Ohio State has young talent. It’s time to let them play

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Ohio State’s 24-23 loss to Texas exposed plenty of problems. The Buckeyes blew a 20-point lead, struggled to generate pressure on Arch Manning late and watched a defense that had dominated for three quarters unravel when the game was on the line.

The loss also made something else increasingly difficult to ignore. There is a lot of young talent on this roster. And some of it may deserve to be on the field more.

Ohio State entered the season with an enormous amount of experience and talent to replace, particularly on defense. That made the early season rotations understandable. Matt Patricia needed to figure out what he had, and Ryan Day had plenty of veterans he trusted.

After two games, there is enough evidence to start changing that equation.

This isn’t about playing freshmen and sophomores simply because they are younger. It is about putting the players who are making the biggest impact into positions to make even more plays.

Here are the Buckeyes I believe need to see more of the field.

Riley Pettijohn needs to become a starter

This is the easiest one for me. Riley Pettijohn should be starting at linebacker against Kent State.

The sophomore from McKinney, Texas, has flashed every time Ohio State has given him meaningful snaps dating back to last season. As a true freshman in 2025, Pettijohn played only 50 total snaps at linebacker and on special teams, but still managed nine tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown.

His biggest moment came against Grambling State. On the first play of the second half, Pettijohn recovered a fumble and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown. He later broke up a pass on third down and forced another fumble that was recovered by Epi Sitanilei.

That wasn’t just garbage-time production. Pettijohn repeatedly found the football, and it’s carried into 2026.

Against Ball State, Pettijohn led Ohio State with six tackles and added half a tackle for loss while playing 30 defensive snaps. He was also one of the highest-graded Buckeye defenders in the opener. Then came Texas, where in my opinion Pettijohn may have been the best linebacker on the field for Ohio State.

The Texas native finished with three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack of Arch Manning. The sack came in the first quarter and immediately showed the explosiveness that has made him such an intriguing player entering his sophomore season.

More importantly, he looked like he belonged, and that matters. Texas is exactly the type of game in which a young linebacker can look overwhelmed. Instead, Pettijohn played decisively, attacked downhill and consistently found himself around the football.

That is what makes his situation different from simply asking for a young player to receive more opportunities. We already know what Pettijohn looks like when the stage gets bigger, and he showed that in Austin this past weekend.

Ohio State’s linebacker room is talented.

Christian Alliegro is a proven veteran who came over from Wisconsin after recording 53 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks in 2025. Payton Pierce has legitimate experience and was expected to take on a larger role this season. TJ Alford has also shown plenty of ability. But Pettijohn’s ceiling is becoming impossible to ignore.

At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, he has the physical profile to play inside while also possessing the athleticism to be used in more creative ways. Ohio State has already indicated that Pettijohn has spent time working on the edge as a pass rusher, giving Patricia another way to manufacture pressure.

That versatility could become especially valuable as the season progresses. I don’t think Pettijohn should simply be the third linebacker anymore. I think he should be one, if not the first name on the field. And against Kent State, there is no reason not to find out what he can do with a starter’s workload.

TJ Alford has earned more opportunities, too

Pettijohn is the player I would elevate into the starting lineup, but TJ Alford isn’t far behind. In fact, Alford may have the most interesting case of any player on this list because he was already heavily involved to begin the season.

Alford started Ohio State’s opener against Ball State and led the linebackers with 34 defensive snaps. He finished with five tackles and his first career interception, earning Ohio State’s defensive player of the game honor.

That wasn’t a fluke. Alford is one of Ohio State’s most athletic linebackers, and that athleticism showed immediately. He is a former four-star recruit who was ranked among the nation’s top 100 players in the 2025 class and was the No. 9 linebacker in the country according to 247Sports.

As a freshman, Alford played 139 snaps across 11 games but finished with only six tackles and one tackle for loss. Those numbers undersell the player he was coming into this season. There is simply a different level of explosiveness to Alford’s game. And that is particularly important for this Ohio State defense.

Patricia wants to play fast. He wants his linebackers to close space, affect the quarterback and react quickly enough to prevent explosive plays. Alford has the athletic profile to do exactly that. The problem is that he played less against Texas, and that’s the part I don’t understand.

