As Ohio State football opens camp, who are its most intriguing players?

Yahoo

31-07-2025

Ohio State opens training camp on July 31 with both plenty of talent and loads of inexperience.
Most of the key players from last year's national championship team are in the NFL, leaving behind an Ohio State roster with many questions. Sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and junior safety Caleb Downs are perhaps the two best players in the country. Senior linebacker Sonny Styles is another proven star.
But whether Ohio State can make another run at the national title will be determined by whether others emerge.
Here is a list of the most intriguing players for the Buckeyes as they aim to repeat as national champions for the first time in school history:
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin
Sayin and redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz will battle for the quarterback job during camp. Sayin, a redshirt freshman, was ahead of Kienholz on the depth chart last year, so he's the presumptive favorite.
Sayin is not Will Howard. At 6-1 and 210 pounds, he's shorter and lighter. Sayin also has a more laid-back personality than Howard, though he has plenty of inner fire.
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What Sayin does have is an accurate arm and a quick release. He feels the pocket well and can make throws from all angles. Sayin isn't the powerful runner that Howard was, but he is capable of scrambling for first downs.
Sayin was the top-rated quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class. He signed with Alabama before leaving when Nick Saban retired.
Now he has a chance to become the latest in OSU's line of star quarterbacks. He (or Kienholz) will need to be if the Buckeyes are to make another playoff run.
RB James Peoples
With TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins gone, the Buckeyes need running backs to step up, and Peoples is at the top of the list. He impressed as a freshman last year and looks ready for a big role.
Peoples doesn't have the speed of Henderson – few do – and is 15 pounds lighter than Judkins, but the Buckeyes feel good about him. Peoples runs hard and can make people miss.
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He won't have to do it alone. Ohio State wants to continue its tandem approach, and West Virginia transfer C.J. Donaldson ran for 32 touchdowns and over 2,000 yards in three years as a Mountaineer.
Donaldson has shed weight since arriving at Ohio State but is still more of a power runner.
LT Ethian Onianwa
Donovan Jackson saved OSU's season in 2024 when he moved from left guard to left tackle following Josh Simmons' season-ending knee injury. Now Onianwa is poised to take over that critical spot protecting the quarterback's blind side.
Onianwa comes from Rice, hardly a powerhouse, but Onianwa is a quality player. Many were surprised he didn't enter the NFL draft after the '24 season. He allowed only one sack and two pressures last year, according to Pro Football Focus.
Like Donaldson, the 6-foot-6 Onianwa has dropped weight since his arrival, losing 30 pounds so that he now weighs around 330. He has impressed coaches and teammates not only with his physical ability but also with his work ethic and intelligence. He majored in bioengineering and sociology at Rice.
TE Max Klare
A year ago, the Buckeyes' tight end room was full of questions. Now it is among the deepest on the team, and Klare is the headliner.
A potential All-American, Klare was a rare bright spot for a terrible Purdue team last year. The Cincinnati St. Xavier product caught 51 passes, more than double any other Boilermaker. His 685 receiving yards were 320 more than anyone else on the team.
Klare joins a room that includes Will Kacmarek, Jelani Thurman and Bennett Christian. All should be able to carve out roles.
DT Kayden McDonald
Ty Hamilton didn't get the acclaim of others on Ohio State's defense last year, but he was vital to its success at nose guard. Now the Buckeyes need McDonald to fill that hole.
The 326-pounder excelled in that role last year, especially in goal-line situations. But can he play at least 40-50 snaps per game and retain his effectiveness? Depth at defensive tackle is one of the team's biggest questions.
The Buckeyes need McDonald to be both effective and durable.
DEs Beau Atkinson and Logan George
Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau are huge losses at defensive end, but the Buckeyes feel pretty good about having experienced backups Kenyatta Jackson and Caden Curry take over as starters.
The bigger question is who can provide solid play along with them. Transfers Beau Atkinson and Logan George are possibilities. Atkinson led North Carolina with 7½ sacks and 25 pressures last year as a redshirt sophomore.
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George is making the leap from Idaho State, where he had a Big Sky Conference-leading 18½ tackles for a loss, including 6½ sacks, a year ago. Idaho State played a 3-3-5 defense, so George has to adjust to OSU's four-man defensive front. But the early returns from spring practice were promising.
Another name to watch is C.J. Hicks, the former five-star linebacker who has shifted to edge rusher.
LB Arvell Reese
Reese played well as OSU's third linebacker last year, totaling 43 tackles. With Cody Simon gone, Reese will be a full-time player this year alongside Styles.
He has the size and athletic ability to become a star. Linebackers coach James Laurinaitis marveled at Reese's talent during the spring. If Reese can tap into that consistently, he and Styles could form the best linebacker duo in the country.
CB Davison Igbinosun
The senior cornerback is fearless, confident and physical. His swagger set the tone for the secondary since his arrival as a transfer from Ole Miss two years ago.
There is just one major flaw in his game. Aggressiveness is fine, but he must learn not to cross the line. He was flagged for pass interference 19 times (three were declined) in 2024. For offenses facing third-and-long, it became a smart play to throw in his direction and hope for a penalty. Igbinosun even took to wearing mittens in practice to try to tame his aggressiveness.
With Denzel Burke gone, Igbinosun must be the leader on a unit that includes Jermaine Mathews Jr., Aaron Scott and five-star freshman Devin Sanchez.
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Ohio State football beat writer Bill Rabinowitz can be reached at [e-mail] or on bluesky at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Which Ohio State football players need to step up in 2025?