Returning Ohio State core two wins from completing unfinished business
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
Ohio State‘s recruiting class of 2021 was among the best in the country, ranked No. 2 nationally with seven five-star prospects, and by the end of the 2023 season had largely delivered on its promise, compiling a 32-4 record over three regular seasons.
But for many members of that class, there was still unfinished business — namely beating Michigan and winning a national championship — that became the focus of discussions about coming back to Columbus.
At least eight players who were projected to be picked in the NFL draft, some of them in the early rounds, elected to stay in school with the goal of adding some bling to their gaudy win-loss record. While the first part of their goals got away — the Buckeyes lost their fourth straight rivalry game to the Wolverines — they are still in position to deliver the ultimate prize, facing Texas on Friday night in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl (7:30 ET, ESPN).
“When you look back, you want to be able to tell your kids, your family, the people that you love that you won something,” senior receiver Emeka Egbuka said. “We hadn’t really won anything, and that’s the reason we came back.
“Then you lose that last game again [against Michigan], and it hurts. It will always hurt, but just like we did before this season, we locked arms and said we still have a chance to win the big prize, the national championship.
“Let’s go do it.”
Even without a win over Michigan, the 2021 class has a chance to leave an enduring legacy at Ohio State. The group, which included 17 ESPN 300 recruits, is not fully intact. Quarterback Kyle McCord transferred to Syracuse following the 2023 season and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who left as a junior last year, was the No. 4 selection in the NFL draft. Then there’s the quarterback Ohio State will be facing in the Cotton Bowl, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, who spent a semester in Columbus in 2021, played one game against Michigan State, then transferred to Texas.
But those who remain have a strong bond.
“This group, the ’21 group, has been through a lot,” senior running back TreVeyon Henderson said. “This is a special moment for all of us to be in this position, to be there for each other, to stay committed to each other the way we have.
“This season hasn’t been perfect. We aren’t perfect, but we’ve leaned on each other to keep going, to stay focused, and we’re still here fighting to play with each other until there are no other games to be played.”
Senior defensive end Jack Sawyer grew up in Pickerington, Ohio, about 17 miles from Columbus, and committed to the Buckeyes when he was a sophomore in high school. He was one of the ringleaders this offseason in getting so many of his teammates to come back.
Granted, Ohio State’s willingness to broker lucrative NIL deals, putting together a $20 million roster, was a big part of the retention. But there was also a sense of emptiness in that 2021 class stemming from having not done what all players come to Ohio State to do — beat Michigan, win Big Ten championships and win national championships.
“Jack was passionate about it this offseason and what Ohio State meant to him and what we could do to leave the kind of imprint we wanted to on the program, especially guys who grew up in the state,” said defensive tackle Ty Hamilton, a fifth-year senior also from Pickerington.
Sawyer and fellow defensive end JT Tuimoloau came in together in 2021, and it wasn’t lost on either of them the magnitude of this second chance to finally get the job done.
“It makes it more special,” said Sawyer, part of an Ohio State defense that collected eight sacks in the 41-21 Rose Bowl quarterfinal victory over Oregon, which beat Ohio State 32-31 in Eugene earlier this season. “I mean, we were just talking about it. You look back at where we were in our freshman year, and we’re so much different as people and as players. So we’re really excited that we get another chance.”
The Buckeyes certainly have made the most of it. They’ve yet to trail in their first two playoff games, building a 21-0 first-quarter lead against Tennessee and a 34-0 second-quarter lead against Oregon. In those two games, they racked up 12 quarterback sacks, allowed none and are giving up an average of 3.8 yards per play on defense.
But the hurt of a fourth straight loss to their hated rival, when Ohio State was a three-touchdown favorite on its home turf, still stings.
“It sucks what happened at the end [of the regular season],” senior offensive tackle Donovan Jackson said. “Nobody hates it more than we do. I hope people know that. But we know what it takes to go out there in the playoff and win, and that’s playing to our ability.
