Four big questions Ohio State football can answer during spring game

Ohio State football ended its 2025 season with a bad taste in its mouth, dropping its final two games to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship and to Miami in the CFP quarterfinals. Now, more than three months later, there has been a ton of roster turnover, and the Buckeyes’ spring game is this Saturday.

Ohio State and Ryan Day brought in 17 transfers while 37 players entered the portal, along with a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith, leaving plenty of questions about how this team will look in 2026. With the stage set, here are four questions to keep in mind when watching Ohio State’s spring game.

Who will step up alongside Jeremiah Smith in the WR room?

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receivers Brandon Inniss (1) and Jeremiah Smith (4) line up during the first day of spring workouts for the 2026 football season at Woody Hayes Athletic Complex in Columbus on March 10, 2026.

Last season, Carnell Tate was marvelous as Ohio State’s wide receiver 2, racking up 51 catches for 875 yards and 9 touchdowns. He was the perfect Robin to Jeremiah Smith as Batman, as the two wreaked havoc on opposing defenses all season long. Now Tate is off to the NFL, where he will likely be a top 10 pick next Thursday night. So the question becomes who can fill that void, line up next to Jeremiah Smith, and take some pressure off him?

Brandon Inniss returns in 2026 and will be looking to carve out a larger role in this offense. Or could we see one of the young freshman studs steal a starting job early in their Buckeye careers in Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd, or Jerquan Guilford? Maybe one of the transfer portal additions in UTSA’s Devin McCuin or LSU’s Kyle Parker steps in right away. Time will tell, but that WR2 or Z position is wide open right now.

Will the Buckeye defense take a step back in 2026?

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia celebrates with Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles (0) and linebacker Arvell Reese (8) following the NCAA football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 1, 2025.

The 2025 Ohio State defense was historically great and the No. 1 unit in America. They allowed just 12 offensive touchdowns in 14 games and an absurd 219.1 yards per game. That group is now losing Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Kayden McDonald, Davison Igbinosun, Caden Curry, and Lorenzo Styles Jr. All of them played pivotal roles in 2025, and replacing that kind of production will not be easy.

Still, can this second-year version of Matt Patricia’s defense remain elite? In theory, it can. Ohio State did well in the transfer portal, adding experienced defensive talent at positions of need like safety and along the defensive line. Replacing players like Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, and Sonny Styles is a tall task, but the Buckeyes at least positioned themselves to handle the NFL exodus that hit this offseason.

Can the Ohio State offensive line be more cohesive this upcoming season?

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive line coach Tyler Bowen talks to linemen Ian Moore and Deontae Armstrong during the first day of spring workouts for the 2026 football season at Woody Hayes Athletic Complex in Columbus on March 10, 2026.

The Buckeyes’ offensive line was solid for most of the regular season, surrendering just six sacks through 12 games. The run game was productive, too, thanks to a consistent push up front. But when the lights were brightest, the line struggled. In the final two games against Indiana and Miami, quarterback Julian Sayin was sacked 10 times, five in each game, and the run game became predictable as Bo Jackson struggled to generate much. Reports out of spring camp have not been overly positive regarding this unit, but there is still time to clean things up.

Ohio State returns a good portion of that group and added Dartmouth transfer tackle Vasean Washington. How well this offensive line comes together will go a long way in determining how successful the entire offense can be in 2026.

Does Ohio State finally have a viable kicker?

Ohio State Buckeyes kicker Connor Hawkins (96) kicks a field goal during Student Appreciation Day spring practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on April 4, 2026.

Ohio State’s kicking game has hurt them for years, as Noah Ruggles and Jayden Fielding both missed massive kicks when the moment was massive. Fielding’s 27-yard miss against Indiana cost them that game. He then missed a 49-yarder that would have cut Ohio State’s deficit to 11 instead of 14 at halftime against Miami. Just brutal misses at the worst possible times.

So this offseason, Ohio State brought in Baylor kicker Connor Hawkins from the transfer portal to take over the job. Last season, Hawkins went 37 for 37 on extra points and 18 of 22 on field goals, including 3 of 4 from beyond 50 yards. Could he finally be the answer Ohio State fans have been searching for at kicker for the better part of half a decade? We will see.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Four big questions Ohio State football can answer during spring game