What we've learned about Ohio State football, what will it mean in Buckeyes' spring game

New York Times

10-04-2025

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State's condensed spring practice is nearly finished. The Buckeyes will conclude the four-week session with their spring game on Saturday.
Although it was originally called a 'spring showcase' when the schedule was released, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said it'll be more of a traditional game, despite other programs around the country choosing to move away from a formal spring game.
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Saturday's game will start with a 'thud' period, which will feature the established veterans and starters in a no-tackling period for the first few drives, before opening the game up the rest of the way.
A lot still needs to be worked out for the Buckeyes, including some position battles, but there are a few things we learned this spring that will be important to watch in Saturday's game.
For the third straight offseason, Ohio State entered the spring with a quarterback battle and likely will leave the spring game with it continuing into preseason practice. Quarterbacks Lincoln Kienholz and Julian Sayin have been 'neck-and-neck' this spring, Day said.
Kienholz, a sophomore who played in the 2023 Cotton Bowl, has the most experience of the three quarterbacks on the roster, which includes true freshman Tavien St. Clair. Still, Sayin, the No. 1 QB in the 2024 class, jumped him on the depth chart last season — taking over as the No. 3 QB — and completed 5-of-12 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown in five games.
This offseason, Day wiped both slates clean and gave the quarterbacks a chance to fight for the starting spot.
'They're learning,' Day said. 'There's nobody that's much further ahead of the other one right now, so they're going to continue to compete.'
Saturday is an important day for both quarterbacks because it's the closest to game action either will get before the season opener against Texas.
Texas, which likely will be a top-10 team to open the season, will give either quarterback an immediate test and limit the room for error. Last year, Ohio State didn't play a Power 4 team until the fourth game of the season. In 2023, Ohio State opened at Indiana but then played two Group of 5 teams after that before playing Notre Dame. Both years gave first-year starters Kyle McCord and Will Howard some time to get acclimated to the offense.
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Texas will be the team's biggest challenge to open a season since 2022, when the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame at home.
Due to the expanded College Football Playoff, Ohio State will have time to grow into the team it wants to be at the end of the season, but that early-season test only amplifies the importance of Saturday. A starter doesn't have to be named by the end of the spring game, but seeing how far both Sayin and Kienholz have grown will be a good start for the rest of the offseason.
The Buckeyes entered this spring with some questions on the offensive line, albeit fewer than they had a year ago. This year's questions mainly centered around what the best lineup would be, as it looked like Ohio State has about seven players fighting for a starting spot. One player who seemed lost without a true position was Austin Sierveld.
Many expected transfers Ethan Onianwa and Philip Daniels to jump into the starting spots at tackle with Luke Montgomery and Tegra Tshabola holding down the guard positions.
Siereveld, however, seems to have made an impression on new offensive line coach Tyler Bowen, offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and Day.
Reports from Ohio State's fan appreciation day scrimmage were that Siereveld was one of the starting tackles. He was also named an 'Iron Buckeye' along with Jeremiah Smith and linebacker Sonny Styles, an honor given by the strength and conditioning staff made to recognize players who exhibited leadership, toughness and shined during winter workouts.
It might be time to buy into the Siereveld stock.
'He's getting to the point where he could start at either guard or tackle,' Day said.
Ohio State is still in the process of figuring out its starting offensive line, and Saturday will be a step toward finishing that process. A good spring game from Siereveld could put him in a position to start when the season opens on Aug. 30, leaving Ohio State with just two questions: Should he start at guard or tackle? And who will take the other tackle position?
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Wide receiver was never a position of concern for the Buckeyes, who return two five-star starters from last year's national championship team: Smith, arguably the best player in the country, and Carnell Tate.
The expectation was that five-star prospect Brandon Inniss would step into the slot position, left by Emeka Egbuka, with five-star redshirt freshman Mylan Graham and four-star prospect Bryson Rodgers filling some key depth positions.
That's a talented receiving corps by itself, especially considering the good reviews surrounding Graham this spring. He said he's more confident this spring and is finally not behind schedule after arriving on campus last summer, instead of the spring.
A welcome addition has been true freshman Quincy Porter. The 6-foot-4 five-star prospect from New Jersey has made an immediate impact this spring. He was the first 2025 freshman to lose his black stripe, and his ability to high-point the ball and make contested catches has him poised to make an impact next season.
'If he can keep playing like that, he's gonna find himself playing a lot of football this year,' Day said.
If Porter does push for more playing time, this spring game could provide a glimpse at one of the most talented receiver groups in the country. Ohio State may be six deep going into the preseason, a problem that Hartline is happy to have.
One of the most intriguing battles of the spring, and one that will likely continue into the preseason, is at cornerback. Saturday will give people a live look at one of the most competitive position groups on the roster.
With Davison Igbinosun back, along with Jermaine Mathews Jr., Lorenzo Styles and former five-star prospect Aaron Scott and incoming five-star prospect Devin Sanchez, the Buckeyes have a lot of options. They are still trying to figure out who will be the starting three and have played both Mathews and Styles at nickel this spring, looking to fill the void left by Jordan Hancock.
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A lot still needs to be sorted out with this position, so don't expect it to be solved after the spring game, especially with Igbinosun likely only playing in the 'thud' portion.
Still, Saturday will show what everybody at Ohio State already knows: This is a competitive group that is deep, much like the receiving corps. It should make for a fun battle, especially as Scott and Sanchez get more time to compete on the outside.
Cornerbacks coach Tim Walton has done a nice job rebuilding the culture and talent at the position. It should be on full display on Saturday.
A key part of Ohio State's national championship run was its dominance along the defensive line.
Defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau were superstars, but the Buckeyes also lost both starting defensive tackles in Tyliek Williams and Ty Hamilton. Replacing them hasn't been easy for Ohio State, but it has been a priority.
Eddrick Houston and Kayden McDonald are the leaders there, but Day wants to see more from the entire group. There have been flashes of good play but not enough consistency.
'For us to play defense like we did last year, we're going to need those guys to step up more than they have,' Day said. 'There's ability there, but consistently playing at a certain level is a challenge and is something Coach Johnson will be pushing for over and over again. Guys have gotten better, but in order to be where we need to be next year there needs to be more growth.'
Ohio State could hit the transfer portal if it feels like it needs more depth there, but Saturday will be its last chance to put its roster to the test. And for many, it will be a first look at what the Buckeyes' new-look defensive line can do on a major stage.
(Top photo of Julian Sayin, center: Adam Cairns / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)