Diving into Ohio State’s new-look offense in 2025-26

The Buckeyes are coming into the 2025-26 season having lost 17 starters to the NFL, including nine from the offensive side of the ball.

But elite programs win national championships and defend them, regardless of whether they lose two players or 20. That is exactly what the Buckeyes are hoping to prove this season.

Whether they can do it or not remains to be seen, but there’s a good indication that they’re well on their way. An ESPN article, which listed a “sleeper player” for each program inside the top 25, identified wide receiver Carnell Tate for Ohio State.

Without looking at Ohio State’s roster, when a team’s sleeper player was the No. 3 receiver from the 2023 recruiting cycle and a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that program must be in good shape.

Despite losing offensive playmakers like Emeka Egbuka, Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson and Gee Scott Jr., the Buckeyes’ offensive weapons could be just as good as they were a year ago, if not better.

The new-look Ohio State offense will feature Tate, phenom Jeremiah Smith, who proved as a freshman that he’s probably the best player in college football, a true receiving threat at tight end in the form of Max Klare, and Brandon Inniss, the No. 5 wideout in the 2023 recruiting class, who’ll play primarily in the slot.

At running back, James Peoples, the No. 7 tailback from the 2024 recruiting cycle, is expected to share the workload with West Virginia transfer CJ Donaldson.

There’s not much question that Ohio State’s 2024 offense was one of the best college football has ever seen. Is it possible for the Buckeye offense to get back to that level or even surpass it in 2025-26?

It remains to be seen how Julian Sayin — who’s expected to be the starting quarterback — will perform on the field. That’s the biggest question mark. All signs point to Sayin being an extraordinary player, though. He was ESPN’s top quarterback recruit in the 2024 class and No. 3 prospect overall. Sayin originally committed to Alabama, but following the retirement of Nick Saban, transferred to Ohio State. In high school he threw for 7,824 passing yards, 85 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and earned Gatorade California Player of the Year honors as a senior.

And it’ll certainly help to surround Sayin with the best receiving corps in the country and a proven, top-tier tight end in Klare.

Klare transferred from Purdue and is gearing up for his first season as a Buckeye. With the Boilermakers as a sophomore, Klare recorded 51 receptions for 685 yards and four touchdowns, good for second in the Big Ten and eighth in the FBS in receiving yards by a tight end. His 2024 performance earned him All Big-10 honors.

James Peoples spent his freshman season primarily sitting behind a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Judkins and Henderson. He did gain on-the-field experience, mainly in lopsided games, as he recorded 49 carries for 197 yards and two touchdowns.

Donaldson, on the other hand, has 421 career carries at West Virginia. In 2024, he notched 734 yards on the ground and added 11 touchdowns. Donaldson’s experience, paired with Peoples, is expected to create a formidable running back duo.

Ohio State may have lost elite talent to the NFL after last season, but its roster, especially its offensive weapons, look more than capable of matching that of the national championship team.