The Lantern — Spring Game Edition 2026

THE LANTERN

Ohio State offensive line leans on experience, versatility after Cotton Bowl collapse

Gabe Eaker Sports Senior Writer

When Ohio State left the field at AT&T Stadium following its Cotton Bowl loss to Miami, the story of the defeat was clear. Protection. By the time Miami quarterback Carson Beck kneeled as the clock expired, he had not only led the Hurricanes to the second round of the College Foot-

ball Playoffs and sent the Buckeyes home.

He had done so almost untouched.

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, meanwhile, faced a season-high 22 pressures from the Hurricanes’ pass rush, which was ultimately the deciding factor for the Buckeyes season to come to a crashing end.

Whether due to injuries, poor blocking or facing projected firstround picks defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, Ohio State had to reassess where its unit stood in the spring.

With a blend of promising young talent and four starters returning, the Buckeyes’ offensive line is projected to be one of the top units in the country heading into the 2026-27 season.

“When you have a veteran offensive line, typically you’re able to adjust things quickly, and guys are able to sustain throughout a season,” head coach Ryan Day said. “We’re counting on these guys to continue to get better, but also having that experience count.”

When it comes to the trenches, experience is king.

The 2025 Indiana Hoosiers’ offensive line, composed of three juniors and two seniors, powered a 16-0 championship run while leading the Big Ten with 212.9 rushing yards per game.

This year, the Buckeyes follow a similar blueprint, returning four of their five starters — Phillip Daniels, Austin Siereveld, Carson Hinzman and Luke Montgomery — save for the lone

departure of right guard Tegra Tshabola who transferred to Kentucky.

“When you see guys really step up and play really well in year four and five, it’s typically because of all those things, the number of reps, the accumulation of these games starts to show up,” Day said.

Many Buckeye offensive linemen can play both guard and tackle, a versatility few teams have in the transfer portal era.

Left tackle Siereveld, right tackle Daniels and guard Joshua Padilla all have experience playing at both tackle and guard, something that is valuable as the season progresses.

“We’ll try to find the best five the best we can,” Day said. “And all we can do is just keep practicing every day and evaluate what we have,”

With projected starting tackles Siereveld and Daniels sidelined in spring ball following “minor procedures” and not expected back until summer work-

outs, Ohio State’s offensive line depth will be tested.

Redshirt freshman Carter Lowe and redshirt sophomore Ian Moore are expected to take on larger roles this spring, competing for playing time as the Buckeyes search for their best five linemen.

“Not only are they playing for depth, but they’re playing for starting positions, everything is on the board,” Day said. “The more guys we have that can play, the more we’re going to put them into the game.”

And as spring ball comes to an end and the season approaches, the unit is playing with a “pissed off” mentality, fueled by a standard it knows it failed to meet in Dallas.

“I think this season is going to be a great opportunity to kind of show what we have, maybe rewrite some of our wrongs we had this last year,” Hinzman said.

Former Ohio State players challenge narrative on athlete academics

Reilly Cahill Sports Senior Writer

This story was originally published on March 25, 2026 and was updated for the Spring Game Edition.

Former Ohio State wide receiver

Mylan Graham made news when he transferred to Notre Dame in January.

He gained even more attention a month later when he was asked the difference in his class experiences between his former and current schools.

“You just have to actually go [to class] in person, just stuff like that,” Graham said. “At Notre Dame, obviously, everybody knows how it is with academics.”

Former Buckeye linebacker Steele Chambers and 2023 Ohio State graduate pushed back on X.

“I’ve got about $500 worth of parking tickets and lingering carpal tunnel that says otherwise. We had to go to class #Buckeyes,” Chambers posted.

At the center of the debate is a broader question about what it means to be a student-athlete at Ohio State, an experience former Buckeyes said is shaped by personal choices, demanding schedules and institutional support systems.

Chambers, who graduated with a degree in finance, said it was Graham’s decision not to go to in-person classes at Ohio State.

“You can schedule however you want, so you could probably be 100% in person now or do 100% online, it’s kind of your preference,” Chambers said. “If he’s saying that he didn’t have to go to class, that’s because he chose not to go to class. He’s probably doing all online, or he’s just skipping.”

