ESPN singles out Ohio State football defender that the rest of college football is about to know in 2026
Ohio State will have a new look defense in 2026 with up to eight new starters. The Buckeyes have one player in the middle of Matt Patricia’s defense that is ready to take over.
The Ohio State Buckeyes underwent plenty of change this offseason. There were just 11 players drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, while over 30 players remained in the transfer portal, mostly depth. As always, Ohio State is expected to reload this fall.
Ohio State looks like they’ll have up to eight new starters on defense. Losing players like LB Arvell Reese, LB Sonny Styles, S Caleb Downs, and DT Kayden McDonald is going to be hard to replace.
At linebacker specifically, it’s going to be a new group of starters entirely, and the player to watch in 2026 is a third-year player.
ESPN points out an Ohio State Buckeye set to be a breakout player in 2026
Payton Pierce is expected to be a starter for linebackers coach James Laurinaitis in 2026. Pierce has played in 26 games over the last two seasons, but he’s never been a clear starter. The Texas native has been tabbed by ESPN as a player the rest of college football is going to find out about in 2026.
“The No. 5 inside linebacker recruit in the country two years ago out of Lucas, Texas, Pierce chose Ohio State over the Longhorns,” ESPN’s Jake Trotter wrote. “In Pierce and rising sophomore Riley Pettijohn, the Buckeyes have a promising young linebacking tandem to retool the defense around.”
Pierce is a physical linebacker at 6-foot-2 and 223 pounds who tackles everything he gets to. Laurinaitis’ first recruit at the position was Pierce and he’s finally going to have a shot at leading the linebacker group in 2026. As a true sophomore, Pierce had 44 tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble last season.
Ohio State’s schedule does them no favors in 2026 with a tough season ahead. The Buckeyes will have to have another strong showing from Matt Patricia’s defense if they want to accomplish their big goal of winning it all for the second time in three seasons.
Expect Pierce to be in the mix for any defensive success the Buckeyes have this year. Replacing Styles and Reese is easier said than done, but Pierce will lead a group that’ll be capable for Ohio State. Wisconsin transfer Christian Alliegro, Riley Pettijohn, TJ Alford, and Garrett Stover should all be in the mix for the Buckeyes at linebacker.