“That’s all we’re focusing on right now and not what anybody has said about us and or anything else that has happened in the past. The way we look at it, everybody on this team, is that our best game is still out there.”
Senior defensive tackle Tyleik Williams added: “That game didn’t go the way we wanted, and as soon as we got into the playoff, we came together and said, ‘We’ve got one shot at this. That’s it — one.'”
Sawyer was furious following the Michigan game when some of the Wolverines’ players planted a “Block M” flag at midfield of the Horseshoe, similar to what happened at the end of the 2022 game, and a brawl ensued that had to be broken up by staff members and police.
Sawyer ripped the Michigan flag off its pole and threw it to the ground. As he was being held back by a staffer, a video captured him screaming, “They’re not f—ing planting the flag again on our field, bro!”
That passion has permeated throughout the entire team during the postseason, and the Buckeyes have used it as fuel, especially some of the younger players and portal additions who have seen how agonizing it was for the veterans to come up short against Michigan again and then have to listen to the fallout for nearly a month before the first playoff game.
“It’s an angry team, and we’ve played that way,” said quarterback Will Howard, who transferred in this season from Kansas State. “You see guys like Jack and JT and Donovan, all those guys who came back, and how much they’ve put into this program, and you just follow their lead.”
One of the keys, according to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, was finding the right mix with veteran portal acquisitions and veteran holdovers. It’s rare in this day and age of college football that a program of Ohio State’s caliber has so many fourth- and fifth-year seniors.
“Their leadership has been tremendous, especially with the guys we added that had experience and had played at a high level,” said Kelly, who has been a head coach in both the NFL and collegiate ranks. “They’ve been steady, haven’t let anything on the outside get to them. Everybody faces ups and downs. You’re not going to win every week, and then it becomes, ‘How do you react to it?’ We have a senior group that has responded the right way.
“They came back for a reason, and they still get a chance to do that. They know what’s at stake.”
Tuimoloau, Ohio State’s leader with 17 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, admits the foundation of the program was rocked a bit after the Michigan loss. But he reminded himself and everybody around him that a single loss, even one as agonizing as the one to Michigan, wasn’t going to destroy the season.
“One thing I’ll say about this team is that we’ve built our foundation on something that’s bigger than just what you see out on the football field,” Tuimoloau said. “Just to go through those trials, man, I can’t be more thankful for it. It’s brought us closer together. It’s allowed us to really look at everything from a different perspective and just continue to make the choice if you want to splinter and scatter or stay close and continue to just work toward the goal.”
While the veterans have been the steadying force for Ohio State in this postseason revival, dynamic freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith has provided the voltage with four touchdown catches and 290 receiving yards in the two playoff games.
Smith said he has had many mentors on this team, but he didn’t need to be told anything after the Michigan loss.
“Those guys weren’t going to let it end like that,” Smith said. “They’d been through too much, and their leadership just sort of picked up the rest of the team.
“It wasn’t going to happen again.”
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Mark Schlabach
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who led the No. 1 Hoosiers to a perfect 13-0 record and their first Big Ten title since 1967, captured the 91st Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.
Mendoza beat out quarterbacks Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt) and Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and running back Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) to take home the trophy during a ceremony in New York.
Mendoza, who played two seasons at California before joining the Hoosiers this season, completed 71.5% of his pass attempts for 2,980 yards with 39 total touchdowns.
He was only the second Heisman Trophy finalist from Indiana. Running back Anthony Thompson was runner-up to Houston quarterback Andre Ware in one of the closest votes in 1989.
With Mendoza, Pavia and Love expected to move on to the NFL after this season, who are the top returning Heisman Trophy candidates for 2026?
In compiling the list of potential candidates, I projected that quarterbacks John Mateer (Oklahoma), Ty Simpson (Alabama) and Dante Moore (Oregon); receivers Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Zachariah Branch (Georgia) and Makai Lemon (USC); and running back Emmett Johnson (Nebraska) will turn pro (along with the aforementioned finalists from this year).