Paris Johnson Jr., who graduated from Ohio State in 2022 with a degree in journalism before becoming a 2023 first-round pick for the Arizona Cardinals, thought taking classes in person enhanced his Ohio State experience. He estimated that 80% of his classes were in person.

“It was probably the best decision I could have made being in person, because otherwise if you’re a football player or any other sport and you’re purely online like a lot of kids nowadays are, it’s like you’re missing out on the college experience,” Johnson said. “You’re almost employed to just play football and go home.”

Chambers said that for other players, like former wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., online classes can be beneficial to avoid disruptions.

“At that point [Harrison Jr.] should probably take a few online classes because he’s not going to get anything done whenever half the class is trying to ask for your autograph or something,” Chambers said.

Former players described that during the in-season autumn semester, their schedule consisted of morning classes and afternoon practice.

“Some days we’d have workouts early in the morning, if not, we’ve got class scheduled between 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., so we could have classes anytime between that period,” Chambers said.

“Once it got to 1:30 p.m., we couldn’t have any more classes because we practiced at 2:30 p.m.”

Kourt Williams II, a 2023 communication graduate of Ohio State, said his in-season daily routine on practice days would have him waking up at 5 a.m. to get to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to eat and do rehab before having classes from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. After lunch he would go back to the team’s facility for practice at 2 p.m. Around 6 p.m. he would have tutoring or head

home to do homework.

Williams said he was helped by the Student-Athlete Support Service Office, which is tasked with supporting all student-athletes with their academic engagement, including time management, tutoring and organizational structure.

“The SASSO department pretty much runs our academics, so they’re the ones that keep tabs on everything,” Williams said. “If we miss anything, they’re the ones that are telling coach [Ryan] Day and our position coach, and they’re going to be on us pretty hard. They don’t mess around with that stuff; we’ve got to stay on top of everything.”

Williams said he doesn’t think the SASSO department gets enough credit for the help it provides student-athletes.

“It’s not an easy job,” Williams said. “They spend a lot of hours with us and

a lot of late nights helping us, tutoring us.”

While the Buckeyes were committed to on-field success, they were also focused on academic achievement. Chambers, Johnson and Williams all earned Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors while at Ohio State.

During the 2023-24 academic year, Ohio State had a 1,000 Academic Progress Rate score, which was the highest in Division 1 football for the second straight year. The APR measures student-athlete’s eligibility and retention.

For former Buckeyes, the classroom experience ultimately came down to accountability, not accommodation— no matter how demanding the schedule or how high-profile the athlete.

“When it’s due at midnight, [Carmen] Canvas doesn’t care who you are,” Johnson said.

Opinion: It’s time for Ohio State to remove Les Wexner’s name and uphold its values

Jack Diwik Managing Sports Editor

As a kid growing up in Columbus, I heard people talk about Woody Hayes like he was a myth. They mentioned the five national championships, the 16 wins over Michigan and the dominance of the early 1970s.

But more than anything, they talked about his character.

That legacy is etched into the walls of Ohio State’s football facility, where Hayes’ name represents tradition, pride and everything the program claims to be.

But just beneath it, there’s another name: Les Wexner.

Unlike Hayes, what that name represents is far more complicated.

The contrast highlights a deeper failure on Ohio State’s part to reconcile the people it chooses to honor with the values it claims to represent. As scrutiny surrounding Wexner has grown, his continued presence on the university’s most visible program has become harder to justify.

Wexner’s impact on Ohio State is undeniable. His financial contributions helped shape the modern campus, including the football facility that now bears his name, a decision approved by the Board of Trustees in 2007 in recognition of decades of donations and service.

But a legacy is not built on money alone.

In recent years, Wexner’s name has become closely connected to his relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The disgraced financier served for years as Wexner’s financial manager and was granted power of attorney in 1991, giving him sweeping control over Wexner’s finances, properties and business affairs.

Court filings and reporting have

also detailed how Epstein exerted significant influence over Wexner’s personal and professional life.

Wexner has denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, but their connection cannot be denied, and it has reshaped how many view his place in the public eye.

