Ohio State opens spring practice with QB depth and receiver turnover
Tuesday at 9: 00 am ET, ohio state begins spring practice as it starts preparations for the 2026 football season, with the work set to culminate in a scrimmage on April 18. The timing matters because the Buckeyes enter the spring needing to replace eight defensive starters while sorting out position battles on offense after a 12-2 season that ended with two straight losses.
Ohio State sets April 18 scrimmage as spring’s early checkpoint
Spring practice opens Tuesday for Ohio State with an April 18 scrimmage marking the program’s first clear, scheduled measuring stick for the roster. The Buckeyes are coming off a 12-2 season and must replace eight starters from what was described as one of college football’s top defenses, a turnover that adds urgency to evaluating depth over the coming weeks.
Even with that churn, Ohio State enters the spring with what was characterized as one of the most talented rosters in the country, to the point it drew a No. 2 spot in Stewart Mandel’s early Top 25. That combination—high expectations and significant personnel replacement—sets up a spring focused on who can claim roles rather than simply maintaining the status quo.
Julian Sayin and St. Clair make quarterback reps a spring priority
Quarterback work is one of the clearest “why now” storylines because only one of the four Heisman finalists from last season is returning to college: Julian Sayin. Behind him, another highly regarded option is St. Clair, described as a five-star recruit and the No. 7 player in the 2025 class, with the potential to start as soon as 2027 if Sayin leaves for the NFL.
This spring is framed as crucial for St. Clair on two fronts: getting meaningful repetitions in the offense and building trust as a reliable backup. The stakes rose after Lincoln Kienholz transferred to Louisville, leaving added attention on how the depth chart settles behind Sayin.
St. Clair enters the spring with limited in-game experience noted from 2025: two pass attempts, zero completions, in one appearance. Physically, he is listed at 6 feet 4 and 230 pounds, and is described as an athletic quarterback with a strong arm. The upcoming practices give him a defined window to show progress in a setting where snaps are available and evaluation is constant.
Cortez Hankton inherits a receiver room reshaped by Brian Hartline exit
Receiver is another position group where the spring matters immediately because the room is in what was described as a “major transition. ” The shifts include coach Brian Hartline leaving for USF, Carnell Tate going to the NFL, and backups Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham transferring to Notre Dame.
Ohio State still has Jeremiah Smith, described as the best receiver in the country, but the rest of the depth chart is open. The players identified as part of the competition include senior Brandon Inniss; freshmen Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd, and Jerquaden Guilford; and transfers Kyle Parker (LSU) and Devin McCuin (UTSA).
For new receivers coach Cortez Hankton, spring practice becomes the first extended stretch to manage a wide-open competition while trying to get more explosiveness from the group. One specific wrinkle outlined for this season is that Ohio State is expected to rotate more at receiver, suggesting spring evaluations may be less about locking in a traditional depth chart and more about identifying combinations that can contribute when the 2026 season approaches.
Ohio State’s next confirmed on-field milestone is the spring scrimmage on April 18, with practice reps between now and then expected to shape quarterback trust behind Julian Sayin and clarify how Cortez Hankton will deploy a reshaped receiver rotation; if key competitions remain unsettled, that scrimmage is positioned to be the closest preview of how roles could look heading into the 2026 season.
