Ohio State has always been loaded with NFL talent, but the Buckeyes’ 2024-25 national title team may have been their most stacked roster to date.
With the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, all 11 defensive starters from Ohio State’s College Football Playoff National Championship victory over Notre Dame on Jan. 20, 2025 have now been drafted to the NFL, with each and every guy being taken within the first five rounds of the last two NFL Drafts.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, several rotational
guys on defense from that year’s squad are also now on their way to the league. In fact, every defensive player to receive at lease five snaps against the Fighting Irish has either been drafted to the NFL or is still on the Ohio State roster waiting for their chance in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The only outlier among that group is Mitchell Melton, who played eight snaps in the national title game but transferred to Virginia, where he became an UDFA and signed with the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Here is where every one of those 11 starters was taken in order of draft position between the 2025 and 2026 NFL Drafts. All recruiting rankings are based on the 247Sports Composite.
The Starters
Sonny Styles – 2026 Rd 1 Pick 7 – Commanders
A homegrown talent, Styles came to Columbus as a five-star safety out of Pickerington, Ohio. Despite reclassifying and getting to Ohio State a year early, Styles did play a little bit for the Buckeyes as a freshman when he should’ve still been a high school senior.
Styles then played more than 540 snaps as a sophomore at safety, where he racked up 53 total tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. It wasn’t until his junior season that Styles made the transition to linebacker, where after a bit of a slow start, he quickly became one of the very best at the position in all of college football.
By the end of that 2024 season, Styles was an absolute stud at linebacker under the tutelage of James Laurinaitis. He posted 100 total tackles with 10.5 tackles for loss and six sacks that year, and followed it up 82 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 2025 as one of the nation’s most dependable and consistent defenders.
Styles was taken with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders.
Caleb Downs – 2026 Rd 1 Pick 11 – Cowboys
Downs has been a star since he first stepped foot on a college campus, beginning his career at Alabama. A five-star safety and a top-10 player nationally, Ohio State finished second in his recruitment to the Crimson Tide, and Downs would tally more than 100 tackles as a freshman under Nick Saban.
Once Saban announced his retirement, Downs took his talents to Columbus, where he spent the final two years of his career as the focal point of the Buckeyes’ defense both under defensive coordinators Jim Knowles and Matt Patricia. The true do-it-all athlete managed 147 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and four interceptions in his two years at Ohio State.
Downs’ contributions extend way past the box score. The quarterback of the defense, Downs seemed to always be where the action was happening, whether he was lined up deep at safety, in the middle of the field as a linebacker or even down near the line of scrimmage.
For his efforts, Downs earned two-time Unanimous All-American honors, the 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award, as well as the Jim Thorpe Award and Ronnie Lott Trophy in his junior campaign. He was selected at No. 11 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tyleik Williams – 2025 Rd 1 Pick 28 – Lions
Unlike Ohio State’s two first round picks in 2026, Williams did not come to Columbus as a cant-miss, five-star talent. The Virginia native was no slouch by any means, ranking as the No. 25 DL and No. 166 player nationally in the 2021 recruiting class, but he became a true star with the Buckeyes.
The latest in a string of incredibly disruptive interior lineman at Ohio State, Williams did a little bit of everything on Larry Johnson’s defensive line, as the 6-foot-3, 330-pound tackle was adept at both rushing the passer and stopping the run. All told, Williams posted 136 total tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in his time in Columbus.
Williams was taken with the No. 28 overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2025 NFL Draft.
JT Tuimoloau – 2025 Rd 2 Pick 45 – Colts
Alongside Williams on that defensive line was Tuimoloau, a former five-star prospect and one of the very best overall players in the 2021 class as the No. 2 DL. The Washington native was a massive recruiting win for the Buckeyes, but for awhile it didn’t look like Tuimoloau could quite live up to the billing.
More of a run-stopping defensive end rather than a pass-rusher, Tuimoloau wasn’t that same flashy edge player like the Bosas and Chase Youngs before him. However, when the lights shined the brightest, the lineman played some of the best football of his career.