The university is still grappling with fallout from abuse committed by former team doctor Richard Strauss, accused by hundreds of former students of sexual misconduct spanning nearly two decades. Lawsuits tied to the case are ongoing, raising questions about institutional accountability and how long it took those in power to act.

That history is a reminder that universities are not judged only by their traditions, but by how they respond when those traditions are challenged. Which brings Ohio State back to the present.

WEXNER continues on page 6.

Roundtable: Past, present and future Lantern sports editors break down Ohio State’s 2026 outlook

Football will return to Ohio Stadium on Saturday as Team Scarlet faces Team Gray in Ohio State’s annual spring game, offering the first live look at the Buckeyes ahead of the 2026 season.

While the spring game will not necessarily quench fans’

Andy Anders (Eleven Warriors/ Lantern Sports Editor 2019-20)

Who is Ohio State’s biggest X-factor in 2026?

The biggest X-factor for Ohio State this season is tackle Ian Moore. Offensive linemen can be overlooked in these conversations — we typically think of X-factors as exciting playmakers — but he could be a piece that quietly elevates the Buckeyes’ entire offense.

It’s no secret that the offensive line is coming off a bitterly disappointing end to the 2025 season. Ten combined sacks were allowed in the two losses that ended Ohio State’s campaign. Rather than add potential starters through the transfer portal, however, the Buckeyes are banking on the veteran experience of their front five and aiming for a few other linemen to take the next step. Moore tops the list of those linemen.

While Phillip Daniels is back after starting at right tackle for the Buckeyes in 2025, it was an inconsistent season for him overall, and, to me, his ceiling just isn’t as high as Moore’s at the position. Daniels lacks the feet and seems technically limited. If Moore can rise and claim the right tackle position from him, as Ryan Day has very much left the door open for, it’s a sign that the much-maligned right side of Ohio State’s offensive line can be better in 2026.

thirst for meaningful football, it provides a glimpse of what is to come once the calendar turns to August. Ahead of the game, Lantern sports editors from the past, present and future came together to discuss four topics surrounding Ohio State’s 2026-27 football season.

Ohio

Reilly Cahill (incoming Lantern Sports Editor)

Why Ohio State can win the national championship: Returning production and new offensive leadership

Ohio State returns most of its core offensive pieces, and most importantly, it returns arguably the best player in the country in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Pair that with quarterback Julian Sayin returning, along with one of the most experienced offensive line groups in the country, and the Buckeyes have a shot to beat anybody in the country.

Why Ohio State can’t win the national championship: Defensive losses and schedule difficulty

The bad news is that while Ohio State can beat anybody in the country, it also faces one of the toughest schedules in the country.

The Buckeyes will face six teams that finished in last season’s final AP Top 25 poll, including road games against Texas and defending national champion Indiana, along with a matchup against Michigan in Ohio Stadium.

In addition to navigating that schedule, Ohio State must replace seven defensive starters, including Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles and Kayden McDonald, who are all projected first-round NFL Draft picks.

In the College Football Playoff era, no team has reached the playoff with three regular-season losses.

Jack Diwik (current Lantern Sports Editor)

What will be the biggest difference from last year’s team?

For the past seven years, Day has been the mastermind behind Ohio State’s offensive game plan. While he has gone through three offensive coordinators during his tenure, two — Kevin Wilson and Brian Hartline — have been internal hires, and one — Chip Kelly — was someone Day knew from his college days at New Hampshire.

That is not the case with newly hired offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

Known for his run-scheme expertise, Arthur Smith will be the yin to Day’s prolific passing attack, which has finished top four in the conference in each of his seven seasons as head coach.

With an offensive line returning four starters and sophomore running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West primed to take a leap, look for the Buckeyes’ rushing attack — which ranked ninth in the Big Ten last season — to drastically improve under Smith’s direction.

Sam Cipriani (Buckeye Sports Bulletin/Lantern Sports Editor 2024-25)

What will Ohio State’s identity be in 2026?

While the Buckeyes’ identity in 2025 stemmed from their defense, which finished No. 1 in the FBS in both total and scoring defense under first-year defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the departure of eight defensive starters from last year’s roster could lead to a shift in identity for the 2026 squad.

Ohio State’s offense is likely to once again be one of the best in the country, returning all but its starting right guard Tegra Tshebola, tight end Max Klare and No. 2 wide receiver Carnell Tate. After ranking just 26th in total offense and 21st in scoring offense last season, the unit could reach new heights. Day also brought in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith this offseason to stabilize an offense that put up 24 combined points in the final two weeks of Brian Hartline’s tenure.

Led by Heisman finalist quarterback Julian Sayin and unanimous All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, along with an offensive line boasting significant continuity, Ohio State is positioned to become a more balanced, and potentially offense-driven team. Rather than forcing a run game that struggled to find a rhythm in 2025, another year of development up front, paired with emerging sophomores Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, could unlock a complementary rushing attack.

Defensively, some regression is expected after last season’s elite production, but another year under Patricia should help stabilize a unit undergoing significant turnover. With a mix of returning contributors and transfers such as safeties Earl Little Jr. and Terry Moore, linebacker Christian Alliegro and defensive linemen James Smith, John Walker and Qua Russaw, the Buckeyes will be tasked with forming a new identity rather than replicating last year’s dominance.

Spring game signals return of game-day traditions, social scene

fewer stakes on the field and a full lineup of bars and house parties, students and local businesses alike embrace the day as a celebration, regardless of the score.

“It’s definitely more about going out than the game,” fourthyear in environment, economy, development and sustainability Anthony Zelinskas said. “I would say it’s the best day of spring semester.”

“It’s finally nice weather and you get to go out just like a football game in the fall,” Zelinskas added. “The frats all throw and the bars are packed.”

For many, the appeal lies in what the spring game represents.

After months of winter and a quieter campus, the day signals a shift for the student body. It’s the long-awaited return of warmer weather, longer days and outdoor social life.

The football game becomes secondary to the atmosphere surrounding it, as students take advantage of one of the first major spring weekends.

specials and hours in anticipation of increased foot traffic, capitalizing on the overlap between sports culture and campus nightlife.

“We staff heavier for the daytime, especially on the patio at The Library,” Allen said. “Night time is business as usual, always a long line, so we are used to operating at maximum capacity.”

While the atmosphere mirrors fall game days, the stakes and students’ priorities look different.

Liv Rinaldi Sports Editor

With Saturday’s spring game approaching, excitement around Ohio State’s campus is building, but not necessarily for the football. For students, the annual spring game signals more than just the return of football — it marks one of the first major social weekends of the semester. With warmer weather,

While attendance inside the stadium can vary, the energy outside it remains consistent. Students often treat the spring game less like a sporting event and more like a tradition — an opportunity to gather with friends, enjoy the weather and participate in a familiar game-day atmosphere without the pressure of a regular-season matchup.

“The vibes on campus and right off campus is what makes spring block special,” third-year in aerospace engineering Evan Kneer said.

“Even though it’s not the first day with nice weather and it won’t be the last, it’s like the first snow in winter,” Kneer said. “People are outside from dawn to dusk enjoying the weather and tradition.”

That shift in atmosphere is felt just as strongly along North High Street.

Local bar owners brace for crowds that resemble a fall Saturday, as the celebration surrounding the game draws students regardless of what happens on the field.

“There’s nothing like the atmosphere of an OSU gameday, and when you get to recreate that at all of the incredible bars on campus in the spring, it’s really special,” Quinn Allen, owner of The Library Bar, said.

Many establishments adjust staffing,

Why removing Wexner’s name is necessary

Continued from page 4.

As of Feb. 25, more than 300 requests have been submitted through the university’s naming review process calling for Wexner’s name to be removed from campus buildings, according to prior Lantern reporting. Why hasn’t it happened?

The university is not contractually bound to keep Wexner’s name on the football facility. The decision to rename the complex ultimately rests with Ohio State.

Ohio State football is not just another part of the university. It is the front porch. It is where the university

showcases its identity, and the names attached to it reflect that identity.

Right now, that message is hard to reconcile.

Hayes should be honored. Wexner should not.

What is holding the university back? Is it loyalty to a donor who has given more than $200 million, or the reality that Wexner’s financial legacy is still tied to Ohio State’s future?

If money is part of the calculation, it means the issue is about leverage, not legacy.

At some point, though, the question becomes simpler: What does Ohio State stand for?

Honoring someone in the present is not passive. It is a choice that reflects what the university values and what it is willing to defend.

Wexner’s contributions will always be part of Ohio State’s history. That does not change. But the standard for recognition can.

For generations, people in Columbus have pointed to Hayes as a standard for winning and character, for what it means to represent Ohio State the right way.

The question now is whether every name attached to Ohio State meets that same standard.

Students across campus are preparing for the annual “Chitt Fest,” a street festival on Chittenden Avenue, as well as fraternity parties known as “spring block.”

“I think we’ll wake up early, maybe not as early as a Michigan home game but early enough so we can pregame block,” Zelinskas said. “Then we’ll probably grab food and recover before going out later.”

Even without a traditional opponent, the spring game maintains its place on the calendar — not just as a Buckeye football event, but as a signal of the season.

“While the football game is interesting to me, it’s hard to section out such a big portion of such an exciting day just to be at the game,” Kneer said.

Opinion: Ohio State’s spring game often comes with false expectations

Sam Becker Lantern Reporter

By spring, the Ohio State football community is starved for anything resembling football. As a result, the Ohio State spring game draws an unusual amount of attention compared with other programs across the country.

Ohio State spring games have previously drawn more than 100,000 fans, creating early hype around players among the Buckeyes’ ravenous fan base.

While the early glimpse can occasionally hint at future stars, more often than not, the spring game creates false hope about players who may

never become impactful.

With Ohio State’s spring game set for Saturday, fans should take the results with a grain of salt.

In recent years, several “spring game stars” have gone on to play insignificant roles in Ohio State’s longterm plans.

In 2022, Kye Stokes became the first freshman to lose his black stripe, earning his official entry into the Ohio State brotherhood. Shortly after, he recorded two pass breakups and nine tackles in the spring game.

Stokes then received widespread praise from fans and pundits, despite

most recruiting services labeling him a middling prospect. Some were quick to compare him to Denzel Burke, who became Ohio State’s No. 1 cornerback as a freshman.

Stokes went on to record 12 tackles in 11 games across two seasons before transferring to Cincinnati and later Utah State.

While Stokes represents one version of spring game disappointment, another archetype is just as frustrating: the spring game standout who becomes a late bloomer.

The issue with spring game hype is that it can lead fans to believe young players are more developed than they truly are. New faces generate excitement, and after seeing the production of a freshman like Jeremiah Smith, fans can become impatient. No example better illustrates this than Jack Sawyer.

Unlike Stokes, Sawyer arrived at Ohio State as a highly touted recruit, ranked alongside former stars such as Joey and Nick Bosa and Chase Young. The expectations were already high. Those expectations grew after Sawyer starred in the 2021 spring game, recording three sacks in the first half.

Combined

with strong praise from coaches and teammates, the performance elevated him to expectations of becoming Ohio State’s next premier defensive end almost immediately.

Instead, Sawyer spent his first two seasons as a solid rotational player, and his development was often viewed as a disappointment. In hindsight, his career will be remembered more positively, but early expectations fueled by the spring game led to unfair criticism. The final reason to temper spring game hype has become more relevant in recent years.

In today’s college football landscape, with the transfer portal and name, image and likeness opportunities, there is no guarantee a spring game standout will remain at Ohio State.

From 2016 through 2018, Joe Burrow earned consistent praise for his spring game performances while competing for playing time behind J.T. Barrett and later for the starting job.

Burrow was widely respected by coaches and teammates, and each performance increased confidence in his potential as Ohio State’s future starter. He never started for the Buckeyes. Instead, Burrow transferred to LSU, where he won the Heisman Trophy, a national championship and became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Situations like Burrow’s have contributed to some programs reevaluating the spring game format. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said he canceled the team’s spring game due to concerns about tampering following the program’s scrimmage the previous year.

In each case, the outcome is similar. Whether it leads to misplaced expectations, delayed development narratives or player departures, spring game hype often creates more harm than clarity.

And in the end, the ones most affected are the fans who crowned those spring game stars in the first place.