The Buckeyes begin practices on Thursday to prepare for the 2026 football season, and one indicator of the season creeping up is award watch lists being released.
Ohio State had three players make the Maxwell Award watch list on Monday, with running back Bo Jackson, quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith being named as players to watch for the award given to the most outstanding college football player each year.
It’s no surprise to see Sayin on the list after a season in which he led the Buckeyes to a 12-0 regular season record, which included their first win over Michigan since 2019. He finished the year with a 77.0 completion percentage, the best in program history in a single season, while throwing for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns to eight interceptions. That season landed him fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.
Smith is also expected to be one of the biggest impact players in the country going into his junior season. If he continues his pace from the last two seasons, he will break multiple Ohio State career receiving records. In his first two years at OSU, he combined for 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns, which is more than any Big Ten receiver has ever had in their first two collegiate seasons.
Jackson broke out during his freshman campaign, becoming the starter just three games in after not even playing in the season-opening victory over Texas. He was just the fifth Ohio State freshman ever to top 1,000 rushing yards in a season and the first since TreVeyon Henderson in 2021. He finished last year with 179 carries, 1,090 yards and six touchdowns.
As more award watch lists come out, the Buckeyes will surely continue to be represented on both the offensive and defensive ends of the ball.
