Five freshmen who will make an impact for Ohio State football in 2026

Apr 18, 2026; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. (15) sprints out of the rain storms following the second half as part of the annual spring game at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

We have made it to May, which means we are four months away from the start of the college football season for Ohio State.

Spring practices wrapped up a couple weeks ago for Ryan Day’s team, so for now all is quiet for Buckeye Nation. Hopefully it will stay that way since in the past May has been rocky at times. Most notably the school parting ways with Jim Tressel because of the “Tatgate” scandal happened at the end of May.

With it being a slower time of the year, I’m going to really lean into May being the fifth month of the year. What better way to do that then by highlighting some different categories in groups of five?

With a team with so much returning talent, a bunch of exciting transfers, promising freshmen, and rich traditions it shouldn’t be too hard to find some fun topics to help this month fly by and work our way even closer to Ohio State’s first game of the season.

To start things off we are going to look at Ohio State’s true freshmen who could make an impact in 2026.

It used to be teams and their fanbases lived and died by the recruiting classes that were put together for high school prospects. The transfer portal has taken away some of the importance of identifying talent before they sign their LOI. It’s still necessary to have a strong recruiting class to compliment any transfer portal additions.

A couple freshmen should be able to step on the field immediately and make an impact for Ohio State, while others should see their reps increase throughout the season as they become more comfortable at the college level.

Then there are injuries that will undoubtedly pop up which could thrust some freshmen into action. The mix of young talent Ohio State has amassed to go along with quality veterans should make the Buckeyes a national title contender again this season.

1) Chris Henry Jr.

For years Chris Henry Jr. has been talked about as the next great Ohio State wide receiver. Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jeremiah Smith, and now it’s time for Chris Henry Jr. to introduce himself to the college football world.

The son of NFL wide receiver Chris Henry is the top receiver in this year’s recruiting class after averaging 25 yards per catch in a shortened senior season.

Opposing defensive coordinators must already be having sleepless nights trying to figure out how they are going to cover both Jeremiah Smith and Chris Henry Jr. As if that wasn’t scary enough, the two dynamic receivers will have a Heisman Trophy finalist throwing the football to them. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith didn’t have weapons like this during his time in the NFL.

Even though Henry is one of the most talked about incoming freshmen heading into the 2026 season, he doesn’t have to do it all from the start. It’ll help Henry grow into his role that he has Smith and Brandon Inniss to look up to and get advice from.

Even if Henry does struggle at times as a freshman, he has something that can’t be taught. Size. Expect Henry to be looked at often in the red zone, since it’s going to be hard for defensive backs to handle the height of Henry in the end zone.

2) Brock Boyd

For as impressive as Henry’s measurables are, the most talked about wide receiver during spring practices was Brock Boyd. The three-star recruit from Texas was the first freshman to lose his black stripe, which is quite an accomplishment considering the athletes the Buckeyes have brought in.

Former wide receivers coach Brian Hartline might have found Ohio State a steal when it comes to Boyd, who has the look of a player who wasn’t rated properly by the recruiting “experts”. It’s not like Boyd didn’t have plenty of eyeballs on him in high school since he played at Southlake Carroll, which is one of the prominent high school football programs in Texas. All Boyd did at Southlake Carroll was set the school’s career receiving yardage record.

Jeremiah Smith and Chris Henry Jr. are going to demand the majority of the attention in the passing game, which could open up the middle of the field for someone like Brock Boyd.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Boyd turn into a receiver along the lines of Anthony Gonzalez or Dane Sanzenbacher. With how quickly he is earning the respect of the coaching staff, Boyd shouldn’t have to wait too long to get an opportunity.

3) Legend Bey

Injuries kept running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West on the sidelines during spring practices, which gave Legend Bey an opportunity to show why he could be a factor for the Buckeyes over the next few seasons.

Unfortunately Bey didn’t get a full spring, as he was ruled out of the spring game because of an injury, but he did at least make some noise when he was healthy enough to take the field.

What makes Bey such an intriguing prospect is his versatility. Bey was a dual-threat quarterback in high school in Texas, rushing for over 4,000 yards and passing for over 3,500 yards during his career, accounting for 94 touchdowns.

With incredible speed, Bey is the type of player you find a way to get the football in his hands, because special things could happen.

Since Jackson and West have established themselves at running back after strong freshman seasons, Ohio State doesn’t need Bey to carry the football 15-20 times a game. Bey could be used like Curtis Samuel was during Urban Meyer’s time as head coach, or even how Meyer used Percy Harvin at Florida.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Legend become a Buckeye legend by the time his college career is over.

4) Cincere Johnson

Is Cincere Johnson going to step in and be a starter from day one? No, but Ohio State doesn’t need him to be.

The Buckeyes already have Peyton Pierce, Christian Alliegro, and Riley Pettijohn. That doesn’t mean Johnson won’t see the field at all as a freshman. The Glenville product is too talented to keep on the sidelines.

During his time in high school, Johnson had three straight seasons where he recorded at least 100 tackles. As a senior, Johnson notched 112 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks.

Linebackers coach James Laurinaitis and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will likely find a way to deploy Johnson in certain situations. The four-star recruit was the top prospect in Ohio and has the look of being the next great Buckeye linebacker.

5) Sam Greer

Obviously in most situations if a true freshman is taking the field on the offensive line either something has gone horribly wrong or there was a rash of injuries.

While Ohio State would likely prefer to not have to play Greer if they don’t have to in 2026, the Akron native has the size and athleticism that would see him start for many teams around the country as a freshman. Greer also excelled on the basketball court, earning Division I scholarship offers before turning his full focus to football.

With the length of the college football season now being longer than ever, depth in the trenches is paramount for teams with national championship hopes.

In 2024, the Buckeyes lost both Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin to injury. Even though Ohio State likely doesn’t have plans for Greer to see a ton of action, they might be forced to start him if injuries hit the offensive line hard.

At least Greer has the look of a player who could become the anchor of the line in the future.