Tag: Buckeyes

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8), linebacker Sonny Styles (6), safety Caleb Downs (2) and cornerback Davison Igbinosun (1) work out during spring football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on March 17, 2025.

Raiders pick No. 1, then Ohio State draft takeover begins

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ohio State is not the reigning national champion in college football, and the Buckeyes are not expected to produce a fourth No. 1 overall selection when the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off with the Las Vegas Raiders on the clock Thursday night.

But you can bet your most sacred scarlet that the Buckeyes are money in the bank to pad their all-time total — 97 and counting — first-round selections soon after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is selected by the Raiders.

Anywhere between nine and 13 Ohio State players are projected to be drafted into the NFL this week, and five carry first-round grades one year removed from the 2025 national championship roster that produced four first-rounders: wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (No. 21, Buccaneers), offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (24, Vikings), defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (28, Lions) and offensive tackle Josh Simmons (32, Chiefs).

The 2021 Alabama team and the 2004 Miami squad share the record with six first-round selections in a single draft.

The wait for the Ohio State takeover of the 2026 draft might not be long. In fact, that first selection could come right after Mendoza hears his name called.

Buckeyes linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese are candidates to be selected No. 2 overall by the Jets. Styles put on an epic athletic display at the NFL Scouting Combine in February and Reese, who played a variety of positions in Matt Patricia’s defense, was right there with him. At 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds, Reese is being compared to Penn State-era Micah Parsons, the No. 12 pick in the 2021 draft and a three-time NFL All-Pro.

Reese is dripping with upside. He had 6.5 sacks at Ohio State in 2025 but was only a part-time pass rusher.

Only 20, Reese could add significant weight and convert to defensive end or focus on an edge/outside linebacker role. Because of his speed and power, there are also teams that discussed using him inside. The Cleveland native met with the Browns but he might not stick around long enough to stay in Ohio; the Browns have picks No. 6 and 24. He also had multiple meetings with the Arizona Cardinals, who pick third overall.

“I played everywhere from inside linebacker to (strong-side) to edge. I was comfortable everywhere,” Reese said, noting NFL teams are complimentary of his versatility. “It changes (with) each team, so it depends on the system and how the defensive coordinator thinks he’ll use me.”

Styles is a second-generation NFL prospect. His dad, Lorenzo Styles, was an NFL linebacker for the St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons for six seasons. Lorenzo Styles Jr. is also part of the 2026 draft class. A Notre Dame transfer, Lorenzo Styles Jr. played safety — and started 11 games — for the Buckeyes last season.

At 6-5, 244, Sonny Styles stole the show at the combine. He ran a 4.46 40-yard dash, had a 43 1/2-inch vertical, broad jumped 11 feet, 2 inches and clocked a 4.26-second 20-yard shuttle. It points to his high school background as a five-star safety recruit.

The top tackler on Ohio State’s dynamic defense, Sonny Styles had only one missed tackle all season — and it came in the College Football Playoff — by the count of Buckeyes’ staff.

“I think the way I can improve the run defense is just being in the middle,” said Styles, a self-described film junkie. “I feel like I had a great feel of what was coming.”

Safety Caleb Downs is listed as a top-10 prospect by many evaluators, and he will be in the draft green room Thursday with his linebacker teammates, wide receiver Carnell Tate and defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.

All six could be selected in the opening round. Downs and Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren are vying to be the top player picked at the position and Tate is another likely first-round receiver produced by the Buckeyes. He averaged 17.2 yards per reception last season and caught 14 TD passes in three seasons at Ohio State.

McDonald turned 21 last month and was the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2025. He had 65 tackles and nine tackles for loss last season as the thick and powerful roadblock to interior linemen trying to get their hands on Reese and Styles.

–Field Level Media

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles (LB25) runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ohio State LBs Reese, Styles sizzle in workouts at NFL Scouting Combine

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Ohio State linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese left a vapor trail during on-field tests at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday in Indianapolis.

Styles, primarily a middle linebacker for the Buckeyes, and Reese, who said this week he’s training to be a pass-rushing linebacker at the NFL level, turned in matching 40-yard dash times of 4.46 seconds.

Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey ran a 4.50, the best among all defensive ends timed on Thursday. Bailey is projected as a top-10 pick. Bailey measured at 6-4, 251 pounds and had a 35-inch vertical.

Styles posted a 43.5-inch vertical — Reese did not do vertical or broad-jump testing — which is better than what safety Nick Emmanwori (Seahawks) recorded as a 2025 combine-best 43-inch vertical. Styles measured 6-5 and weighed 244 pounds. His broad jump was also the best recorded Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium at just over 11 feet and he had a 7.09-second three-cone drill and 4.26-second short shuttle.

Most draft projections put Reese and Styles in the top 15 overall picks in April.

A projected second-rounder, Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had the top three-cone time — 6.90 seconds — and went 4.19 in the short shuttle among prospects at the position who participated Thursday.

–Field Level Media

Report: Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate to play vs. Michigan

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Ohio State wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are expected to play against No. 15 Michigan on Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor, Mich., ESPN reported.

Smith and Tate have been nursing undisclosed injuries. The former sat out last week’s 42-9 victory over Rutgers after sustaining the injury versus UCLA on Nov. 15, while the latter was hurt in a game against Penn State on Nov. 1.

Smith is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the NCAA’s outstanding receiver. Smith has 69 receptions for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Tate has 39 catches for 711 yards and seven scores.

The top-ranked Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) will try to end a four-game losing streak to Michigan (9-2, 7-1).

–Field Level Media

No. 1 Ohio State missing top two receivers vs. Rutgers

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Ohio State won’t have top receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate when the No. 1 Buckeyes play Rutgers in Columbus on Saturday.

The availability report released prior to the game listed both as “out” with undisclosed injuries.

Tate will miss his third straight game for the Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten). He ranks second on the team after Smith in catches (39), receiving yards (711) and touchdown receptions (seven).

Smith played three first-half series in the Nov. 15 win against UCLA before being pulled after making four grabs for 40 yards. He leads the team with 69 receptions, 902 receiving yards and 10 TD catches.

Tate and Smith were both named as semifinalists on Monday for the Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the nation’s top wide receiver.

–Field Level Media

Second-quarter burst carries No. 1 Ohio State past Purdue

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Julian Sayin threw for 303 yards and a touchdown to Jeremiah Smith, CJ Donaldson ran for two scores and No. 1 Ohio State overcame a rare early deficit to defeat Purdue 34-10 on Saturday at West Lafayette, Ind.

Trailing 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Buckeyes (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) scored 24 unanswered points in the second quarter as Sayin threw for 182 yards and a touchdown to Smith in the first half.

Sayin finished the day by completing 27 of 33 passes with an interception.

Playing without star receiver Carnell Tate, who was held out as a precautionary measure due to an undisclosed injury, Smith had seven of his career-high 10 catches. and 109 of his 137 yards. Before halftime.

Quarterbacks Ryan Browne and Malachi Singleton were held to a combined 94 passing yards for the Boilermakers (2-8, 0-7), who have lost eight straight games. Purdue had 186 total yards to 473 for Ohio State.

Donaldson rushed for a 1-yard score on the second play of the second quarter to give Ohio State a 7-3 lead before Sayin hit Smith with a 35-yard TD pass for a 14-3 lead with 7:18 remaining in the first half.

After the Buckeyes’ Jermaine Mathews Jr. intercepted Browne, they used eight runs and one pass, while eating up more than five minutes, to go 30 yards to the end zone. The scoring drive was capped by a 3-yard run by backup quarterback Lincoln Kienholz.

Jayden Fielding added a career-long 49-yard field goal with three seconds left before halftime to give the Buckeyes a 24-3 lead.

Ohio State continued its ball control offense on the first series of the second half and went 68 yards to the 7 before Purdue’s CJ Nunnally intercepted off Sayin in the end zone. It was Sayin’s fourth interception of the season.

Cracks in the Ohio State offense showed again when a 13-yard sack of Sayin limited the Buckeyes to a 45-yard field goal by Fielding early in the fourth quarter for a 27-3 lead. The Buckeyes had the ball for 41 minutes in the game to 19 for the Boilermakers.