If Ohio State believes Alford is one of its most athletic linebackers, and if he just produced five tackles and an interception in the opener, there should be a way to keep him heavily involved. Especially after what happened in Austin.

Texas’ fourth-quarter comeback was fueled in part by its ability to get its running backs into space and make Ohio State’s linebackers tackle in difficult situations. The Buckeyes held Texas to just 3.4 yards per carry overall, but the late-game breakdowns were costly.

Alford’s athleticism gives Ohio State another tool to prevent that. I don’t necessarily think Alford has to replace Alliegro, Pettijohn or Pierce outright. Ohio State can still rotate its linebackers. But Alford should be playing more.

If Patricia wants the fastest and most athletic version of this defense on the field, Alford needs to be part of it.

Khary Wilder might be the biggest missed opportunity

This might be my biggest, and most important one.

Khary Wilder played only six defensive snaps against Texas. Six!! For a freshman defensive lineman who had already flashed during the opener, that is simply not enough.

Wilder didn’t put up a gaudy stat line against Ball State, but the film told a different story. He consistently created disruption, including pressure that helped force an errant throw that became Alford’s interception. He played 17 defensive snaps in the opener and was used in multiple ways, including as both a defensive end and an interior pass rusher.

That is the intriguing part of Wilder. He isn’t simply a young edge defender waiting for his turn. Ohio State has already shown a willingness to move him around and let him attack offensive linemen from different alignments.

At 6-foot-4 and 257 pounds, Wilder has the frame to develop into a true every down force at defensive end, but his explosiveness gives him another dimension as a pass rusher. He also showed flashes during the spring game, where he repeatedly created pressure against Ohio State’s offensive line.

Then came Texas, and his opportunities essentially disappeared. Wilder only played six snaps in Austin this past weekend, and STILL somehow led the team with two pressures in the game. That’s especially frustrating because Ohio State struggled to pressure Manning late, and I think Wilder could have potentially changed that.

Manning was able to settle into the pocket and make throws once the Buckeyes stopped consistently affecting him up front. Ohio State’s defensive line needed more juice, not less. (they also needed to rush more than three guys, but that’s a different topic)

I am not necessarily saying Wilder needs to start against Kent State. I’m not even sure Ohio State needs to give him 40-plus snaps. But six snaps? Absolutely not. Kent State is the perfect opportunity to completely unleash him. Give Wilder 25-30+ snaps. Put him on the edge. Put him inside on passing downs. Let him attack.

Find out what happens when you give one of your most physically gifted young defenders a legitimate workload. The worst-case scenario is that he proves he still needs development. The best-case scenario is that Ohio State discovers another difference maker on the defense line.

Brock Boyd deserves more targets, not necessarily more snaps

Brock Boyd is a little different. I’m not sure Ohio State needs to actually dramatically increase his playing time right now. I just want to see what happens when the Buckeyes actually throw him the football.

Boyd played 20 snaps in his collegiate debut against Ball State and caught one pass for 22 yards. Then against Texas, he played 12 snaps, rotating in with the starters.

The issue isn’t necessarily volume, It’s opportunity. Ohio State desperately needs another receiver to emerge alongside Jeremiah Smith, and that became painfully obvious in Austin. Smith was outstanding, finishing with 164 receiving yards and a touchdown, but defenses are going to continue finding ways to make somebody else beat them.

Devin McCuin and Brandon Innis have shown they can be somewhat productive, but Ohio State needs another consistent threat. Why not find out if Boyd can be that guy?

The Southlake Carroll product has an crazy resume for a three-star recruit. He finished his senior season with 75 catches for 1,145 yards and 15 touchdowns after producing 111 catches, 1,868 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior. He also broke Southlake Carroll’s all-time receiving yardage record.

That production doesn’t guarantee anything at Ohio State. But it tells you there is a reason the coaching staff wanted him. And we’ve heard plenty about his route running and ability to create separation. Now, I’d like to see Ohio State turn those traits into actual targets.

This doesn’t mean forcing targets to him. It means putting Boyd into the offense, and Sayin actually looking his way enough to find out whether he can consistently win. Because if he can, the Buckeyes’ offense could become much harder to defend.

