We are one night’s sleep away from the 2026 Ohio State annual spring football game. The Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day made it pretty clear this year’s spring is all about offense vs. defense. And with so many of the RBs on the injury list, it’s the perfect time to make it a pass-heavy game and see how their anticipated O-line is going to hold the front seven. Since the Buckeyes have too many new faces at skill positions, here are the 5 players that you might need to keep your eyes on at the spring game.
1) Brock Boyd (True Freshman WR)
Nobody in this year’s class made more noise and got viral clips than Brock Boyd, at least in the freshman division. He was ranked the #100 best wideout from the class of 2026. Even though he broke Texas state receiving records, there was no expectation at all for him when he enrolled himself as a Buckeye. Fast forward three months, and you’ve got Ohio State legends and coaches pulling up for him.
The former Buckeyes LB Zach Boren believes he’s got a similar aura as Jeremiah Smith himself: “I have heard something shocking… a freshman wide receiver just playing lights out, super skilled, just a baller-and that name is none other than Brock Boyd. If a game had to be played tomorrow and there was a true freshman that was going to see the field, it would be Brock Boyd.”
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Even the wide receivers coach Hankton believes he runs routes like a 3-year vet in the system. Boyd first made headlines by becoming the first newcomer this year to lose his “black stripe,” which is the only way to earn the Buckeyes’ respect outright. And he did it in record time, too.
They even gave him the nickname “White Lightning” because he’s surprisingly explosive and catches just about everything thrown his way.
Looking ahead to today’s spring game, some of the fans are particularly coming to watch whether everything said about him is true or not, basically to see whether he should be put on fraud alert or not. However, it’s not easy to break into Ohio State’s WR lineup like that. Currently, he’s probably 5th on the WR list, behind the likes of Smith, Devin McCuin, Brandon Innis, Kyle Parker, and maybe even fellow freshman Chris Henry.
The spring is the best time for him to raise the ranks. And since he can play pretty much any receiver position and run almost every route possible, the coaches will probably use the scrimmage to see how he handles different roles. If he has a big day today, he’ll be a lock to play meaningful minutes when the real season kicks off.
2) Chris Henry Jr. (True Freshman WR)
You can’t leave this name off the list, not after everything we’ve heard all spring and all season long. Just like Brock, the five-star lost his black stripe earlier this week (following practice 13, April 15, to be precise). Coach Ryan Day and the staff have been raving about his “grown-man” style of play, meaning that he doesn’t look or act like a typical newcomer.
The word around the camp is he has already spent time running with the first-team offense, even more so than Brock Boyd. Jeremiah Smith even gave him the ultimate seal of approval, calling him “the next one up” in Ohio State’s long line of elite receivers. Since Ohio State lost a couple of wide receivers to the draft or portal, he could apparently leapfrog Brandon Innis and Devin McCuin and put himself in the WR2 gig with tomorrow’s performance.
The coaching staff wants to see if he can use his height to win those “jump ball” situations in one-on-one coverage. Some say they’ll be using him in red-zone coverage. Since so many RBs are out, you could expect a couple of pigskins thrown his way.
3) Qua Russaw (LB/ EDGE – transfer)
The Buckeyes don’t miss when it comes to linebacking and edge positions. The former Bama EDGE has been one of the breakout stars of the Buckeyes’ spring camp. In his first spring practice, he had insiders label him the “twitchiest and most explosive” of all the defensive linemen.
He was among the first transfers to lose his black stripe. While he was listed as a linebacker at Alabama, Larry Johnson has him working primarily with the defensive ends. Truth be told, it’s paid off in a big way. The former Bama man has been recording multiple sacks during live scrimmage periods, especially on third downs. The coaching staff is doubling down on that.
Now with ballers like Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Kayden McDonald, and Caden Curry already prepping for the draft, Russaw is locked in a fierce battle with Zion Grady and Beau Atkinson for the starting spot opposite Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
4) Favour Akih (freshman four-star running back)
Four out of six scholarship running backs are out of this annual spring game. Because of that, the hometown hero has the easiest path out of all Buckeyes to make the most of the opportunity in front of him. As a matter of fact, he’s quite capable of it too. Last season alone, he racked up 1,653 rushing yards (averaging 7.3 yards) and 15 touchdowns at his high school, Delaware Hayes High School (just 25 miles north of Columbus). The running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, has been pushing him hard to be the next great Buckeye ball carrier.
The former four-star has this “one-cut” running style where he just hits the gap and goes, so he’s probably going to have at least a couple of big runs tomorrow. You can expect more than 50% of the rushing attempts from him.
5) Ian Moore (Offensive Tackle, Junior)
Just like Akih, Ian Moore is in a pretty good position to lock down his LT role once and for all. Since Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels, Moore has spent most of the spring running with the first team at left tackle. Ryan Day believes he’s “done some really good things” this spring.
If he puts up a strong, sack-less performance tomorrow, then we’re probably looking at a reconfiguration of the starting offensive line. The coaching staff might move Siereveld back to his natural position at guard, potentially giving the Buckeyes their “best five” for the 2026 opener.
