Five returning Buckeyes who are primed for a big 2026 on defense
· Yahoo Sports
After recently looking at five freshmen who I think could make an immediate impact on the field for Ohio State in 2026, now it’s time to focus on five returning Buckeyes on the defensive side of the football who will be important to the team’s national title hopes this season.
Even though head coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia made some big moves in the transfer portal during the offseason to add to the talent and depth of the group, there are some players who have been in the program for a number of years who are going to demand time on the field.
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1) Kenyatta Jackson Jr.During the first couple years of his Ohio State career Kenyatta Jackson Jr. sat behind J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer on the depth chart. 2025 was supposed to be a breakout season for the Miami native. Despite having a bit of a slow start to the season, Jackson was solid in his first full season as starter at defensive end, registering 11 TFLs and 6.5 sacks.
Last season most of the headlines in Ohio State’s first two levels of the defense went to Caden Curry, Arvell Reese, and Sonny Styles. This season is primed for Jackson to fill the highlight reel coming off the edge and creating havoc in the opposing backfield. With a tough schedule against some big opponents this year, Jackson will get plenty of opportunities to shine.
As a graduate student, this year will be the last for Jackson in Columbus, so expect him to take on more of a leadership role as he looks to go out with a bang while doing all he can to impress scouts and improve his draft stock ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft.
2) Payton PierceLast year Payton Pierce was essentially Ohio State’s third starter at linebacker, as he sat behind Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles on the depth chart. Pierce finished his sophomore campaign with 44 tackles, an interception, forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Not bad stats for a guy who played along with two guys who were top-10 picks in this year’s draft.
Despite Christian Alliegro being brought in via the transfer portal from Wisconsin, there are no doubts this is Pierce’s group now. We have seen glimpses of the talent Pierce has, this year is when he shows why he should be in the conversation when it comes to the best linebackers in the conference. Pierce doesn’t have quite the athleticism of Reese or Styles but he’ll be around the football on every play.
In a way this feels like the first true linebacker James Laurinaitis is putting his stamp on since becoming linebackers coach at Ohio State. Reese and Styles were already insanely talented, and Laurinaitis just fine-tuned them before they were drafted.
Laurinaitis was in on the ground floor with Pierce, and by the end of Pierce’s time in Columbus we’ll see a ton of similarities.
3) Jaylen McClainJaylen McClain might have had the quietest good season in a long time. Last year in his first season as starter, McClain finished with 53 tackles. McClain was able to find some comfort early since most of the attention at safety was on Caleb Downs, which allowed McClain to play a little looser. Whatever McClain did was working since he was a big part of one of the top pass defenses in the country.
McClain will lose playing next to Downs this year but he’ll have another talented parter in Terry Moore, who was brought in from Duke. Now a junior, McClain is only going to get better with each game he plays.
The next step for the New Jersey native will be to try and get some bigger impact plays under his belt, as he didn’t record an interception or forced fumble last year, which is understandable since his job was to make sure to be a sure tackler.
Don’t be surprised if by the end of the regular season McClain is in the conversation for First Team All-Big Ten since he has the potential to be that good, and this year he’ll taken on an even bigger role in the secondary since he’ll be more comfortable as a starter.
4) Jermaine Mathews Jr.One player in the secondary who is familiar with making big plays is Jermaine Mathews Jr. Since arriving at Ohio State, Mathews has been forcing the coaching staff to find ways to get him on the field since he has a nose for the football.
Last season Mathews opened up the year with a critical interception in the win over Texas, and added another pick in the blowout of Purdue.
Since Davison Igbinosun is now in the NFL, Mathews will undoubtedly be a starter at cornerback this season, most likely with Devin Sanchez on the opposite side. The senior has plenty of experience, so he knows what is expected from him on the field, and his confidence makes him a natural leader.
The group should be fun to watch with the additions of Earl Little Jr., Cam Calhoun, and Dominick Kelly from the transfer portal.
5) Eddrick HoustonFor our final key returning Buckeye on defense, we go back to defensive line, this time to the interior with Eddrick Houston. Last season Kayden McDonald broke out and turned into a second round pick in the NFL Draft. Could Houston do the same this season?
Last year Houston recorded three sacks as a sophomore, doing his best work in the Cotton Bowl loss to Miami, where he had a sack and a half.
What will be fun to watch when it comes to Houston this year is how having competition for playing time motivates him. Last season in a way Houston was the underdog and he was fighting for reps with McDonald and Tywone Malone Jr.
This season Houston is seen as the starter alongside James Smith, but he’ll have competition from Will Smith Jr. and John Walker Jr. Hopefully iron continues to sharpen iron because when he’s on Houston can make life miserable for opponents.