NFL training camps are opening, and former Ohio State players are again spread all over the league with something to prove, something to protect, or something to chase.
That’s the backdrop as the 2026 season gets rolling for a group that includes C.J. Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr., Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, Justin Fields, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year last season. With four Buckeyes taken in the first 11 picks of April’s NFL Draft, the pipeline keeps pumping out storylines.
The question now is simple: which former Ohio State player are you most interested to watch this year?
There’s plenty to choose from. Stroud is trying to push the Houston Texans into a deep playoff run.
Harrison is looking to answer after a disappointing sophomore season with the Arizona Cardinals. Judkins and Henderson are heading into their second NFL seasons.
Fields, after playing for three different teams over the last three seasons, feels like a player on his last shot in the league. And there are others, too, from players coming back from injury to those who signed big contracts and now have to live up to them.
Brett’s pick is Chris Olave, and it’s easy to see why.
The New Orleans Saints receiver was a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and immediately looked the part, putting together 1,000-yard seasons in each of his first two years. Then came a rough stretch in 2024, when he was limited to eight games after suffering two concussions. That brought his NFL concussion total to four and left plenty of people wondering whether he should step away from the game.
Olave chose to keep going, and last season he answered with one of the best years of his career. He started 16 games and set personal highs with 100 catches, 1,163 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns.
The only game he missed was the season finale against Atlanta, when it was reported he developed a blood clot in one of his lungs. His play earned him second team All-Pro honors, and the Saints finished by winning four of their last five after a 2-10 start in Kellen Moore’s first season as head coach.
New Orleans has a real chance to make noise in the NFC South, which was won last year by the Carolina Panthers with an 8-9 record. Tyler Shough was solid as a rookie last season, going 5-4 in nine starts, and the Saints added more help at receiver by drafting Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State in the first round. Olave, Tyson, and Juwan Johnson give the Saints a dangerous group of targets, and the signing of Jacksonville running back Travis Etienne adds another layer.
Olave’s story makes him one of the easiest Buckeyes to pull for. He’s already shown what he can do when he’s healthy, and if he can stay on the field this season, New Orleans could end up being one of the league’s sleeper teams.
In Other News...
Matt Patricia Immediately Changed The Standard For Ohio State's Defense
When Matt Patricia arrived as Ohio States defensive coordinator last year, he wasted little time changing the standard in the room. His first challenge to the Buckeyes was as much about accountability as scheme, pushing players to evaluate themselves and each other and setting a tone that made every rep feel like it mattered. For a defense full of high-end talent, it was a blunt reminder that production alone would not be enough.
Caleb Downs said that approach helped him grow into a more complete player, one who was asked to handle multiple safety responsibilities and think like a pro. The experience gave him a taste of NFL-level demands while he was still in Columbus, and it is part of why Patricias impact has resonated beyond one season. The bigger question now is how much of that standard Ohio State can keep carrying forward without the player who benefited most from it. [Read more 🡒]
Arthur Smith May Finally Force Ohio State To Use Every Weapon
Arthur Smiths first offseason as Ohio States play-caller has the Buckeyes talking about more than just who gets the ball. The bigger shift could be how the offense operates, with Smith describing a plan that can speed up when the moment calls for it and slow down when it needs to, a change that should open more chances for skill players all over the field. For a roster built on depth and speed, that kind of flexibility could make the offense harder to defend and easier to spread around.
It also puts a spotlight on Julian Sayin, who may need to become more comfortable using his feet if the Buckeyes are going to take full advantage of a quicker pace. A faster, more varied attack would help the running back room and keep more receivers involved, not just the biggest names, which is why Bucknuts Dave Biddle sees this as the kind of adjustment that could finally push Ohio State toward using every weapon it has. [Read more 🡒]
Former Buckeye CJ Stroud Suddenly Faces Real Pressure In Houston
CJ Stroud arrived in Houston with the kind of buzz that usually buys a young quarterback some patience, and for a while he looked like the Texans had found exactly what they needed. He has already helped steer them to the playoffs three times in his first three seasons, with three postseason wins to show for it, but the ceiling has not moved much beyond that. The production has trended the wrong way, injuries have been part of the picture, and the former Buckeye is now heading into his fourth season with Houston still waiting on a contract extension.
That combination is why Stroud is suddenly being talked about in a different way than he was when he first took over. He is no longer just the franchise centerpiece and one of the leagues rising names, but a quarterback under real pressure to prove the trajectory can still turn upward. For a player who entered the NFL with so much momentum, the next step matters as much as anything he has already done. [Read more 🡒]