) and four other defensive starters. And although this doesn't count in the returning production formula, they lost both coordinators too. Blue-chippers abound, but that's a particularly impressive batch of contributors to replace.

It is an impressive batch.

But (!) Ohio State never rebuilds; it reloads.

FWIW, here’s a look at the returning production for other CFP teams last season:

  • Oregon: No. 109 at 43%
  • Georgia: No. 105 at 45%
  • Boise State: No. 9 at 69%
  • Arizona State: No. 2 at 79%
  • Texas: No. 103 at 45%
  • Penn State: No. 33 at 63%
  • Notre Dame: No. 62 at 57%
  • Tennessee: No. 58 at 59%
  • Indiana: No. 44 at 61%
  • SMU: No. 78 at 53%
  • Clemson: No. 1 at 81%

And here are some other teams that could be of interest:

  • Illinois: No. 3 at 76%
  • Wisconsin: No. 25 at 64%
  • Michigan: No. 29 at 64%
  • Alabama: No. 35 at 63%
  • LSU: No. 38 at 62%
  • Ole Miss: No. 113 at 42%

 THE BEST OF THE BEST. While Ohio State has some holes to fill in 2025, we can find comfort in the fact that the players the Buckeyes returned – or added from the transfer portal – are some of the most talented players in college football.

Last week, College Sports Network ranked the top 100 returning players in the sport. Five Buckeyes appeared on the list, including Purdue transfer tight end Max Klare, defensive lineman Eddrick Houston, cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr., safety Caleb Downs and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Here’s where College Sports Network ranked each of them:

No. 97 - Max Klare

Lost in a poor Purdue Boilermakers season was the emergence of tight end Max Klare as one of the top pass catchers in college football. He heads to the Ohio State Buckeyes this fall on the back of a 685-yard, four touchdown campaign that showcased his incredible pass catching and route running capabilities. Klare ranks second among returning tight ends with 2.40 yards per route run, which is hardly surprising when you flip on the tape and watch him duking defensive backs out of their skin with his sudden movement.

No. 82 - Eddrick Houston

The Ohio State Buckeyes are losing a ton of talent (and production) from their defensive front, but that should allow some of their top returning talent to excel in 2025. Eddrick Houston saw some rotational duty last fall, tallying seven total tackles with two pass breakups while playing from several alignments. A 6’3”, 270-pound bear of a man, Houston is a powerful force who can push the pocket with strength, has the length to create chaos for offensive linemen, and is agile and nimble on his feet.

No. 67 - Jermaine Mathews Jr.

After earning CSN Freshman All-American honors in 2023, Jermaine Matthews Jr. had a somewhat situational role in the Ohio State Buckeyes run to the national championship. A big-time player when called upon, he made his presence known in the opposition backfield in 2024 and is set to be a starting cornerback for the defending champions this fall. It’s a testament to his talent that many in and around the program believe he was the best cornerback on the roster this year despite his usage.

No. 3 - Caleb Downs 

Caleb Downs established himself as one of the top defensive playmakers in the country during a breakout freshman season with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2023. One year later, he’s one of the very best and most recognizable faces in the whole sport. A transfer to the Ohio State Buckeyes was mutually beneficial, with Downs developing an already impressive skill set under Jim Knowles and using his talent to drive the best defense in the country to the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. For the second consecutive season he tallied two interceptions, while flashing his ability to impact the game in all phases with eight tackles for loss. A true force.

No. 1 - Jeremiah Smith

Jeremiah Smith looked like a man amongst boys during the 2024 college football season, a remarkable feat as a true freshman establishing himself in an Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver room that is consistently the best in the country. Smith earned Freshman All-American and Third-Team All-American honors from CSN. That Smith finished the season with the fourth-most receiving yards (1,315) and second-most receiving touchdowns (15) in the country is a testament to his talent as the very best player returning to college football in 2025. No player in the country had more 50+ receiving yard plays last fall, despite attempts to try and shut him down by any means possible.

I love that College Sports Network included those Buckeyes, but I have some questions: Where is Sonny Styles? Carnell Tate? Davison Igbinosun?

In his first season as a linebacker, Styles ranked second on the team in tackles with 100. He also ranked third in tackles for loss (11), fourth in sacks (six) and sixth in pass breakups (five). I would expect those numbers to increase as Styles becomes the team’s No. 1 linebacker, with youngsters like Arvell Reese and Payton Pierce as his running mates. That’s a miss, CSN!

As for Tate and Igbinosun, I understand their absence. 

Tate was Ohio State’s No. 3 receiver behind Smith and Emeka Egbuka this past season, collecting 52 catches for 733 yards and four touchdowns. Of course, he has the talent to be one of the nation’s top pass-catchers next fall but will need to prove himself as a reliable No. 2 behind Smith.

Igbinosun led Ohio State’s defense with nine pass breakups in 2024. He also recorded 45 tackles, two tackles for loss and one interception across 16 appearances. Those stats, while respectable, become less so when we remember that Igbinosun committed 16 penalties this past fall (quick math tells me that’s one penalty per game) and has 22 penalties combined the past two seasons as the Buckeyes’ No. 2 cornerback opposite Denzel Burke.

 “I BLEED OHIO STATE.” Speaking of Tate, I mentioned in the Monday Skull Session that he was the Columbus Crew’s Match Ignitor for the team’s home opener against the Chicago Fire on Saturday. While Tate watched the game from the sidelines, Adam King of 10TV asked him to address Brian Hartline’s promotion and the transfer rumors surrounding him in January.

Regarding the second question, Tate said, “The plan was never for me to leave. I don’t know where that came from, where that started. I bleed Ohio State.”

That, dear reader, is called loyalty. It's not common in today's college football world. But it still exists!

You love to see it!

 “WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS.” Ohio State blew a 10-0 lead against Alabama on Sunday, allowing the Crimson Tide to score 12 unanswered to win the Jacksonville Classic. Alabama’s 10th, 11th and 12th runs came via a walk-off Moon Pie from first baseman Will Hodo in the bottom of the ninth.

The loss itself doesn’t warrant a section in the Skull Session; however, a viral moment that occurred after the loss does.

Following Alabama’s 12-10 comeback, Crimson Tide players celebrated in their clubhouse. Pitcher Riley Quick posted a Snapchat photo that went viral on social media. In the image, Quick and his teammates flipped off the camera. The caption read, “F—THE OHIO.”

Soon after Barstool Alabama reposted Quick’s image, the pitcher sent a message to Alabama and Ohio State fans, apologizing for having poor judgment.

“We let our emotions get the best of us and posted an inappropriate photo on social media. The photo never should have happened, let alone been posted,” Quick wrote. “I am reaching out to Ohio State to personally apologize. I also want to apologize for representing The University of Alabama in a negative way. This is not what our team is about. We have learned from this and will be better going forward.”

Keep it classy, Bama.

 THESE HOOP MIXTAPES>>> Before this Skull Session ends, I have to shout out Ohio State football's creatives for these hoop mixtapes. They are extremely well done!

Caleb Downs

Seth McLaughlin

Ty Hamilton

Lathan Ransom

Sonny Styles

Cody Simon

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Say Something" - Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton.

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