Ohio State’s lead was 34-3 when Purdue scored on a 7-yard pass from Singleton to Jesse Watson with 1:45 remaining.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) makes a catch for a touchdown against Wisconsin Badgers safety Austin Brown (9) in the first quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

No. 1 Ohio State jumps out early, blanks Wisconsin

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Julian Sayin passed for 394 yards and four touchdowns to lead top-ranked Ohio State to a 34-0 rout of Wisconsin in a Big Ten matchup Saturday in Madison, Wis.

Sayin completed 14 of 15 passes for 169 yards in the first quarter when the Buckeyes jumped out to a 17-0 lead. He finished with 36 completions in 42 attempts.

Ohio State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) has won 11 straight vs. Wisconsin, whose last victory in the series was a 31-18 win at home in 2010 over the then-No. 1-ranked Buckeyes.

Wisconsin (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) has lost five straight after wins over Miami (Ohio) and Middle Tennessee State. The Badgers, who have not scored in 11 quarters, have tallied just 34 points in those five losses.

Ohio State, which entered No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense at 6.8 points per game, took control early, scoring on all three first-quarter possessions.

The Buckeyes forced a three-and-out on Wisconsin’s opening series, then drove 89 yards in nine plays, capped by a 33-yard touchdown pass from Sayin to Carnell Tate. Sayin completed 8 of 8 passes on the drive for 95 yards.

Sonny Styles picked off a Hunter Simmons pass on the Badgers next series, but the Buckeyes settled for Jayden Fielding’s 38-yard field goal.

Wisconsin again went three-and-out and Ohio State went 70 yards in six plays, with Sayin again connecting with Tate from 10 yards out.

Fielding missed a 38-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter, but connected from 37 yards midway through the third quarter to put Ohio State in front 20-0.

The Buckeyes pushed the lead to 27-0 with a 13-play, 83-yard drive late in the third quarter, capped by Sayin’s 2-yard toss to tight end Will Kacmarek, who was wide open in the middle of the end zone. Sayin kept the drive alive with a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 on the Ohio State 26.

Tate had six receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Jeremiah Smith had nine catches for 97 yards.

Ohio State outgained Wisconsin 491-144.

–Field Level Media

Indiana players cheer after defeating the Oregon Ducks Oct. 11, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

Indiana a program-best No. 3 in AP Top 25; Ohio State still No. 1

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Thanks to its 10-point win at then-No. 3 Oregon on Saturday, Indiana has seized that No. 3 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll released Sunday.

It marks the Hoosiers’ highest ranking since the AP poll began in 1936.

Head coach Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers (6-0) earned three first-place votes, although it wasn’t enough to keep Ohio State (6-0) and Miami (5-0) from retaining the top two spots.

The Buckeyes, who controlled then-No. 17 Illinois 34-16 on Saturday, secured 50 of the 66 first-place votes as they maintained their place atop the poll for the seventh straight week. The Hurricanes, who did not play during Week 6, claimed the other 13 first-place nods.

The first College Football Playoff rankings, which serve as the sport’s official metric for determining the 12 CFP participants, will not be released until Nov. 4. By that point, Ohio State will have played two more games while Miami and Indiana will have played three more. The Buckeyes and Hoosiers do not play each other during the regular season.

The SEC owns the next three spots in the poll — Texas A&M (6-0), Ole Miss (6-0) and Alabama (5-1), respectively. Texas Tech (6-0), Oregon (5-1), Georgia (5-1) and LSU (5-1) round out the rest of the top 10. No. 5 Ole Miss travels to No. 9 Georgia for the marquee game on Saturday’s schedule.

The Ducks tumbled five spots after their 18-game home winning streak ended against Indiana. Ole Miss dropped one spot after it rallied to topple Washington State 24-21 in a home game the Rebels were favored to win by more than 30 points.

The SEC also maintained a large presence in the second 10 as Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, BYU, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Virginia, South Florida and Southern California comprise Nos. 11 through 20. Oklahoma dropped from sixth to 14th following a 23-6 neutral-field loss to Texas in the Red River Rivalry – while the South Florida bumped from 24th to 19th thanks to a 63-36 road win over previously unbeaten North Texas.