Chris Henry Jr. is the obvious long-term bet

If Boyd is the player I want to see targeted more, Chris Henry Jr. is the player I want Ohio State to continue developing aggressively.

The five-star freshman arrived in Columbus with enormous expectations. Henry was the No. 1 receiver in the country and a top-10 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting cycle according to the 247Sports composite. At 6-foot-5 and 211 pounds, he gives Julian Sayin a completely different physical target than almost anyone else on the roster (outside of JJ).

He already scored a touchdown in his collegiate debut against Ball State. The talent is obvious. Henry has the size, catch radius and athleticism to become the next elite Ohio State receiver. But there is an important distinction between wanting Henry to play more and wanting him to become a 10 target per-game receiver immediately.

He’s a freshman. There will be mistakes. There were already some in the opener. But that’s exactly why he needs reps. Ohio State needs to figure out what Henry can become before November and December, not just what he is in September.

If the Buckeyes are going to make another run at a national championship, they need to develop a receiving corps that can survive when Jeremiah Smith is being doubled. Henry is probably the player with the highest ceiling to become that answer, the question is whether it happens this year or next.

Legend Bey needs to become a weekly offensive weapon

Then there’s Legend Bey.

This is probably the most interesting case because I don’t think Bey is a traditional running back yet at all. Ohio State should not suddenly turn him into a 15 carry a game between-the-tackles back. That’s not what makes him special. Bey is a gadget player.

The freshman from Forney, Texas, was one of the most explosive athletes in Ohio State’s 2026 class. He was a top-200 prospect and the No. 9 athlete in the country according to 247Sports, and he arrived in Columbus after playing quarterback at North Forney.

Bey rushed for more than 1,600 yards and threw for more than 1,300 yards during his high school career, accounting for 45 touchdowns as a senior and running a 10.23-second 100-meter dash. That’s the type of athletic profile Ohio State needs to find ways to exploit.

We saw it against Ball State. Bey touched the ball eight times offensively, rushing six times for 37 yards while adding two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. His 25-yard touchdown catch-and-run was exactly what makes him so dangerous. He got the ball in space and made the rest happen.

That’s his role. I don’t need to see Ohio State line him up in the I formation and ask him to run inside 15 times. I want motion. I want screens. I want jet action. I want him split out wide. I want him in the backfield next to Sayin. I want him in the backfield with Bo Jackson. I want defenses to have to account for No. 2 every time he walks onto the field.

Because once Ohio State starts doing that, Bey becomes valuable even when he doesn’t touch the football. That’s the next step. Against Texas, Ohio State barely used him offensively (just one snap), and that felt like a missed opportunity.

Even if the play doesn’t go to Bey, his presence can change the way a defense aligns. That is what makes elite gadget players so dangerous. Bey can become a decoy. And if a defense starts ignoring him, Ohio State can hand him the ball and let him create something.

The Buckeyes don’t need to overcomplicate it, they just need to put him on the field.

Ohio State has enough talent. Now they just need to trust it

None of this means Ohio State should abandon its veterans. That’s not the argument. The Buckeyes have one of the deepest rosters in the country, and there is a reason players like Payton Pierce, Christian Alliegro, Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Innis and Ohio State’s veteran defensive linemen are trusted so much.

But the Texas game should accelerate the evaluation process.

Ohio State does not need to wait until October to find out what Pettijohn can do. They don’t need to wait until November to see whether Alford can handle a larger role. They don’t need to keep Wilder buried on the depth chart when he is creating pressure with the opportunities he gets. They don’t need to wait for an injury to find out whether Boyd can become a legitimate complementary receiver. They don’t need to slowly introduce Henry or Bey when the offense desperately needs another weapon.

The good news is that Ohio State has the perfect opponent for experimentation. Kent State comes to Columbus as the Buckeyes look to rebound from one of the more painful losses in the Ryan Day tenure.

This is the game to give Pettijohn a starter’s workload. This is the game to get Alford heavily involved. This is the game to unleash Wilder. This is the game to give Boyd and Henry more opportunities. And this is the game to make sure Legend Bey is part of the offensive game plan from the opening whistle.

Ohio State doesn’t need more talent. They need to figure out which of their talented young players give them the best chance to win. After two games, several of those answers are becoming pretty obvious.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos