Receiver Garrett Wilson and offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere — both first-team All-Americans — announced they will enter the draft along with running back Master Teague III, a former starter who was a reserve when healthy last fall.
Here is an overview of the roster as of mid-January:
1. There is still some uncertainty among the seniors.
Ohio State had six “super seniors” last season who took advantage of the NCAA’s decision not to count the 2020 season toward eligibility.
A handful of 2021 seniors could do the same, but none have announced their intention to do so yet.
Starters Chris Olave, Jeremy Ruckert and Tyreke Smith have confirmed they are done after four years, but Jerron Cage, Teradja Mitchell and Sevyn Banks have not indicated what they will do. The latter trio all started games last season, but none were full-time starters.
2. If none enter the transfer portal, Ohio State looks to be returning about 13 starters.
Six starters are coming back on offense, including quarterback C.J. Stroud, running back TreVeyon Henderson, record-setting receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and three offensive lineman.
On defense, determining the number is a little trickier — and it might not matter anyway.
End Zach Harrison has not officially announced he will come back for a fourth season, but The Columbus Dispatch reported he will.
Tackles Haskell Garrett and Antwuan Jackson are out of eligibility, but Taron Vincent can return for a fifth year and Cage could be back for a sixth.
Multiple players had multiple starts at linebacker, but sophomores Cody Simon and Steele Chambers were on top of the depth chart at the end of the season.
In the secondary, true freshman Denzel Burke started every game at one cornerback spot while Banks and Cam Brown split time at the other. Brown is coming back as a fifth-year senior, and Banks could as well.
Sophomore Bryson Shaw started 11 games at deep safety, but senior Josh Proctor could reclaim that spot if he successfully recovers from a broken leg. Marcus Williamson started half the games at “cover safety,” but he is out of eligibility, and that spot might call for a different type of player this fall.
3. The defense is sure to look different.
Leading tackler Ronnie Hickman returns as well after starting at safety and the hybrid Bullet (linebacker/safety) position last season. Given his productivity and versatility, he will be in the lineup somewhere next season, but it remains to be seen if he plays in the box or deep.
Perhaps it could be both under Jim Knowles, the new defensive coordinator whose complex scheme has different looks for different types of offenses but bases out of a 4-2-5 alignment.
Tanner McCalister, who started at the equivalent of Williamson’s position last season for Knowles at Oklahoma State, will be a super senior transfer for Ohio State this fall, and he is not the only newcomer.
DeaMonte Trayanum is transferring from Arizona State, where he played running back. The Akron native is looking to play linebacker at Ohio State, where depth is a concern and impact plays were few and far between in 2021.
The front might also change in technique if not look. One of the ends at Oklahoma State last season was a hybrid player who played in a two-point stand and move around the formation, a role that could go to Harrison this fall.
The other down linemen might also be asked to play “heavier” up front, meaning they would be more responsible for soaking up blocks than getting up field. That could impact who ends up being the top options at those spots. It would not solve the pass rush woes Ohio State endured last season, but it could make life a lot easier for the linebackers.
4. The departures of Wilson and Petit-Frere, both five-star recruits out of high school, were not surprising.
Nor was Teague leaving one way or another after he slipped behind true freshman Henderson and redshirt freshman Miyan Williams on the depth chart last season.
To replace Petit-Frere, Paris Johnson Jr. is expected to move to tackle, his natural position, after starting at guard last season while sophomores-to-be receivers Marin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka plus rising junior Julian Fleming look ready to soak up the snaps of Wilson and Olave.
Dawand Jones, another 2021 junior who opted not to go pro, will be back at right tackle with rising sophomore Luke Wypler back at center.
Ohio State Buckeyes: Several games moved in revised football schedule https://t.co/EhmnW38x53
— Marcus Hartman (@marcushartman) January 13, 2022
5. The Buckeyes also appear set in the kicking game.
After kicking the game-winning field goal at the Rose Bowl, Noah Ruggles said he had not decided if he would use his extra year.
A team spokesman said he expects Ruggles to be a Buckeye in 2022, which would give Ohio State one of the nation’s most reliable kickers to go with a potentially prolific offense.
Jesse Mirco is also due back after a solid season as a freshman punter.
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