With both new and old faces under a new wide receivers coach, the Buckeye wideouts will look to continue their WRU legacy.

The wide receiver room at Ohio State is always a popular topic of discussion regardless of the season. This season arguably has the most storylines ever for a group that often warrants Ohio State the nickname ‘Wide Receiver University” (WRU).

Last year, the Buckeyes had arguably the top two wide receivers in the country, which led to wide receiver Jeremiah Smith finishing sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting and quarterback Julian Sayin finishing fourth, as he made the trip to New York City for the ceremony. Opposite of Smith was wide receiver Carnell Tate, who was the first wideout off the board in the NFL Draft as he went fourth overall to the Tennessee Titans.

Smith led the team with 87 receptions, 1,243 yards, and 12 touchdowns, often coming out of games early due to monitoring injuries and blowouts. Carnell Tate was second on the team in all three categories, finishing with 51 receptions, 875 yards, and nine touchdowns while also not playing a chunk of snaps.

Tate’s early departure to the NFL means a lot of snaps and targets are on the table. The Buckeyes return two of their three starting wideouts and have brought in a plethora of talent to help out Julian Sayin and the offense this year. The team also saw a change when Brian Hartline departed to become the new head coach at USF, with Cortez Hankton now leading the receivers unit.

Let’s dive into some storylines for this uber-talented position group for Ryan Day’s 2026 squad.

Can Jeremiah Smith Make It To New York, Breaking Program Records Along The Way?

Jeremiah Smith, to most people, is the most talented receiver and player in college football and would be long gone to the pros if he didn’t need to stay in school for three years. Aforementioned, Smith was sixth in the Heisman voting, the only wide receiver in the top-10. He returns with his quarterback, who finished above him, and the duo is expected to soar in their second full season together.

Smith is a team player who will never talk about his own accolades, but he wants to win his first Biletnikoff award and be a Heisman finalist after getting snubbed the past two seasons. He has a lot more than just personal awards that he can accomplish this season.

It is rare to be a full-time starter as a freshman. Still, since he did that and has stayed relatively healthy over two seasons, he has set himself up well to break all three major receiving records at The Ohio State University. Looking at the career receptions mark, his former teammate Emeka Egbuka leads all-time with 205 receptions. Smith has 163 receptions already, needing just 43 to break the record, which could happen mid-season.

Back in the early 2000s, before Jeremiah Smith was even born, Michael Jenkins was tearing up opposing defenses for the Buckeyes and finished his collegiate career with 2,898 receiving yards. Smith currently sits at 2,558 receiving yards, just 341 yards away, which could easily be done for him in the first four games.

Lastly, we have receiving touchdowns, which was recently broken by Chris Olave, who finished his outstanding tenure with the Buckeyes with 35 receiving touchdowns. Smith is creeping up on Olave’s record as he already has 27 receiving touchdowns in his two seasons, meaning he needs nine more for the record. This might technically be the least likely of the three records, but it’s a total most people believe Smith will hit, even if it is in the last few games.

Other records he could hit for the Buckeyes include touchdown receptions in a season (17), receiving yards in a season (1,606), receptions in a season (95), and 100-yard games in a career (15). When it is all said and done, he will already be known as arguably the best Buckeye receiver, offensive player, and player in general ever.

Can Veteran Wide Receivers Help Carry The Load With Smith?

The offense knows what they are getting out of Jeremiah Smith whenever he is on the field, but who else will step up out of the experienced wideouts? This group has a very unique blend of veterans and freshmen, all of whom are talented players and deserve playing time throughout the year.

Senior and captain from last season, Brandon Inniss, has been a great addition as he is a great leader and makes the most of his limited targets. Last season, he finished fourth on the team in receptions (36) and receiving yards (271), and third in receiving touchdowns (3). He has 51 receptions, 505 receiving yards, and five touchdowns in his Buckeye career and will likely slot back into his role in the slot to start the season. David Adolph is another receiver who will be a senior and saw some time last season.

Senior transfer Devin McCuin is a speedster who joins the team from UTSA and will be fighting for the third starting spot or a backup role. He had 65 receptions, 726 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns last season and has been consistent in his production over the past three years. Through the first few days of training camp, McCuin’s name has carried the headlines as one of the standout performers. 

Julian Sayin on Devin McCuin:

🗣️ “Really talented receiver. A lot of speed. Very smart player—knows where he’s going.”

Sayin also mentioned McCuin is a team-first guy, has a willingness to block, and his work ethic is noticed in the weight room. pic.twitter.com/0qSyV4llsE

— The Silver Bulletin (@tSilverBulletin) August 8, 2026

Junior transfer Kyle Parker comes in from LSU and made some plays last year after just three catches in his first season. He had 31 receptions, 330 receiving yards, and four touchdowns in 2025 and will also be competing with McCuin to see the field.

Ryan Day, new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and Julian Sayin will have no shortage of weapons at their disposal this season. Some guys will take advantage of the moment and will see an uptick in snaps. Given the experience of the three guys mentioned, it should be a battle with the younger guys coming into the picture.

Which Freshman Will Make It Impossible To Leave Off The Field?

When talking about the freshman on this team, especially on offense, it all starts with wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. Henry Jr. was one of the top recruits in the country and a top-two receiving prospect, making him a priority for the Buckeyes even after a long recruitment. The five-star will have a great chance to line up next to Smith and Inniss in the opener, and is yet another player it will be hard to leave off the field.

Jerquaden Guilford is another highly-ranked prospect and finished as the 12th-best wide receiver prospect according to 247sports. The four-star has as good of a chance as anyone to step into a backup role with the veterans. Brock Boyd finished as the 123rd-ranked wideout on the same website, but if you watch his highlights and hear the noise around him, he will be seeing the field at some point for this elite core of receivers.

Two other names to round out the room are redshirt freshman Phillip Bell and De’Zie Jones. There are a lot of mouths to feed, which will make it an entertaining battle. The blend of veterans, freshmen, and new faces will make it a tasty battle to watch throughout fall camp heading into the opener against Ball State. This offense has the potential to be the best in the country, and this group of wideouts will be a big reason they do or don’t meet expectations this season.

NEXT: Read Iron Sharpens Iron: Julian Sayin’s Newfound Physicality Fuels Ohio State’s Fall Camp Intensity