Ohio
Projecting Ohio State’s Week 1 depth chart: Jeremiah Smith starting, O-line clarity and more
Ohio State coach Ryan Day brought some clarity Tuesday to what the depth chart might look like when the Buckeyes take the field on Saturday afternoon.
He announced that Tegra Tshabola will start at right guard, although the Buckeyes will roll players along the line in the season opener against Akron. Day also said that Sonny Styles will start at will linebacker, beating out C.J. Hicks, but Ohio State expects Hicks to play major snaps this season.
And there’s also a piece of expected news that nevertheless is worth emphasizing: Breakout offseason star Jeremiah Smith, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2024, is slated to start right away at wide receiver.
Here’s our prediction of what the depth chart will look like in Week 1:
Quarterback
Starter: Will Howard
Backup: Devin Brown
Howard was named the starter on Aug. 16, but Day noted on Tuesday that Brown will get the backup reps against Akron. Brown apparently beat out freshman Julian Sayin and redshirt freshman Lincoln Kienholz to be second-team QB. Saturday’s game will be Howard’s to win, though, and Brown is expected to get some snaps.
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Running back
Starter: TreVeyon Henderson
Backup: Quinshon Judkins
Day said that position coach Carlos Locklyn hasn’t decided which running back will start, but both Henderson and Judkins will play. In reality, it doesn’t matter who takes the first snap, because both will play a lot. Day said they haven’t figured out what that snap count will look like, but there is a minimum number they want to get for both running backs. That carry number could look different week to week, but we should get a first look at how they play together Saturday.
Wide receiver
Starter: Emeka Egbuka, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate
Backup: Brandon Inniss, Bryson Rodgers and Jayden Ballard
Day has tried to keep the Jeremiah Smith hype down all summer, but it’s been hard to watch the former top-ranked recruit and not see how good he is. On Tuesday, Day finally went on record and said that Smith will start on Saturday, alongside Egbuka and Tate. The Smith hype could explode with a big day against the Zips.
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Tight end
Starter: Will Kacmarek
Backup: Gee Scott Jr.
Day didn’t touch on tight ends on Tuesday, but it appears Kacmarek and Scott will be the top two. I’m leaning toward Kacmarek as the starter, because of his blocking prowess, but also his additional growth as a route runner. Scott will play often, as well. The biggest question going into Week 1 is whether Jelani Thurman will get key game reps, or see more time in a backup position.
Offensive line
Starters: Left tackle Josh Simmons, left guard Donovan Jackson, center Seth McLaughlin, right guard Tegra Tshaboloa and right tackle Josh Fryar.
Backup: Left tackle George Fitzpatrick, left guard Austin Siereveld, center Carson Hinzman, right guard Luke Montgomery and right tackle Zen Michalski
The offensive line seems to be in a better position than it was before preseason camp, and Day credited that to the sickness that hit the position group. That forced Ohio State to go deeper into the lineup, and it resulted in more confidence. Tshabola was the right choice at right guard, as his athleticism should work well with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s run game.
Defensive ends
Starter: JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer
Backup: Kenyatta Jackson Jr., and Caden Curry
Tuimoloau, Sawyer, Jackson and Curry have been the top four defensive linemen since last season. Mitchell Melton is a player to watch, because he’s the fifth guy on the list, but how many snaps he gets will be the question.
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Defensive tackles
Starter: Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton
Backup: Hero Kanu and Kayden McDonald
McDonald had a great offseason and really solidified himself as the second-team 3-tech defensive tackle. Jason Moore and Tywone Malone Jr. are two other players who could crack the rotation with a strong first month of the season.
Mike linebacker
Starter: Cody Simon
Backup: Arvell Reese
Reese made one of the biggest jumps of anybody during camp. The staff has raved about him, and I expect we’ll see more of him this season than we expected coming into camp. Gabe Powers will still get reps, but it appears Reese is in a good position to back up Simon.
Will linebacker
Starter: Sonny Styles
Backup: C.J. Hicks
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles made sure to specify that he considers both Styles and Hicks as starters. But the most interesting thing Knowles said is that there may be times Styles moves to mike and Hicks plays will, to give Simon a rest. Ohio State has that much faith in Styles.
Cornerbacks
Starter: Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock and Davison Igbinosun
Backup: Jermaine Mathews Jr., Aaron Scott Jr. and Calvin Simpson-Hunt
I expect Lorenzo Styles Jr. to get playing time with the second team in some capacity, but he was hurt during the camp portions the media got to see.
Safety
Starter: Lathan Ransom and Caleb Downs
Backup: Malik Hartford and Jaylen McClain
This could be the best safety duo in the country — Ransom and Downs don’t leave the field as long as the starters are out there. Hartford and McClain, also with Jayden Bonsu, are the leaders for the second-team reps.
Special teams
Starters: punter Nick McLarty and kicker Jayden Fielding
Last week, Day announced that McLarty, the 6-foot-7 newcomer from Australia, will start at punter. Fielding should take kicks, again, after making 16 of 20 field goal attempts last season.
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How I’m predicting Ohio State’s season: Will it end in a national championship?
(Photo of Jeremiah Smith: Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today)
For the second straight year, Ohio State and Texas will stage one of the most anticipated college football games of the season early on when the Buckeyes travel to Austin on Sept. 12 in Week 2. Last year, Ohio State was able to dictate the game with its defense and won a huge matchup that boosted the Buckeyes’ résumé and likely kept Texas out of the College Football Playoff.
