Ohio State’s 2026 captain group is already a big one, and Ryan Day made that clear over the weekend when he announced seven names for the Buckeyes. It’s the seventh time in school history Ohio State has had at least seven captains, the first time since 2020, and the third time under Day that the number has reached seven.
Austin Siereveld and Brandon Inniss are back as captains for a second straight year, and they’re joined this season by safety Jaylen McClain, quarterback Julian Sayin, defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr., linebacker Payton Pierce, and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State’s captain eligibility rules limit the pool to juniors, seniors, and fifth-year players.
The obvious next question is simple: if you could add one more Buckeye to that group, who would it be?
Brett’s pick is Luke Montgomery, and the case starts with the idea that one offensive line captain doesn’t have to be the only one. Siereveld is already there, and Montgomery would fit right alongside him as another lineman with leadership value. The two have traveled a similar road in Columbus, both Ohio high school products who started getting real run in the second half of the 2024 season before becoming full-time starters last year.
Siereveld already has captain experience after being selected in 2025. Montgomery doesn’t.
But Brett points to the same kind of edge both players carried into the 2024 playoff push, and says that feeling is back after Ohio State’s season ended in 2025 with the line struggling to slow down the Indiana and Miami defenses in the final two games. Since then, Montgomery and the rest of the front have spent the offseason grinding toward what they hope becomes a deeper postseason run.
Montgomery has also said this offseason that he feels like a leader, and Brett believes that shows up in the way he carries himself. Even without the formal title, he sees Montgomery as essentially a captain already - just one without the label.
Matt went in a different direction and chose Earl Little Jr., even though the Florida State transfer hasn’t played a snap for Ohio State yet. That’s the twist. Little arrived in Columbus this offseason after a strong run at Florida State, where he started his career at Alabama as a top-100 prospect, then transferred to Tallahassee ahead of the 2024 season and emerged as the Seminoles’ best defensive back.
In 2025, Little started 11 games and led Florida State with 76 tackles. He also had 4 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 2 tackles for loss, and 2 pass breakups.
His four picks ranked fourth in the ACC and 16th nationally, and they were the most by a Florida State player since 2021. That production earned him second-team All-ACC honors, but it also came with captain status, Florida State’s Defensive MVP award, and the Bobby Bowden Leadership Award.
That résumé matters here. Matt points out that Little already has proof of leadership from his time in Tallahassee, and the early signs out of Columbus have matched it.
Ryan Day said in the spring that Little had already “earned the respect of his teammates” during offseason workouts, and by the end of March he was calling him one of the Buckeyes’ early “bright spots.” Day praised his speed, communication, and work in the weight room, then said Little started showing up around the football once the pads came on.
That momentum has carried into summer and preseason camp, where Little has sounded like someone ready to take charge of the back end of the defense. Jaylen McClain already gives the secondary a captain, but Matt notes that the offense has two wide receiver captains, so the idea of doubling up in the defensive backfield isn’t out of bounds.
Would it have been a surprise to see a transfer who just got to campus eight months ago voted captain? Absolutely. But Matt argues it wouldn’t have been shocking, either, given Little’s previous captaincy, his production, and the way he’s already fit into the leadership structure.
He also sees a bigger ripple effect. Little’s outside perspective and experience could help BIA handle the departures of Caleb Downs, Davison Igbinosun, Lorenzo Styles Jr., and other talented players, and maybe push the corners and safeties to an even higher level.
Even without the captain title, that impact could still happen. If he had been added to the group, though, it would have been a strong signal about just how much he has already changed the room.
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It is the kind of issue that can stay quiet until it suddenly matters, especially for a program with the expectations Ohio State carries every fall. The starter spot is spoken for, but the teams comfort level behind him remains unresolved, and a recent press conference along with the Buckeye Talk position-confidence discussion only put a finer point on how much attention this battle is still drawing. [Read more 🡒]