No. 20 USC led a quintet of schools that leaped into the poll on the strength of big wins. No. 21 Texas, No. 23 Utah, No. 24 Cincinnati and No. 25 Nebraska are new this week while No. 22 Memphis climbed one spot. This marks just the third week since 2019 Nebraska has earned a spot in the Top 25.

Michigan (which list at USC), Illinois, Arizona State (which lost at Utah), Iowa State (lost at unranked Colorado) and Florida State (lost at home to Pitt) dropped out of the poll. Only the Wolverines and Fighting Illini received votes.

The full Top 25:

1. Ohio State (6-0)
2. Miami (5-0)
3. Indiana (6-0)
4. Texas A&M (6-0)
5. Ole Miss (6-0)
6. Alabama (5-1)
7. Texas Tech (6-0)
8. Oregon (5-1)
9. Georgia (5-1)
10, LSU (5-1)
11. Tennessee (5-1)
12. Georgia Tech (6-0)
13. Notre Dame (4-2)
14. Oklahoma (5-1)
15. BYU (6-0)
16. Missouri (5-1)
17. Vanderbilt (5-1)
18. Virginia (5-1_
19. South Florida (5-1)
20. USC (5-1)
21. Texas (4-2)
22. Memphis (6-0)
23. Utah (5-1)
24. Cincinnati (5-1)
25. Nebraska (5-1)

–Field Level Media

Oct 4, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) celebrates his touchdown with teammates during the second quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

No. 1 Ohio State steamrolls Minnesota behind Julian Sayin’s 3 TDs

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Julian Sayin threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns and Carnell Tate set a career high with 183 receiving yards along with a touchdown as No. 1 Ohio State steamrolled Minnesota 42-3 on Saturday in Columbus.

The victory gave Ryan Day a 75-10 record (88.2 percent) to become the all-time career winning percentage leader in major college history, moving ahead of Notre Dame’s Knute Rockne’s 88.1 percent from 1918-30.

Sayin was 23 of 27, Tate had a personal best nine catches and Jeremiah Smith had 67 yards and two touchdowns off seven receptions.

Ohio State spotted the Golden Gophers a 3-0 lead on their first drive but it was the Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) who reeled off 21 unanswered points for a 21-3 halftime lead with Sayin and Tate igniting the offense. Tate had a 48-yard reception and Smith followed with a 31-yard catch to the 2 before CJ Donaldson ran in from the 1 for a 7-3 lead to end the first quarter.

Tate’s 49-yard catch-and-run set up a third-down TD pass to Jeremiah Smith at the left sideline to make it 14-3 early in the second quarter.

After Minnesota (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) was stuffed for no gain on a fourth-and-1 from its 44, the Buckeyes needed just eight seconds to go ahead 21-3. That’s amount of time it took for Sayin to connect with Tate in the end zone.

Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey was 15 of 26 for 94 yards. The Golden Gophers had 162 total yards, with 66 coming on their first series.

Ohio State has allowed only 25 points and two touchdowns this season.

Midway through the third quarter, the Buckeyes used a cross-field lateral from Brandon Inniss to Lorenzo Styles for a 36-yard gain to the Minnesota 20 on a punt return to enable Bo Jackson to run in from the 5 three plays later to make it 28-3.

Smith added a 9-yard TD reception on the first play of the fourth quarter to up the advantage to 35-3.

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) catches a pass against Ohio Bobcats cornerback Michael Mack II (9) in the second half at the Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.

‘It’s Ohio State’: Washington prepares for No. 1 Buckeyes in clash of unbeatens

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If the Washington players wanted to spend a little extra time savoring their victory over rival Washington State last Saturday, Huskies coach Jedd Fisch quickly dismissed their intentions.

“We put the Apple Cup to rest yesterday,” he said Monday of his team’s 59-24 victory.

That’s because the Huskies (3-0) will host No. 1 Ohio State (3-0) on Saturday afternoon in Seattle in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

“They’re very disciplined. They know their assignments,” Fisch said. “It’s Ohio State; they’re always going to have a great defense. They’re always going to have a great offense and a great kicking game. That’s why they win as much as they win.

“Our game is the game that everyone will tune in on. What else do you need to know? What else do you need to do?”

