The Ohio State Buckeyes need to be much improved next year when they take the field. Here are two position groups that have taken the biggest leap.
The Ohio State Buckeyes were simply not good enough last year to get where they wanted to go. For the Buckeyes, they have approached this offseason with actual goals in mind.
They knew that on both sides of the ball, it doesn't matter what their skill positions have if they can't win at the line of scrimmage; none of it matters. In their two losses last year, the Buckeyes got dominated at the line of scrimmage, and it led to losses between the two teams that played in the National Championship.
Ohio State's staff went to work.
In the transfer portal, three of their most important portal acquisitions were on the defensive line. The very first one was four-star tackle John Walker from UCF. Walker is a prototypical defensive tackle who is massive in the middle and eats up space.
They didn't stop there. The next defensive line acquisition was the tandem from Alabama who have done everything in their football careers together. Qua Russaw and James Smith transferred up from Tuscaloosa together to become a really formidable front for the Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes are set for the 2026 season, but they still were not done yet. They have the future setup in place, as well as having signed two five-star high school prospects for the 2027 class.
The Buckeyes will be much improved on the defensive line in both the short term and the long term. They made one of their weaknesses a position of strength, and that will absolutely pay dividends in the years to come.
On offense, there are only two position groups that could even qualify for this. First would be the offensive line, and second would be the running back position.
In an effort to not just talk about the lines of scrimmage, the Buckeyes' backfield is going to take a major step up next year. Outside of the addition of Legend Bey, they didn't do anything more to add to the room, other than getting their young stars healthy.
Both Bo Jackson and Isaiah West missed spring ball to get offseason surgery on their shoulders. They will be back next year, healthy and ready to go, which will be a major improvement for the Buckeyes' backfield.
Ohio State's most improved position groups are the defensive line and the running back position. Win the line of scrimmage and win the football game. The Buckeyes are committed to doing that in 2026.
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