Here is a look at some of the top potential contenders (in no particular order):
2025 stats: 80 catches, 1,086 receiving yards, 12 total touchdowns
Smith’s highlight reel of acrobatic, one-handed catches continues to grow, and he arguably has been the best player in college football this season. He was the fastest Buckeyes player to reach career marks of 2,000 receiving yards (24 games), 100 catches (20) and 25 touchdown receptions (25).
2025 stats: 78.4% completion pct, 3,323 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, 6 interceptions
Sayin might have captured the Heisman Trophy this season if Ohio State’s offense hadn’t flopped in its 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten championship game. In his first season as a starter, Sayin is on pace to break the NCAA single-season pass completion record of 77.4%, set by Oregon’s Bo Nix in 2023.
2025 stats: 70.7% completion pct, 2,691 passing yards, 442 rushing yards, 31 total touchdowns
In his first full season as Georgia’s starting quarterback, Stockton helped guide the Bulldogs to a 12-1 record and SEC title. His legs and right arm were a big reason the Bulldogs averaged 31.9 points, despite enduring myriad injuries on the offensive line. Stockton was at his best when the game was on the line — he completed 86% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and one interception in the fourth quarter against ranked opponents.
2025 stats: 84 receptions, 970 receiving yards, 7 receiving touchdowns
Toney’s teammates call him “Baby Jesus,” and the true freshman delivered in a big way in his first season with the No. 10 Hurricanes. He ranks sixth in the FBS with 84 catches and had 1,328 all-purpose yards. Toney even threw for two scores. Not bad for an 18-year-old who would be a senior in high school if he hadn’t reclassified to the class of 2025.
2025 stats: 61.4% completion pct, 2,942 passing yards, 32 total touchdowns
Even after all the hand-wringing about Manning being overrated at the start of the season, the former five-star recruit ended up putting together a good campaign, throwing for 2,942 yards with 24 touchdowns. The No. 13 Longhorns need to find some offensive linemen (he was sacked 23 times) and receivers to help him in 2026.
2025 stats: 65.5% completion pct, 3,016 passing yards, 24 total touchdowns
Ole Miss officials have submitted a waiver to the NCAA on Chambliss’ behalf for another season of eligibility. He played his first three seasons at Division II Ferris State before transferring to Ole Miss this year. He was named SEC Newcomer of the Year after taking over the starting job in the third game of the season.
2025 stats: 1,560 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns
A transfer from Louisiana-Monroe, Hardy led the FBS with 130 rushing yards per game and was No. 2 with 1,560 total rushing yards. He had eight 100-yard games for the Tigers, including a whopping 300-yard effort with three touchdowns in a 49-27 victory against Mississippi State on Nov. 15.
2025 stats: 61.8% completion pct, 2,932 passing yards, 466 rushing yards, 31 total touchdowns
Reed announced this week that he plans to stay at Texas A&M next season, which is great news for the No. 7 Aggies. He was a threat with the ball in his hands, throwing for 2,932 yards with 25 touchdowns and running for 466 yards with six scores. His decision-making needs to continue to improve, so he can cut down on his 10 interceptions.
2025 stats: 63.6% completion pct, 3,117 passing yards, 20 total touchdowns
There’s a reason new Bears coach Tosh Lupoi took a late-night flight to Hawai’i to make sure Sagapolutele was staying at Cal. He was only the second true freshman in FBS history to pass for 200 yards or more in each of his first 11 starts. In the Bears’ late-season upsets of then-No. 21 SMU and No. 15 Louisville, Sagapolutele passed for a combined 653 yards with six touchdowns and no picks.
2025 stats: 1,279 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns
After transferring from Missouri, Lacy helped the No. 6 Rebels win 11 games in the regular season for the first time. He ranks No. 2 in the FBS with 20 rushing touchdowns and piled up 1,279 yards on the ground. Will he follow former coach Lane Kiffin to LSU or remain with the Rebels in 2026?
