Ohio State’s fall camp is barely underway, and two freshmen are already forcing their way into the conversation.
On offense, wide receiver Quincy Henry looks like the kind of newcomer who can crack the rotation right away. The Buckeyes came close to losing him last December, when he briefly considered flipping his commitment after offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline left for the head coaching job at the University of South Florida. Henry thought it over for a few days, stuck with Ohio State, and now he could be headed for a meaningful role.
That role should begin in a crowded receiver room. Henry is expected to open the season as Ohio State’s No. 4 wideout, behind Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss and UTSA transfer Devin McCuin. The early expectation is that Henry will get a handful of snaps each game, but if he handles the workload well, he could push himself into the starting picture by midseason.
The comparison that comes up around Henry is Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State’s junior star who was rated by many scouting outlets as the No. 1 receiver in his high school class. That’s a tough standard for any freshman to meet, and it’s worth keeping in perspective. Smith arrived in 2024 and immediately became the Buckeyes’ top receiver, even with Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate also in the program - both of whom were first-round picks in the last two NFL drafts.
On the defensive side, cornerback Jordan Timmons is making a similar early impression. Ohio State already has plenty of depth there with Devin Sanchez, Jermaine Mathews Jr., Dominick Kelly and Earl Little Jr., but Timmons has still managed to get on the field with the first team at slot cornerback during the opening days of camp.
That kind of early usage matters, especially for a freshman. 247Sports ranked Timmons as the fifth cornerback in the 2026 high school class and the fourth-highest recruit in Ohio State’s class. He’s also already drawing praise from quarterback Julian Sayin, who faces him every day in practice.
“A really talented player,” Sayin said on Saturday, via ON3's Spencer Holbrook. “Somebody who is anticipating instead of reacting.
Kind of has a nose for the ball, and a really good player. He’s challenging to go against.”
Between Henry on offense and Timmons on defense, Ohio State may have a pair of freshmen who are ready to contribute sooner than expected. Timmons, in particular, could turn into an x-factor for a defense that may not have had many people pegging him for that kind of role this season.
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