Ohio State, between bringing in freshmen and players through the transfer portal, has brought plenty of new players to support and expand its roster for the 2026 season. Some of these players will have a bigger impact than others, and with spring practice, we’re able to see which of these players looks the most impactful so far.
Chris Henry Jr.
The first player is former five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. The hype has been around this kid since the day he committed to the Buckeyes. He’s a tall, dominant receiver and should play a decent role in the 2026 offense.
However, he most likely won’t be like junior receiver Jeremiah Smith, who played practically every snap as a freshman. This freshman will have to work hard to find his way onto the field due to a receiving core that, according to head coach Ryan Day, “deepest (Ohio State) has been in a while.” We’ve seen Chris Henry Jr. make some plays and get first-team reps so far throughout seven days of spring practice.
Overall, the likelihood of seeing this guy make a couple of plays in the season is very high.
Legend Bey
The next player is another freshman, who arguably has made the most noise throughout social media since spring ball started. Legend Bey came in listed as an athlete, but with his 4.33 40-time, he will serve as a running back in this offense.
Watching spring practice, you can tell Bey has that speed and twitch that make a good running back. He will compete for reps with a healthy number of players, but mainly sophomore Bo Jackson and Isaiah West. The spot we may see Legend Bey start at is kick or punter returner, which could allow him to get used to the college speed and make some plays.
However, currently Bey is dealing with an undisclosed injury, but this is most likely a small thing that won’t last until August.
Earl Little Jr.
The player who has some of the largest shoes to fill in 2026 is transfer addition Earl Little Jr.
Little will take over the role that Caleb Downs played the past two seasons. He transferred from Florida State, where he had four interceptions, two forced fumbles and two pass deflections in 2025, to Ohio State.
He was able to shed his black stripe five practices into spring, and so far is performing at a high level and is playing a big role in the defense.
James Smith
James Smith is another player who transferred to the Buckeyes for the 2026 season. Smith is a defensive lineman who came from Alabama who is looking to make an impact through the defensive line. He started in 12 games for the Crimson Tide, so he has SEC experience. It seems that Smith has made an impression through spring practice and will play a big role in disrupting upcoming Buckeye opponents in 2026.
Brock Boyd
The last player is one that many didn’t know up until he became the first freshman in the 2026 class to lose his black stripe, Brock Boyd. This is huge because players like Henry Jr. and Bey, who may play big roles as freshmen, haven’t even lost their stripes yet.
Boyd was just a three-star, yet he’s competing/outperforming some five-star in the same receiving core. Seven spring practices have shown us that he is great at running routes and is a hard worker. If he keeps up what he’s doing, Boyd could find himself in the rotation for the Buckeyes.
All these additions have made the Buckeyes gain one of the deepest rosters in years and will also help boost Ohio State through one of their toughest schedules in a while.
