The Ohio State Buckeyes haven’t played football since December, but with the Super Bowl over, the NFL is gearing up for the 2026 offseason including the 2026 NFL Draft. With several former Ohio State players expected to be drafted this year, we are hosting a Q&A with the NFL fans around SB Nation’s extensive network.
Here are a few sentences on each potential Buckeye heading to the NFL, but I encourage you to drop your questions into the comments below. (If you’re visiting from and NFL team site and are logged
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What Ohio State football players are going to be drafted in 2026?
Here is a list of the players that have a shot of being drafted in 2026, including some players that could end up as undrafted free agents at the next level.
LB Arvell Reese
Arvell Reese, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound physical freak, was an absolute monster for Ohio State in 2025, even if the numbers don’t fully bear it out. Those numbers, while impressive — 10 TFLs, 6.5 sacks — don’t showcase all that Reese was able to do on the field, from a pass-rusher to a stand up linebacker to one of the most effective and imposing QB spies you will ever see.
WR Carnell Tate
Carnell Tate played third fiddle to Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka in 2024, but it was clear during that sophomore campaign that he was ready to bust out in a big way. The Chicago native really put it all together as a junior in 2025, becoming both a safety blanket for quarterback Julian Sayin, with the ability to make any contested catch, and also Ohio State’s most effective deep-ball threat.
S Caleb Downs
Caleb Downs is one of the most all-around impressive players that has ever donned the Scarlet and Gray. A true coach-on-the-field type of guy, Downs did a little bit of everything for Ohio State on the defensive side of the ball. While officially a safety, Downs frequently played in the middle of the Buckeyes’ defense as almost a third linebacker and even occasionally down near the line of scrimmage. He is the ultimate chess piece for any defensive coordinator.
LB Sonny Styles
Sonny Styles gets a bit overshadowed playing next to Reese, but there is every chance that Styles is actually the better pure linebacker at the next level. A former five-star prospect and a converted safety, Styles’ athleticism and football IQ were on display on every snap in 2025. He is an incredibly adept tackler, was exceptional in his run fits and was a rock in the center of that Ohio State defense.
DL Kayden McDonald
Defensive tackles often get overlooked for doing a lot of the dirty work inside, especially on a defense as good as Ohio State’s was this past season, but that was not at all the case with Kayden McDonald. The 6-foot-3, 326-pound Georgia native was a force up the middle for the Buckeyes, eating up opposing running backs and also effectively rushing the quarterback. McDonald is as disruptive as they come on the defensive interior.
CB Davison Igbinosun
I wrote an extensive summary earlier this week about Davison Igbinosun and his importance to the Ohio State defense over the last several years. Ryan Day credits Iggy with changing the culture of the Buckeyes’ defensive secondary, which had seen a bit of a drop-of prior to Igbinosun’s arrival from Ole Miss. Penalties have been an issue for him during his career, but he improved in that area in 2025 while maintaining his lockdown abilities in addition to premier trash talk and a tangible energy about him.
TE Max Klare
Max Klare came to Ohio State from Purdue looking to increase his production and his NFL Draft stock. While that production didn’t exactly increase playing next to guys like Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, he did all that the Buckeyes asked him to as their primary receiving threat at tight end. Klare was a dependable target over the middle with good hands and decent RAC ability at the position.
EDGE Caden Curry
Caden Curry had some big shoes to fill in the wake of Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau helping to lead Ohio State to a national title in 2024, and he exceeded those expectations this season. Curry was a wrecking ball for the Buckeyes and by far their best pass-rusher, racking up a team-high 16.5 TFLs and 11 sacks. Curry did his best work against some of the toughest opponents, really showing out against eventual national champion Indiana in the B1G title game.
RB CJ Donaldson
Personally, I think CJ Donaldson was woefully misused by Ohio State. The senior running back came to Columbus having run for over 2,000 yards in three seasons at West Virginia, functioning as a big-bodied, battering-ram type of runner. The Buckeyes then had him drop around 20 pounds, but still asked him to be that type of power back in short yardage situations. Needless to say it did not exactly work out, but he still managed to score 10 touchdowns in 2025.
Other Ohio State football players that have entered the NFL Draft
- OT Ethan Onianwa
- TE Will Kacmarek
- DL Tywone Malone
- CB Lorenzo Styles Jr.