Washington will be challenged going against an Ohio State offense that features receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, who have combined for 32 catches for 534 yards and six touchdowns this season.

Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin has thrown for 779 yards and eight TDs, with three interceptions.

Fisch said Huskies linebacker Taariq Al-Uqdah will not play after sustaining a left knee injury against Washington State, and cornerback Tacario Davis is questionable following an upper-body injury suffered in a 70-10 rout of UC Davis on Sept. 6.

Saturday’s game will match Ohio State’s defense — which is tied with BYU for the average fewest points allowed (5.3) in the nation — vs. the Washington offense, which is second in points (55.7).

Huskies running back Jonah Coleman leads the country with nine rushing touchdowns while the Buckeyes are one four teams (Florida State, Minnesota and Penn State are the others) that haven’t allowed a rushing TD.

“He’s a really good back,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said of Coleman. “This is somebody who runs really physical, runs really hard, has really good vision. Can catch the ball out of the backfield.”

The Buckeyes also must contend with dual-threat quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who passed for 298 yards, rushed for 88 and accounted for five touchdowns (four passing and one rushing) against Washington State.

Day compared him to Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray.

“He’s a tremendous talent, and it’s going to be a good challenge for our team,” Day said of Williams.

This will be the Buckeyes’ first road game of the season after wins against then-No. 1 Texas (14-7 score) in the opener, Grambling State (70-0) and Ohio (37-9).

Ohio State did not play last weekend.

“We know this is going to be a great challenge, being on the road, a very good team,” Day said. “For these guys, this group, it will be our first time on the road. Whatever we’ve done in the first three games means absolutely nothing going into this game. We’ve got to go on the road and get this win.

“We’re expecting a great environment, and that’s what’s a great part about being on the road, you get to go into these environments and you get a feel for what it’s like.”

Washington has won 22 games in a row at home, the second-longest streak in the country behind Georgia’s 34.

“We’re going to continue to do the best we can to keep the streak going, but we’ve got the No. 1 team in the country here,” Fisch said. “So we have to make sure that we are ready for what will be an absolute challenge, to say the least.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Max Klare (86) celebrates his touchdown during the second quarter against the Ohio Bobcats at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Despite red-zone mistakes, No. 1 Ohio State tops Ohio

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Julian Sayin threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns to help No. 1 Ohio State overcome its red-zone flubs for a 37-9 victory over visiting Ohio in Columbus on Saturday.

The Buckeyes (3-0) led 16-9 in the third quarter before Sayin (25 of 32, two interceptions) threw TD passes of 47 yards to Jeremiah Smith and 49 to Carnell Tate to make it 30-9 early in the fourth quarter before Smith added a 17-yard rushing score for a 37-9 lead.

Smith made nine catches for 153 yards, Tate’s five catches went for 101 yards and freshman Bo Jackson ran for 109 yards on nine carries.

The Buckeyes drove inside the 10 three times that resulted in two fields and a turnover on downs plus there was another possession stalled at the 20 that led to a field goal.

Ohio (1-2) has lost all seven games against the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes had an eye-popping statistical advantage but had little to show for it in taking a 13-3 halftime lead. Ohio State led in total yards (278-28), passing (199-23), rushing (79-5), plays (39-2) and first downs (16-3).

They had two series that drove inside the 10 that combined for 19 plays, 129 yards and 8:57 off the clock but the only points were a 20-yard field goal from Jayden Fielding.

The Buckeyes also had to settle for a 38-yard field goal before finally breaking through with 2:29 left in the half on a 16-yard TD catch by former Purdue tight end Max Klare.

Ohio made it 13-3 on a 44-yard field goal by Brack Peacock with 24 seconds left before halftime after a Michael Mack II interception.

Bobcats quarterback Parker Navarro was injured early in the second quarter but returned on the first drive of the third quarter and on the second play threw a 67-yard touchdown to Chase Hendricks. Peacock missed the extra point.

Ohio State responded with a 64-yard run by Jackson to the 11 but the Bobcats stiffened and forced a 22-yard field goal to make it 16-9.

Navarro was 6 of 13 for 94 yards.

–Field Level Media