Ohio State opened the 2026 NFL season with a familiar flex: more Buckeyes on active rosters than any other college in the country.
Per data released by the NFL on Thursday, 56 players who finished their college careers at Ohio State were on active rosters for Week 1. That put the Buckeyes just ahead of Alabama, which had 55, and well in front of Georgia at 52, LSU at 44 and Notre Dame at 40.
It’s a strong snapshot of where Ohio State sits in the league right now, especially after the program sent 25 players into the last two NFL drafts combined. That total tied Georgia’s 2022-23 mark for the most ever in a two-year span.
The Buckeyes’ Week 1 footprint stretched across the league, from stars making immediate noise to role players filling out special teams and depth charts. Chris Olave turned in one of the biggest stat lines of the opening week, catching 10 passes for 182 yards for the Saints.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was right behind him with 8 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown for the Seahawks, while C.J. Stroud opened with 26 completions on 38 attempts for 274 yards and two scores, plus 15 rushing yards on two carries for the Texans.
A few other former Buckeyes stuffed the stat sheet, too. Nick Bosa had 3 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a quarterback hit for the 49ers.
Caleb Downs posted 8 tackles and a sack for the Cowboys. Denzel Ward forced a fumble for the Browns, and Chase Young added a quarterback hit and a pass defended for the Saints.
The list also showed plenty of Ohio State alumni stepping into starting roles right away. Donovan Jackson started at left guard for the Vikings, Jonah Jackson started at right guard for the Bears, Paris Johnson Jr. started at left tackle for the Cardinals and Josh Myers started at center for the Jets.
Not every Buckeye had a busy statistical line, but the school’s reach was obvious. Some were listed as inactive, including TreVeyon Henderson, Will Howard, Max Klare, Ethan Onianwa and Josh Simmons. Others contributed in less visible ways, such as Josh Fryar, Dawaand Jones, Cody Simon and Luke Wypler on special teams.
Here’s the full Ohio State contingent on active Week 1 NFL rosters, along with their opening-week production: Nick Bosa, Baron Browning, Denzel Burke, Caden Curry, J.K. Dobbins, CJ Donaldson, Caleb Downs, Emeka Egbuka, Tommy Eichenberg, Luke Farrell, Justin Fields, Josh Fryar, Mike Hall Jr., Davon Hamilton, Ty Hamilton, Jordan Hancock, Malik Harrison, Marvin Harrison Jr., TreVeyon Henderson, Cameron Heyward, Ronnie Hickman, Malik Hooker, Will Howard, Davison Igbinosun, Donovan Jackson, Jonah Jackson, Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones, Dre’Mont Jones, Quinshon Judkins, Will Kacmarek, Max Klare, Liam McCullough, Terry McLaurin, Josh Myers, Chris Olave, Ethan Onianwa, Lathan Ransom, Arvell Reese, Jeremy Ruckert, Jack Sawyer, Josh Simmons, Cody Simon, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cade Stover, C.J.
Stroud, Sonny Styles, Carnell Tate, Tommy Togiai, J.T. Tuimoloau, Denzel Ward, Pete Werner, Tyleik Williams, Garrett Wilson, Luke Wypler and Chase Young.
In Other News...
Ohio State Faces One Immediate Test After That Texas Collapse
Ohio State does not have much time to sit with the sting of a blown 20-point fourth-quarter lead, because Kent State is next on the schedule and the Buckeyes need a clean response. After a season-opening loss that raised immediate questions about composure and late-game execution, this one shapes up as a chance to steady things, clean up the rotation and get the offense moving with a little less pressure on every snap.
The matchup also invites some early-game watching points beyond the scoreboard, from how long the starters stay on the field to whether the ground game can set the tone quickly. Bo Jackson is expected to get plenty of runway in the first half, and Khary Wilder could see a larger role on defense, which makes this more than just a routine tune-up. For Ohio State, the bigger question is whether the Buckeyes can turn an uneasy week into something that looks, at least for one Saturday, like control. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Clutch Kicking Reputation Might Not Match The Full Story
Ohio States late-game kicking reputation has long lived off a handful of memorable moments, but a deeper look at the numbers since 2000 paints a more complicated picture. The Buckeyes have had field-goal tries broken into two buckets here: money kicks, when the game is tied or they are trailing by three or fewer, and clutch kicks, when they are protecting a one-score lead, and the difference between those situations matters more than the folklore might suggest.
In money moments, the success rate sits just over half, with a mix of makes and misses that helped build the sense of drama around the position. The list includes some notable pressure kicks and some painful failures, along with Mike Nugents 55-yard walk-off against Marshall in 2004, a reminder that the range and stakes can change everything. Even so, the broader pattern leaves room for debate about whether Ohio States kicking curse is really about execution, opportunity, or the way the biggest misses tend to linger longest in memory. [Read more 🡒]
Legend Bey Gets A Crucial Ohio State Chance To Earn Trust Back
Legend Bey is getting another crack at a role that disappeared fast after the early-season loss of trust. The Ohio State freshman had been pulled from kickoff return duty after a shaky outing against Ball State, and Ryan Day turned to Devin McCuin for the Texas game while Beys involvement shrank to just one snap.
Now the Buckeyes are giving Bey his return job back for the upcoming game against Kent State, which makes this a clear chance to reset his standing. For Bey, the assignment is about more than handling kickoffs well. It is about showing he can follow instructions, stay within the framework of the staff, and earn back the trust that his play briefly cost him. [Read more 🡒]