The same could be true in 2026, according to Fox College Football’s Joel Klatt. While appearing on his own podcast, Klatt took some time to talk about the massive collision between what should be two top-five teams when the two kick things off. He believes the winner will be in good shape, but that the loser could have an uphill climb to get into the CFP.
“The loser of this game is behind the eight-ball. Ryan Day and Steve Sarkisian know exactly how important that game was to their teams and their programs a year ago,” Klatt said. “Look at what Ohio State was able to do. They had eight new starters on defense. They generated a ton of confidence — a ton of confidence in their brand new quarterback, Julian Sayin, and their new defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia. Based on what they were able to do and how they controlled the game against Texas at home early last year.
Klatt then went on to talk about this year and the difference in teams, but also how difficult the schedules are after the titanic collision at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
“You’re going to have experienced guys — this is not Arch (Manning) in his first real experience as a starter,” continued Klatt. “This is not Julian Sayin, and his first time as a real starter. Now you’ve got incumbent quarterbacks. There’s loads of expectations. These two teams are going to start in the top five; there’s no doubt. Look at these schedules, they have remaining. Ohio State — remaining big games on the schedule after traveling to Texas. They’ve got to go on the road to Iowa, Indiana, and USC in their schedule next year, and they’ve got home games against Oregon and Michigan. That’s not easy. Same can be said for Texas. Check this out — Texas’ remaining big games, they’ve got road games at Tennessee, Missouri, LSU, and Texas A&M — that one to finish out the year. They’ve got home games against Florida and Ole Miss. Not going to be easy there, and obviously the big one, the neutral in Red River against Oklahoma. So, a loss in this game, each of these teams are going to be fighting uphill, and you’re talking about major brands that do not expect to miss the playoffs.”
We’ve been saying much the same if you’ve followed us here on Buckeyes Wire. In fact, Ohio State hasn’t lost more than two regular-season games since the 2011 season, and if they drop the game at Texas, well — it’s not like the talent isn’t there to go on a run — but with that schedule, the team could be potentially better than last year and miss out on some really big goals if a bounce or break doesn’t go the Buckeyes way.
Either way, Klatt is right. There is a lot on the line even so early in the season because of what’s ahead for both of these teams, even in a world of a 12-team College Football Playoff.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
Ohio
NECIC to host community visioning session for Mansfield’s north end in partnership with Heritage Ohio
MANSFIELD — The North End Community Improvement Collaborative, Inc. (NECIC) will host a Community Visioning Session in partnership with Heritage Ohio, Inc. on Tuesday, July 28 at 6 p.m. at the United Steelworkers Hall, located at 376 West Longview Avenue in Mansfield.
The public is invited to attend and share input on the future of Mansfield’s North End, with a focus on strengthening neighborhood revitalization efforts and identifying opportunities for continued growth and investment.
The session is part of an upcoming visit from Heritage Ohio’s Downtown Assessment Resource Team, also known as D.A.R.T. The visit is designed to help communities explore next steps for revitalization and introduce the key building blocks of a successful long term revitalization effort: organization, promotion, design, and economic vitality.
NECIC reached out to Heritage Ohio as part of its ongoing work to support revitalization in the North End, especially near the corner of Springmill Street and Bowman Street, where NECIC has been focusing recent revitalization efforts.
Since joining the organization in early 2025, NECIC President & CEO Matthew Benko- Scruggs has placed a strong focus on revitalization near the corner of Springmill Street and Bowman Street.
This work has included the organization’s move back into the neighborhood, continued investment in the area, and community centered efforts such as the Springmill Spring Cleanup event.
During the Community Visioning Session, residents, business owners, stakeholders, and other community members will have the opportunity to learn more about Heritage Ohio, the revitalization process, and ways they can help shape the future of the North End.
“We want this process to be rooted in the voices of the people who live, work, and invest in the North End,” said Benko-Scruggs. “This session is an opportunity for the community to share ideas and help guide what revitalization can look like in our neighborhood.”
Heritage Ohio, Inc. is a statewide nonprofit organization that supports the development, redevelopment, and improvement of downtowns and neighborhood districts throughout Ohio through technical assistance, training, networking, and advocacy.
Community members are encouraged to attend and take part in the conversation.
For more information, contact Director of Community Organizing Emily Schwan at 419-
522-1611, ext. 109 or Emily@necic-ohio.org.
A grand jury in Franklin County, Ohio, indicted nine people suspected of being involved in a human trafficking ring, officials said.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said in a news release on Monday that the nine people were indicted on a combined 42 felony charges in connection with the human trafficking investigation. Marcus Gant, Magon Smith, Raymond Valentine, Aimee Fabin, John W. Gibson II, Malik Jackson, Kayla Wheeler, Jeremy Lindsey, and Mackenzie Fitzpatrick face a variety of charges, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. All nine are in custody.
The news release said they are accused of using narcotics to coerce women into commercial sex work at the Econo Lodge on North Wilson Road. The suspects then laundered money through Valentine Floral on Eakin Road, officials said. The alleged crimes took place between April 2025 and January 2026.
Some of those charged face trafficking in persons, compelling prostitution and promoting prostitution charges. Of the nine, Gant faces the most charges. The 37-year-old from Columbus faces 11 different counts related to the human trafficking investigation.
The Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force led that investigation, the news release added.
According to Monday’s news release, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office has taken previous legal action against the Econo Lodge. Officials said a lawsuit was filed earlier this year against the owner of a hotel, who was accused of “neglecting to address repeated drug and violent activity on the property.” A settlement was reached.
People can report human trafficking in Ohio by calling 844-END-OHHT, texting “ENDOHHT” to 847411, downloading the END OHHT app or submitting information online.
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