After notching 11 total sacks over his first three seasons in Columbus, Tuimoloau broke out for 12.5 sacks in his senior campaign, with 6.5 of those coming in the College Football Playoff. Tallying 61 tackles and 21.5 TFLs as well in 2024, Tuimoloau became a second round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Davison Igbinosun – 2026 Rd 2 Pick 62 – Bills
Igbinosun had a fascinating college career. After spending his freshman season at Ole Miss, Iggy followed running back Quinshon Judkins to Ohio State, where he became a three-year starter for the Buckeyes at cornerback.
One of college football’s most physical cover corners, that physicality got Igbinsoun in trouble far too often when it came to penalties. In 2024, the New Jersey native was the most penalized player in the sport, racking up an astonishing 16 flags that year — most of which were either defensive holding or pass interference.
Still, Igbinosun’s coverage skills were undeniable, and he was a crucial part of the Buckeyes’ defense even despite the flags. The young defensive back refined his game in his senior season, earning only five flags in 2025, and finished his Ohio State career with 157 tackles, four TFLs, 22 PBUs and four interceptions.
Igbinosun was a late second round selection by the Buffalo Bills in the 2026 NFL Draft, where he joins former teammate Jordan Hancock.
Cody Simon – 2025 Rd 4 Pick 115 – Cardinals
Simon was a high four-star prospect in the 2020 class, ranking as the No. 4 LB and No. 75 overall player. The New Jersey native spent five seasons at Ohio State, redshirting his freshman year but playing more than 1,800 career snaps as a Buckeye.
Simon saved his best season for last as Sonny Styles’ running mate. One of the very best linebacker duos in the country, Simon led the team with a whopping 112 total tackles to go along with 12.5 TFLs, seven sacks and seven PBUs.
The stud defender had a great rookie year with the Arizona Cardinals after being selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, finishing fourth on the team with 76 total tackles.
Lathan Ransom – 2025 Rd 4 Pick 122 – Panthers
Ransom was a four-star prospect out of Arizona in the 2020 class, coming in as the No. 11 safety and No. 167 player nationally. The 6-foot-1 athlete overcame a number of injuries during his time at Ohio State, but still managed to log more than 2,400 snaps as a Buckeye.
The defensive back’s career was nearly over before it even started, having broken his leg on special teams coverage during the Rose Bowl against Utah at the end of the 2020 season. Despite missing all of spring camp the following season, Ransom was back on the field for preseason practice. Beginning the year as a backup, it wasn’t long before Ransom took over a starting job that he would not relinquish.
As a senior in 2023, Ransom was having another great season, but it would be cut short by a foot injury suffered against Wisconsin. Taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility due to COVID rules, Ransom announced he would return for Ohio State in 2024, and the rest is history.
Ransom went on to have the best season of his career, posting 76 tackles with nine TFLs, a sack, a pick and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Ransom was then taken in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers in the 2025 NFL Draft, starting six games and recording an interception in his rookie season.
Jack Sawyer – 2025 Rd 4 Pick 123 – Steelers
Like Tuimoloau, Sawyer had a bit of a tough time living up to his recruiting ranking. Sawyer came to Ohio State as one of the very best players in the 2021 class, a five-star prospect and the No. 1 player in Ohio in the cycle. A homegrown talent with sky high expectations, Sawyer struggled to find consistency early on.
Sawyer showed flashes of tremendous talent over his first two years on campus, tallying 9.5 TFLs and 7.5 sacks as a freshman and sophomore. The defensive end was even better in 2023, posting 10 TFLs and 6.5 sacks, but he finally put it all together in his final season at Ohio State.
Sawyer had what should have been a legendary play by an Ohio native with a goal line interception against Michigan in The Game, but the Buckeyes managed to lose a 13-10 contest to the Wolverines, so that would ultimately be forgotten. Instead, Sawyer came up with an even bigger moment in the College Football Playoff — a game-ending pick-six in the final minutes against Texas to send Ohio State to the national title game.
