Where Ohio State position groups rank nationally by On3

COLUMBUS — Ohio State recruits at a top-five level nationally every year. The Buckeyes expect to have one of the best rosters in the country each season and push for a national title.

On3’s Jesse Simonton ranked position groups across the country following spring practice, including Ohio State in many and leaving the Buckeyes off some.

Simonton’s post-spring series provides a good glimpse at what folks around the country think of the Buckeyes roster and how it stacks up to other top programs around America. Lettermen Row, of course, has added its thoughts of the rankings, where the Buckeyes are and where they should be.

Let’s dive in.

Quarterbacks: Not ranked

Simonton’s take: Simonton didn’t have much to say about the Ohio State quarterback room, which has two former five-star prospects in it.

Lettermen Row’s verdict: There are two former five-star prospects in the Buckeyes quarterback room, including 2022’s top-ranked player Devin Brown, who isn’t even expected to start this fall. Oh, and it also features Ryan Day, who has coached three straight first-round draft picks at the position. Ohio State should be ranked in the top-10 quarterback rooms in the country, especially over programs like UCLA, Tennessee, Oregon and Ole Miss.

Running backs: No. 4

Simonton’s take: The Buckeyes return their Top 3 rushers from last season in Miyan Williams, TreVeyon Henderson and Dallan Hayden. Ohio State also has some deep insurance, as senior Chip Trayanum had a big spring and is pushing for a real role come the fall. 

Lettermen Row’s verdict: Ohio State is properly ranked here, especially considering TreVeyon Henderson had a down year last season. This room has the potential to be the best in the country — if it stays healthy. The fourth-best running back room in America is fair for now.

Wide receivers: No. 1

Simonton’s take: For the third straight year, the Buckeyes have the most loaded receiver room in the country. Led by All-American Marvin Harrison, who would’ve been a Top 5 pick in this year’s draft were he eligible, Brian Hartline has assembled a factory of former blue-chip recruits. While Harrison is the unequivocal No. 1 wideout in the country, Ohio State also has Emeka Egbuka, another likely 1st Round pick, Julian Fleming, and 5-star freshman Carnell Tate, among others. 

Lettermen Row’s verdict: There are no other programs that can match what the Buckeyes are doing at wide receiver. Simonton has Ohio State at the top, right where it should be. This group is absolutely loaded.

Tight ends: No. 7

Simonton’s take: The Buckeyes are so loaded at receiver that their tight ends oftentimes get overshadowed, but senior Cade Stover is a future NFL Draft pick. … Stover will see the majority of snaps in the fall, but Gee Scott and Joe Royer, who missed most of last season due to an injury and the death of his mother, will battle for the No. 2 role. The Buckeyes also signed Jelani Thurman, a 4-star recruit who flashed a bunch this spring. 

Lettermen Row’s verdict: With the talent assembled in this room, Ohio State should be in the top 10. But No. 7 seems a bit low considering the names at tight end. The emergence of Jelani Thurman only enhances that.

The Buckeyes should be over No. 5 Minnesota and No. 6 North Carolina. But the seventh-best tight end room in the country is a good place to be.

Ohio State offensive line: Not ranked, honorable mention

Simonton’s take: Simonton didn’t have much to say about the Ohio State offensive line room, which returns both guards but replaces the other three starters.

Lettermen Row’s verdict: This is a fair assessment when you take what the Buckeyes lost. Check back in come August, and Ohio State will have a better idea if its offensive line will be a dominant unit that it expects to have.

Defensive line/EDGE: No. 10

Simonton’s take: The Buckeyes could have as many as three potential 1st Round picks on their DL in 2023, with edge/ends J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer — two former 5-star recruits — buttressing tackle Mike Hall, one of the best interior linemen in the Big Ten. The waves of talent don’t end there either, as sophomore edge Kenyatta Jackson looks primed for a breakout season, while Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton are two more reliable down-linemen to stop the run.

Lettermen Row’s verdict: This is, in Lettermen Row’s opinion, criminally low for the Buckeyes defensive line. Three potential first-round picks headline the unit. Ohio State returns most of its defensive tackle production and one of the best defensive end tandems in the country. Some of the teams ahead of the Buckeyes: Iowa, Illinois and Penn State. Lettermen Row would take Ohio State and its defensive line over all of them, but time will tell if that’s warranted.

Linebackers: No. 7

Simonton’s take: Tommy Eichenberg had the fourth-most tackles (120) of any linebacker in the Power 5 in 2022, and the senior returns as one of the better interior players in the country. For the second-straight season he’ll be paired with Steele Chambers, who was OSU’s second-leading stopper and is a better coverage ‘backer (two picks, multiple other PBUs). 

Lettermen Row’s verdict: It seems like Ohio State is properly ranked here. The Buckeyes are behind obvious choices like Clemson and Georgia, but they probably should be ahead of North Carolina and LSU, which would push them into the top five of the rankings. Tommy Eichenberg will gain preseason All-American buzz while Steele Chambers is athletic enough to play into all-Big Ten territory this fall. Watch for C.J. Hicks and Cody Simon to be the best backup linebacker tandem in the country.

Buckeyes cornerbacks: No. 8

Simonton’s take: The Buckeyes have one of several corners featured in various Way-too-Early 2024 Mock Drafts in Denzel Burke, a physical 6-1, 190-pound junior. And yet, Burke isn’t even guaranteed a starting spot in 2023, as Jordan Hancock and Davison Igbinosun will former a three-man unit that rotates frequently. Former top recruit Jyaire Brown is just outside that group but will see snaps as well.

Lettermen Row’s verdict: Ohio State has Burke returning, and he has a real chance to get back to his freshman year form, when he was a freshman All-American. Beyond Burke, however, the cornerback position is fully stocked with potential — but not a lot of proven players. If Hancock and Igbinosun are as good as they looked in the spring, Ohio State may have one of the best cornerback units in the country. For now, eighth-best seems to be a good landing spot.

Ohio State safeties: No. 7

Simonton’s take: The Buckeyes return both starting safeties from 2022, with senior Lanthan Ransom leading OSU’s defensive backfield unit. … He’s paired with fifth-year senior Josh Proctor, who had an up-and-down 2022 season. Waiting in the wings is former 5-star recruit Sonny Styles, a 6-4, 225-pound thumper who is pushing for a bigger role in Jim Knowles’ defense. In all likelihood, Styles will see snaps in situational spots as a third safety or extra hybrid linebacker in the box. 

Lettermen Row’s verdict: Like the cornerback spot, Ohio State is probably tucked in right where it should be when it comes to the safety rankings. This position group is oozing with top talent, even after losing two starters from a year ago. Some of the Buckeyes potential difference-makers are unproven, but they’ll have a chance to show they’re among the best safeties in college football. The good news: it’s a safety-driven defense in Year Two of the system under Jim Knowles and Perry Eliano. This unit could push toward the top five by August or September, passing schools such as USC, Miami and Michigan.