The air in Columbus feels different this January. Normally, we’d be arguing about whether the Buckeyes got snubbed by a playoff committee or dissecting a national title win like the one Ryan Day pulled off back in early 2025. But right now? The vibe is a weird mix of urgency and "what on earth is happening with the coaching staff?"
If you’ve been scrolling through your feed looking for ohio st football news, you know the transfer portal just closed its doors on Friday night. It was a chaotic window. Ohio State saw 31 players walk out. Think about that for a second. That’s nearly an entire recruiting class and then some, vanished.
But honestly, don’t freak out yet.
While the exodus was huge, the "reload" has been surgical. Ryan Day isn’t just grabbing warm bodies; he’s essentially raiding the SEC to fix a defense that got exposed by Miami in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
The Defensive "Reload" is Real
Let’s talk about the secondary. It was a problem in that 24-14 loss to the Hurricanes. Buckeyes fans watched as the coverage folded at the worst possible moments. So, what does Day do? He goes out and grabs Dominick Kelly from Georgia.
Kelly is a fascinating piece. He was a top-tier cornerback prospect who reclassified, and getting him out of Athens is a massive win for Jim Knowles’ system. He joins a list of SEC transfers that includes names like Earl Little Jr. (Florida State via Alabama roots) and Cam Calhoun. Basically, the Buckeyes’ defensive backfield is going to have a very heavy Southern accent in 2026.
Then there’s the defensive line. We just got word on Thursday that Kenyatta Jackson Jr. is staying. That is huge. Huge.
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Most people expected him to bolt for the NFL Draft after a season where he put up 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. By coming back for his fifth year, he’s not just chasing a ring; he’s likely looking to turn himself into a first-round pick. He’ll be wearing that No. 2 jersey—the one Chase Young made famous—and he’ll have Qua Russaw, another Alabama transfer, starting opposite him.
The interior is getting a facelift too. James Smith and John Walker are coming in to plug those gaps that were occasionally wide open last season.
The Coordinator Chaos Nobody Expected
Here’s where things get a little messy. This is the ohio st football news that actually has people worried. Brian Hartline is gone.
It’s still weird to say. The guy who built the "Wide Receiver U" reputation in Columbus took the head coaching job at South Florida. We knew it would happen eventually, but the timing—right before the Big Ten Championship—was a gut punch.
And yet, as of mid-January, Ryan Day still hasn't named a replacement.
Why the wait?
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The rumor mill is spinning like crazy. Some folks think he’s waiting for the NFL playoffs to end so he can snag someone like Brian Daboll. Daboll is a big name, but the latest is that he’s interviewing for the Tennessee Titans head coaching gig. If he lands an NFL job, Day might have to look inward.
There’s talk about promoting Keenan Bailey, the tight ends coach. Or maybe, just maybe, Day goes back to calling plays himself. Fans have mixed feelings about that. When Day was the "CEO" in 2024, they won it all. When things got tight in 2025, the offense felt... stagnant.
The Julian Sayin Factor
We have to talk about the quarterback. Julian Sayin is the guy now. No more "will he, won't he" with the depth chart. With Will Howard gone and Devin Brown heading to Cal, the keys to the Ferrari belong to the sophomore.
Sayin has the talent—everyone knows that—but he’s only had a handful of meaningful college dropbacks. He’s accurate and quick, sort of like a young Drew Brees, but he isn't the bruising runner that Day sometimes likes to use in the red zone.
The success of the 2026 season literally rests on two things:
- Can the offensive line actually protect him? (They were 63rd in PFF grades last year. Not great.)
- Who is going to be whispering in his ear on the headset?
What Most People Are Missing
Everyone is focused on the stars like Jeremiah Smith—who is still the best player in college football, by the way—but the real story is the depth.
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Ohio State lost 31 players to the portal. You can’t just replace that kind of institutional knowledge with 16 transfers and a freshman class. The Buckeyes are going to be young in places they haven't been young in a long time.
The schedule isn't doing them any favors either. After a 12-2 season that felt like a disappointment (only at Ohio State is 12-2 a "down" year), the pressure to bounce back is immense.
Moving Forward: What to Watch For
If you're trying to keep up with the latest ohio st football news, stop looking at the recruiting rankings for a minute and watch the coaching carousel. That offensive coordinator hire is the final piece of the puzzle.
If Day lands a big fish from the NFL, it signals a "win-now" mentality that might involve another aggressive run in the spring portal window. If he stays internal, it means he’s betting on himself to fix the play-calling issues that plagued them against Miami.
Your 2026 Buckeye Checklist:
- The OC Hire: Expect news once the NFL Divisional or Championship rounds wrap up. If it's not Daboll, keep an eye on Todd Monken if things go south in Baltimore.
- Spring Ball Battles: Watch the left side of the offensive line. They kept their starters, but they need to be better than "sub-70 PFF grade" better.
- Kenyatta Jackson's Leadership: He’s the veteran now. How he molds the young SEC transfers on that line will determine if this defense stays #1 in the country.
The 2025 season showed that talent alone doesn't win titles in the new 12-team playoff era. It takes a specific kind of toughness in the trenches—something the Buckeyes are clearly trying to buy, recruit, and develop before the 2026 kickoff.
Keep an eye on the waiver wires and the practice reports coming out of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. The roster is set, but the identity of this team is still very much under construction.