Ohio State’s Texas homecoming: Seven Buckeyes ready to make an impact
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When Ohio State travels to Austin to take on No. 5 Texas on Saturday night, the Buckeyes will have plenty of familiar faces in the building.
For seven players on Ohio State’s roster, however, this trip means something a little more.
Devin McCuin, Kyle Parker, Devin Sanchez, Riley Pettijohn, Legend Bey, Brock Boyd and Connor Hawkins all call Texas home, giving each of them a chance to return to the state that helped shape their football careers. S
everal of them could play significant roles in what should be Ohio State’s first real test of the 2026 season.
McCuin, Sanchez and Pettijohn headline the homecoming
Perhaps the most intriguing Texas homecoming belongs to Devin McCuin.
The Jacksonville, Texas native enters the matchup as one of Ohio State’s most experienced new offensive weapons. After beginning his career at UTSA, McCuin broke out as a junior in 2025, leading the Roadrunners with 65 receptions for 726 yards and eight touchdowns.
He finished his UTSA career with 152 catches, 1,696 yards and 16 touchdowns.
His Ohio State debut could not have gone much better. McCuin caught five passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in the Buckeyes’ 56-3 win over Ball State, immediately showing why Ohio State brought him to Columbus.
Now, he returns to his home state with an opportunity to become an important part of Julian Sayin’s supporting cast against Texas.
On the other side of the ball, Devin Sanchez gets his first opportunity to play a major game in his home state. The former five-star recruit and North Shore standout appeared in all 13 games as a freshman in 2025, recording 15 tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery while playing 409 snaps.
His role has grown entering his sophomore season, and he will be expected to cover Texas’ two NFL WR’s. That could make Sanchez one of the most important Buckeyes on the field.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning just threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns in the Longhorns’ 59-7 season-opening win over Texas State. Sanchez will have to help slow down an explosive Texas passing game featuring Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo and other talented weapons.
Then there is Riley Pettijohn, who may have the most to gain from this homecoming.
The McKinney native was one of the nation’s top linebackers in the 2025 recruiting class, finishing his high school career with 115 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks as a senior. His freshman season was relatively quiet statistically, but he showed flashes, including a forced fumble, fumble recovery and defensive touchdown against Grambling.
Now, with Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese both off to the NFL, Pettijohn has a much larger opportunity in Ohio State’s linebacker rotation. He led the Buckeyes with six tackles against Ball State and will now return to Texas looking to establish himself as a major piece of Matt Patricia’s defense.
Seven Texans, seven different opportunities
The youngest members of this group may be the most exciting.
Legend Bey arrives from North Forney as one of Ohio State’s most intriguing freshmen. The former quarterback accounted for 45 touchdowns as a senior and finished his high school career with more than 4,000 rushing yards, 3,500 passing yards and 94 total touchdowns. He also ran a 10.23-second 100-meter dash.
Bey showed exactly why Ohio State is so excited about him in his debut. After some early mistakes as a kickoff returner, he caught a 25-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against Ball State.
His explosiveness gives the Buckeyes another potential home-run threat, and Texas will provide a much better indication of how quickly he can become a consistent offensive contributor.
Brock Boyd is another Texas freshman worth watching. The Southlake Carroll product was a three-star recruit who exploded onto the recruiting radar with 75 catches for 1,145 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior.
As a junior, he caught 111 passes for 1,868 yards and 19 touchdowns while earning District 4-6A Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Boyd saw action in Ohio State’s opener and is already pushing for a regular role in an incredibly deep receiver room. Returning home to Texas with the Buckeyes should only add to the excitement surrounding a player who has quickly exceeded expectations.
Meanwhile, Kyle Parker will have to wait a little longer for his Ohio State debut.
The Allen native and former LSU receiver missed the opener with an injury, but he had been working his way into the Buckeyes’ receiver rotation during camp. Parker caught 31 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns for LSU in 2025 and brings valuable SEC experience to an Ohio State receiver room that could use his versatility.
Finally, Connor Hawkins provides perhaps the most underrated Texas connection.
The Liberty Hill native transferred to Ohio State from Baylor after a strong 2025 season in which he made 18 of 22 field-goal attempts, connected on all 37 extra-point attempts and made a career-long 54-yarder. His 91 points ranked among the Big 12’s leaders, and he enters 2026 on the Lou Groza Award watch list.
Hawkins has already made his presence felt, connecting on all eight of his extra-point attempts against Ball State. In what could be a tightly contested game in Austin, his leg could become considerably more important.
For all seven, Saturday represents something different.
For McCuin and Hawkins, it is a return to the state where their college careers began. For Sanchez and Pettijohn, it is a chance to perform in front of family and friends. For Bey and Boyd, it is an early opportunity to show that their Ohio State futures are as bright as advertised. For Parker, it is a chance to finally begin his Buckeye career.
Either way, Austin will feel a little more like home for a handful of Buckeyes.
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