Ohio State spring practice opens with 4 pressure points that could define 2026 depth

Ohio State starts spring practice with a roster strong enough to fuel lofty expectations, yet unsettled enough to make every rep feel like a referendum on the program’s next phase. The early sessions are less about polish than triage: replacing departed starters, sorting out position battles, and measuring whether young, highly rated players can translate promise into reliability. With spring work beginning Tuesday and building toward an April 18 scrimmage, the Buckeyes enter a stretch where depth decisions can quietly shape the 2026 season long before game weeks arrive.

Why Ohio State’s spring matters right now: turnover meets expectation

Ohio State finished 12-2 last season but lost its last two games, a closing note that naturally heightens scrutiny on what comes next. The immediate structural issue is personnel loss: the Buckeyes have eight starters to replace from a defense described as one of the top units in college football. That kind of turnover doesn’t just create openings; it forces a recalibration of communication, trust, and role clarity—especially when the roster is regarded as one of the most talented in the country and is already tied to an early No. 2 ranking in Stewart Mandel’s early Top 25.

Those two realities—elite talent and real gaps—create the defining tension of this spring. The coaching staff must decide whether to prioritize fast tracking young players into meaningful roles or building more conservative depth layers, especially with “a few notable position battles on offense” also on the docket.

Quarterbacks and the hidden aim of spring: building a trustworthy No. 2

The most consequential spring storyline can be less about who starts and more about who becomes dependable behind the starter. Julian Sayin is the returning quarterback presence noted here, and behind him is St. Clair, a five-star recruit and the No. 7 player in the 2025 class. Spring practice is framed as crucial for St. Clair to get important reps, show development, and “build trust as a quality backup” after Lincoln Kienholz transferred to Louisville.

The stakes are unusually specific: St. Clair has attempted only two passes—with zero completions—in one appearance in 2025. That is not a condemnation; it is simply a reminder that game-grade evidence is thin, which shifts the burden of proof onto practice performance and daily consistency. This is where Ohio State’s spring format matters. The process is not just competition—it is credibility building, a chance to demonstrate command of the offense, decision-making under pressure, and readiness to function if forced into meaningful snaps.

There is also an organizational implication. St. Clair is described as a possible starter as soon as 2027 if Sayin leaves for the NFL. That future-facing scenario amplifies the importance of a strong spring: it is an early checkpoint in whether the program’s quarterback succession plan is on schedule or needs adjustment.

Injuries at running back create opportunity—and a deadline for clarity

The running back room is shaped by availability. Ohio State brings back two talented backs in Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, but both are expected to miss the spring after shoulder surgery following their freshman seasons. That absence turns spring into a proving ground for the rest of the depth chart—an environment where practice reps are not merely developmental but potentially determinative.

One immediate beneficiary is Jackson, a Florida transfer who arrived this spring for his final year of eligibility. His résumé carries both promise and caution: he battled injuries and appeared in just four games in 2025, yet his 2024 season included 509 yards and seven touchdowns on 95 carries. The spring window becomes a practical audition to show durability, fit, and the ability to handle the expanded workload that injuries elsewhere can create.

The competition is active behind him as well. Redshirt freshman Anthony “Turbo” Rogers and freshmen Legend Bey and Favour Akih will compete for snaps, but Jackson is positioned as the most experienced option when practice begins. In a spring defined by absences, experience can become a currency—especially in an offense trying to stabilize multiple areas at once.

Receiver transition tests Ohio State’s depth model and coaching response

If any unit captures how quickly a comfortable pipeline can turn into a wide-open contest, it is wide receiver. The group is in “major transition, ” with coach Brian Hartline leaving for USF, Carnell Tate going to the NFL, and backups Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham transferring to Notre Dame. Even for a program known for receiving talent, those departures force a different kind of spring: one where roles are not inherited so much as earned, and where rotations may replace a clean, traditional depth chart.

Ohio State still has Jeremiah Smith, described here as the best receiver in the country. But the story is what comes after the headliner. The list of contenders underscores the breadth of the tryout: senior Brandon Inniss; freshmen Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd, and Jerquaden Guilford; plus transfers Kyle Parker (LSU) and Devin McCuin (UTSA). The strategic goal is explicit: the Buckeyes want to see more explosiveness from this group, and the competitive environment of spring is the mechanism to draw it out.

This also becomes an early test for new receivers coach Cortez Hankton to manage a room that may “rotate more this year. ” Rotation can be a strength if it reflects depth and complementary skills; it can be a weakness if it signals uncertainty. The spring will be the first meaningful indicator of which direction Ohio State is trending.

Tight end and the broader theme: replacing departures without losing identity

Ohio State brought in two transfer tight ends to make up for three departures, but the player identified to watch is a returner: Roberts, a high-priority recruit out of Oklahoma. Even without full detail here, the underlying dynamic is clear. The spring is not simply about plugging holes—it is about determining whether returning talent can anchor continuity while newcomers supply support. That distinction matters because it affects how an offense can call plays, how it uses personnel packages, and how it maintains a recognizable identity while cycling in new contributors.

Across positions, the pattern repeats: roster talent is not the question; role certainty is. For Ohio State, spring practice is a controlled setting to decide which players can be trusted in high-leverage moments and which units require schematic or personnel adjustments to protect the team’s ceiling.

By the time the April 18 scrimmage arrives, the most important outcomes may not be the highlight plays but the quiet confirmations: a reliable backup at quarterback, a running back rotation shaped by availability, and a receiver room that turns transition into competition rather than confusion. The bigger question is whether Ohio State will exit spring with clear answers—or simply sharper questions that carry into the 2026 build.