2025 stats: 66.2% completion pct, 3,431 passing yards, 29 total touchdowns
If Maiava returns to the No. 16 Trojans for another season, he’ll probably flourish in Lincoln Riley’s offense. This year, he threw for 3,431 yards with 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He ranks No. 1 with a 91.2 total QBR. According to Pro Football Focus, he was second in the FBS with 26 big-time throws. (A big-time throw is defined as a high-difficulty, high-value pass.)
2025 stats: 1,035 rushing yards, 6 total touchdowns
Jackson became the fifth true freshman in OSU history to produce a 1,000-yard season, joining Robert Smith (1990), Maurice Clarett (2002), JK Dobbins (2017) and TreVeyon Henderson (2021). That’s good company. And, of course, he’d be the second Bo Jackson to collect a stiff-armed trophy.
2025 stats: 70.2% completion pct, 4,129 passing yards, 36 total touchdowns
Mestemaker is one of the best stories in college football. He didn’t start a single game in high school, then joined North Texas as a walk-on. This season, he led the FBS with 4,129 passing yards, helping him capture the Burlsworth Trophy as the top walk-on in the country. Will he join former Mean Green coach Eric Morris at Oklahoma State in 2026?
CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame
2025 starts: 66.6% completion pct, 2,741 passing yards, 24 touchdowns
Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman entrusted Carr to lead his offense after a heated battle in preseason camp. The decision paid off, as Carr put together one of the best performances by a first-time starter in Notre Dame history. He threw for at least one touchdown in each of his first 12 starts, becoming the first Irish player to do that since Everett Golson in 2012-14. Carr’s 24 passing touchdowns are tied for the most in the first 12 starts by a Notre Dame player since 1966.
2025 stats: 70% completion pct, 2,850 passing yards, 595 rushing yards, 27 total touchdowns
Williams is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the FBS, and his ability to run and throw was on display in the Huskies’ 38-19 victory against Rutgers on Oct. 10. He became the first player in school history to pass for at least 400 yards (400) and run for at least 100 (136) in the same game. Williams was second on the team with 595 rushing yards.
Others to watch: Sam Leavitt, QB, TBA; Cam Coleman, WR, Auburn; Brendan Sorsby, QB, Cincinnati; Josh Hoover, QB, TCU; Darian Mensah, QB, Duke; Nate Frazier, RB, Georgia; LJ Martin, RB, BYU; Bear Bachmeier, QB, BYU; LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina; Bryce Underwood, QB, Michigan
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Adam Rittenberg
Maryland quarterback Malik Washington, who set the team’s freshman passing record this fall, will return to the Terrapins for the 2026 season.
Washington set Maryland freshman records for passing yards (2,963) and completions (273) this season, while connecting on 17 touchdown passes. He reached 200 passing yards in all but one game and finished as just the second Big Ten freshman since 1996 to record at least 2,500 passing yards and at least 300 rushing yards.
“Representing this team, this area, means so much to me and my family,” Washington said in a statement Saturday. “This is home and we’re going to continue keeping the best athletes from this area here with the Terps. I believe in everyone in our facility and I know we’re building something that our fans will be excited about for years to come.”
Washington, the nation’s No. 134 recruit in the 2025 class, grew up in Severn, Maryland, about 30 miles from Maryland’s campus. Despite a 4-8 record that included only one Big Ten win, Maryland announced that coach Mike Locksley, who recruited Washington, would return in 2026. Locksley will enter his eighth season as Maryland’s coach.
“Malik is a Terp through and through and I’m thrilled he’s coming back to lead this football team,” Locksley said in a statement. “He means so much to this area and this area means so much to him. What we saw from Malik this past season is only the tip of the iceberg. He has such a bright future and he’s already started putting the work in towards the 2026 season.”
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