What will we learn from Ohio State's spring game? A QB showcase, new faces and more

AlabamaArizonaBYUGeorgiaGeorgia TechHoustonIndianaIowaJames MadisonMiami (FL)MichiganNorth TexasNotre DameOhio StateOklahomaOle MissOregonTexas A&MTexasTexas TechTulaneUSCUtahVanderbiltVirginiaScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsNewsletterRecruitingOddsPicksBest Portal Classes2026 CFB PredictionsEarly Top 25Transfer QB RankingsCollege Football Florida transfer running back Ja'Kobi Jackson will be among the Buckeyes in the scrimmage spotlight Saturday. Adam Cairns / USA Today Network via Imagn Images Share articleCOLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State’s annual spring football game is Saturday, ending a 15-practice window that helped the coaching staff ease in its 51 new players. The scrimmage will give coach Ryan Day a chance to see his new players in action, along with new coaches like offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and receivers coach Cortez Hankton. With so many new players and changes to the program, there are plenty of storylines to talk about … as long as the weather cooperates. Columbus is expecting severe weather on Saturday, with the forecast leaning toward thunderstorms in the morning. The Buckeyes are expected to kick off at noon ET on Big Ten Network. Though the weather may throw a wrinkle into spring game plans, here are five thoughts ahead of the scrimmage: For fans who like it when Ohio State throws the ball all around the field, Saturday will be your type of game. With only two scholarship running backs healthy, the Buckeyes will throw it early and often. The weather doesn’t look ideal for that, with thunderstorms expected to bring strong wind, but as long as the game is played, it’ll be a big one for the top three quarterbacks: Julian Sayin, Tavien St. Clair and Maryland transfer Justyn Martin. I’m not sure Sayin needs to play deep into Saturday’s game as a proven returning starter, but there are some things that he needs to show. Arthur Smith is likely to use more under-center formations, which would be an interesting change after Ohio State largely played out of the shotgun and in pistol formations previously. Much of the new offense will be installed between spring and the opener against Ball State, but just seeing how comfortable Sayin is with the basics will be worth watching. This is also a chance for Sayin to show he’s improved in his read progressions and movement inside and outside of the pocket. I doubt Day is going to let Sayin get hit much on, but we’ll see how well he takes yards on scrambles and if they bring more play-action rollouts into the fold. As for St. Clair, Friday’s practice was rough for the second-year player from nearby Bellefontaine. The five-star recruit in the 2025 class had some good moments, but he ran a few laps for interceptions on throws he’s going to want back once he looks at the film. A year ago, he was trying to catch up to the speed of the college game. How much has he improved as he heads into his redshirt freshman season? Friday looked more like he was being overly aggressive, which will make Saturday a big day to show his development. For most people, Saturday will be the first look at St. Clair since last year’s spring game, when he completed 11 percent of his 15 passes for 116 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The Florida transfer is one of two healthy running backs, along with true freshman Favour Akih, so Day won’t want to pile too many hits on the duo — especially after Jackson was limited to four games last season. Still, this is Jackson’s first public appearance in front of a crowd at Ohio Stadium, and he’ll be asked to do two important things: run in the red zone and pass block. CJ Donaldson was the red zone specialist and top pass protector last year, and that’s a role the 217-pound Jackson can step into. He scored seven touchdowns for the Gators in 2024. Ohio State is hoping that Bo Jackson and Isaiah West have improved in pass protection as sophomores, but they missed the entire spring with injuries, putting Ja’Kobi Jackson in the spotlight as he tries to carve out a role this season. Jeremiah Smith will play in the spring game, but I wouldn’t expect to see much of the All-American beyond the early “thud” periods. That leaves six or seven receivers who could get major playing time and battle for the starting spots alongside Smith. Brandon Inniss is back and is the favorite to start in the slot, but UTSA transfer Devin McCuin and LSU transfer Kyle Parker are battling for starting reps, sophomore Phillip Bell is one to watch too and the freshman trio of Chris Henry, Brock Boyd and Jerquaden Guilford is trying to make an early impact. Any battle for a starting position isn’t going to be won in the spring game, although if Henry, a five-star recruit, takes a slant 50 yards to the end zone, he might have a lot to say about it. For now, it’ll be more interesting to see who lines up where. Is Inniss still a slot receiver or can he play outside? Where does Boyd, who was the first freshman receiver to lose his black stripe to show he’s earned his roster spot, line up? If Boyd and Inniss are in the slot, then who gets more reps when the season begins? How much can Parker and McCuin show off their versatility and make plays after the catch? And just how good is the highly touted Henry in a game setting? For the first time in a few years, there are lot of unknowns in the receiving corps, even with the best player in the country returning. One of the big things to consider before Saturday is the injuries up front. Last year’s starting tackles, Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels, will not play, and Josh Padilla, who can swing between guard and center, has been limited all spring. That means only two returning starters will play on Saturday: Luke Montgomery and Carson Hinzman. In other words, don’t expect to see massive growth on display. Ian Moore will be the biggest storyline because there’s a realistic chance that he becomes the starting left tackle if Ohio State pushes Siereveld to right guard. How will Moore, a third-year player, hold up against Kenyatta Jackson, Zion Grady, Beau Atkinson and Qua Russaw? But if the offensive line is getting mauled, don’t overreact and expect that to be the case during the season. The group that will take the field Saturday afternoon is a shell of the one that fans will see when the season opens on Sept. 5. The defensive backs were all over the field in Friday’s practice, and I think there’s a world where fans leave the spring game excited about the group. The Buckeyes don’t have Caleb Downs, but there’s a lot of talent returning and they are hunting the ball right now. Returning starter Jaylen McClain might be the best of the group. One cornerback to watch is Georgia transfer Dominick Kelly. Ohio State likes him a lot, and the Buckeyes may need to use more secondary rotations to get him on the field — maybe even pushing Jermaine Mathews to the slot, where he can use his physicality more. That would give Ohio State six players to work with in Kelly, Mathews and Devin Sanchez at corner and Terry Moore, McClain and Earl Little at safety. That’s without even mentioning Leroy Roker in the mix at safety, as well. This is a deep group, albeit one that is having to replace the best safety in college football in Downs. If they can win some battles with Ohio State’s talented receivers again, this could spark some elevated excitement for Matt Patricia’s defense heading into the summer. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Cameron Teague is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering the Ohio State Buckeyes. Before joining The Athletic, he worked as a features writer for The Columbus Dispatch and a beat writer covering Louisville football for the Courier Journal. He’s a graduate of Bowling Green State University. Follow Cameron on Twitter @cj_teague