All told, Sawyer finished his senior campaign with 59 total tackles, nine TFLs and nine sacks, plus the pick-six. He was taken in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ty Hamilton – 2025 Rd 4 Pick 148 – Rams
Hamilton was never a flashy player at tackle like the Tyleik Williams’ and Kayden McDonald’s of the world, but he did his job incredibly well and was a consistent force up the middle for Ohio State. Just a three-star prospect ranked in the low-700s as a recruit, Hamilton was largely an afterthought early in his career.
After redshirting as a freshman, Hamilton played between 250-350 snaps for the Buckeyes each of the next three seasons, posting 65 total tackles and seven TFLs over those three years. The tackle really came into his own as a senior, notching career-highs across the board with 51 tackles, six TFLs and 3.5 sacks.
Hamilton was a fourth round selection by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jordan Hancock – 2025 Rd 5 Pick 170 – Bills
Hancock was maybe one of the most underrated players on Ohio State’s entire national championship team. A former top-75 prospect and an important recruiting win over Clemson, where he had initially been committed, Hancock was never a guy who stuffed the stat sheet, but his role was paramount to everything else the Buckeyes were doing on defense.
Hancock was responsible for locking down the middle of the field from his nickel safety/slot corner role, and he did that about as well as anyone in the country. The Georgia native started each of his last two seasons at Ohio State, totaling 98 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks and three interceptions as a Buckeye.
Hancock was taken in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.
Denzel Burke – 2025 Rd 5 Pick 174 – Cardinals
Burke had a bit of an up-and-down career at Ohio State. At times the Arizona native looked like he could be the next big cornerback to come out of Columbus, but at others he found himself running behind receivers who were en route to the end zone.
Perhaps the worst game of Burke’s career came early in that 2024 season against Oregon, where PFF credits him with allowing seven catches on seven targets for 162 yards and two touchdowns. To Burke’s credit, he did not allow that bad performance to sour the rest of his season, as the corner allowed more than three receptions in a game only once the remainder of the year.
Notre Dame tried to go after Burke in that national title game, but the DB allowed only three catches for 19 yards on seven targets. Playing more than 2,600 snaps in his Ohio State career, Burke finished with 28 PBUs and four interceptions across four seasons.
Burke was a fifth round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Rotational Guys
Four reserves on that Ohio State College Football Playoff National Championship team went on to play massive roles for the Buckeyes in 2025, with all of them being taken in the 2026 NFL Draft…
- Arvell Reese – 2026 Rd 1 Pick 5 – Giants
- Reese played six snaps in the national title game
- 2024 totals: 43 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks
- 2025 totals: 69 tackles, 10 TFLs, 6.5 sacks – All American
- Kayden McDonald – 2026 Rd 2 Pick 36 – Texans
- McDonald played eight snaps in the national title game
- 2024 totals: 19 tackles, 1.5 TFLs
- 2025 totals: 65 tackles, 9 TFLs, 3 sacks – All American
- Lorenzo Styles – 2026 Rd 5 Pick 172 – Saints
- Styles played five snaps in the national title game
- 2024 totals: 16 tackles, 4 PBUs
- 2025 totals: 30 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 3 PBUs
- Caden Curry – 2026 Rd 6 Pick 214 – Colts
- Curry played six snaps in the national title game
- 2024 totals: 22 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks
- 2025 totals: 66 tackles, 16.5 TFLs, 11 sacks
Who’s Left?
Only four other Ohio State defensive players logged at least five snaps in that national title game against Notre Dame:
- Jermaine Mathews Jr. (23 snaps) – still on team, potential 2027 NFL Draft pick
- Kenyatta Jackson (15) – still on team, likely 2027 NFL Draft pick
- Eddrick Houston (11) – still on team, likely 2027 NFL Draft pick
- Mitchell Melton (8) – transferred to Virginia (UDFA in 2026 – Colts)
