Ohio State football shines with multiple ESPN All-America Buckeyes

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The 2025 college football season is nearly complete, with Indiana and Miami set to face off on Monday, January 19th, to decide the national champion. Interestingly enough, those are also the two programs that handed Ohio State its only losses of the season. While the Buckeyes fell short of their ultimate goal of winning back-to-back national titles, there were still plenty of positives to take away from 2025.

Ohio State could make history again in April, as the program is on track to tie its record for first-round NFL Draft selections, potentially. Five Buckeyes are currently projected to be taken within the first 32 picks. Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate, Sonny Styles, and Kayden McDonald are all viewed as likely first-rounders. Ohio State could have pushed that number to six had Kenyatta Jackson or Austin Siereveld declared, but both elected to return to Columbus for their senior seasons. Even so, it is an impressive feat and a clear reflection of just how talented this roster was.

ESPN released its 2025 college football All-America team early Thursday morning, and Ohio State’s presence was impossible to miss.

Jeremiah Smith, WR, First Team

Smith is the best player in college football and somehow keeps finding new ways to prove it. In 2025, he became the fastest wide receiver in Ohio State history to reach 100 receptions, 2,000 receiving yards, and 25 touchdowns, accomplishing all of that as a sophomore. He finished the season with 87 catches for 1,234 yards and 12 touchdowns, ranking inside the top five nationally in both receiving yards and touchdowns for the second straight year. Ultra reliable and simply unreal, Smith closed out the season with at least seven catches and 144 yards in each of his final two games.

Kayden McDonald, DT, First Team

McDonald was outstanding throughout the 2025 campaign. The junior defensive tackle totaled 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and three sacks, earning unanimous All-America honors and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. He is dominant against the run and quietly effective as a pass rusher, consistently finding his way into the backfield.

Arvell Reese, LB, First Team

The 6-foot-4, 243-pound Cleveland native finished second on the team with 69 tackles while adding 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and five quarterback hurries. Reese’s versatility stood out all season as he played multiple roles under Matt Patricia. His skill set translates seamlessly to the NFL and makes him one of the more intriguing linebackers in the draft.

Sonny Styles, LB, Second Team

Put on the Indiana tape, and it becomes clear very quickly why Styles earned All-America recognition. His performance against the Hoosiers was a masterclass in positioning and tackling, finishing with 12 total stops while helping shut down one of the nation’s most explosive offenses. On the year, Styles recorded 83 tackles, three passes defended, a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception. At 6 foot 4 and over 240 pounds, his physicality and reliability make him one of the surest tacklers college football has seen in quite some time.

Caleb Downs, S, First Team

Downs capped off his junior season by winning the 2025 Lott Impact Trophy, awarded to the nation’s most impactful defensive player. His instincts are elite, and he serves as the unquestioned leader of the secondary and the defense as a whole. Downs finished the year with 68 tackles, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and a sack. He is one of the best defenders Ohio State has ever had, and his impact often goes understated. Because of Down’s elite football IQ and feel for the game, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was able to deploy him in creative and unconventional ways that few defenders could handle.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State football dominates 2025 ESPN All-America honors

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