Ohio State football enters Fall Camp ready to reload while shouldering championship expectations again in 2026.
It’s finally that time of year again. The Ohio State Buckeyes will begin training camp on August 6th. Like the spring practice period, there will be a plethora of new faces to get used to, mainly on the defensive side. With so much newness to the roster, there’s a handful of storylines to watch for heading into camp.
Offensive Line
The offensive line is the unit with the fewest unfamiliar faces. Ohio State returns all but one starter on the line. This is experience that is invaluable, no doubt. However, in the final two games of the 2025 season, the O-Line toiled in countless spots. This, of course, was a main contributor to the Buckeyes dropping those games against Indiana and Miami.
Tyler Bowen is entering his second year as the offensive line coach. Understandably, he was under some fire with how things ended for his unit last season. With that said, having this second year with the returning starters to instill his mentality and solidify the line’s chemistry should prove a major asset. Camp will be key for the line to take a major stride from last year and spring, so OSU is prepared by the time they travel to Austin, Texas.
Defensive Chemistry
Ohio State lost seven starters on defense to the NFL draft. Matt Patricia and his staff have quite the task in filling a gap left by such high-end talent. Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese covered a lot of sins from both a snaps and production standpoint. OSU has plenty of talent, with Wisconsin transfer Christian Alliegro and Junior Payton Pierce heading the linebacker unit.
However, there’s still plenty yet to be proven as to who is going to carry the load, or if James Laurinaitis decides to use a larger rotation this year.
The secondary will be missing two key leaders and producers in Caleb Downs and Davison Igbinosun. Lorenzo Styles also played a key role in that secondary. The additions of Earl Little Jr., Terry Moore, and Dominick Kelly are projected to be major contributors in filling that void. Along with this and the ascension of Devin Sanchez, Jaylen McClain and Jermaine Matthews, the silver bullets should be able to hold their own in the back end.
The defensive line lost major inside presence with DT’s Kaydon McDonald and Caden Curry moving on to the NFL. OSU didn’t waste time in the portal replacing them either, as Day and his staff acquired James Smith and John Walker. Both Smith and Walker boasted multiple years of high-level production prior to making the trip to Columbus.
Alongside returning talent like Eddrick Houston, OSU and DL coach Larry Johnson have the pieces to be staunch again in the interior. All of these new pieces on defense have the potential to make an impact as soon as week two against the Longhorns. The question is: Who will step up enough in camp to do so?
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Receiver Depth
The wide receiver room typically isn’t one you worry about at Ohio State. After all, Ohio State receivers are the highest paid in the NFL after Chris Olave inked his new contract with the Saints. On top of that, Jeremiah Smith is on pace to shatter records in his third year in Columbus. The potential issue lies beyond WR1.
Brandon Inniss enters his senior year with heightened expectations after the departure of Carnell Tate. The former 5-star has totaled 505 receiving yards on 51 receptions in his career. If Inniss isn’t able to shoulder the load and keep defenses from keying in on Smith, then OSU will likely have to improvise.
The staff was diligent in adding depth to the position by landing Devin McCuin and Kyle Parker from the portal. Freshmen Chris Henry Jr and Brock Boyd certainly show the ability to make an impact right away if Coach Day should choose to utilize them. Training camp will be a huge determining factor in who exactly Day and the staff will be able to trust running routes for OSU come September 5th.
Training camp 2026 brings myriad questions and new faces ready to make an impact. This is Ohio State, though. Those questions are expected to be answered, and those faces are expected to be a part of the reload. With September fast approaching, the coaching staff will begin assembling a championship-caliber team this Thursday.
Grant Kincaid was born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in Dayton. He serves as Creative Director and basketball contributor at The Silver Bulletin. At one point, Grant, a collegiate baseball player, also holds a B.A. in Management and Leadership Studies. Aside from the Buckeyes, he is an avid supporter of both the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals. His favorite Buckeyes include Braxton Miller, AJ Hawk, and Ted Ginn Jr.
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