The Ohio State Buckeyes begin fall practice this week as they ramp up for the 2026 college football season, and one of the biggest storylines to watch will be who emerges as a wide receiver threat alongside superstar wideout Jeremiah Smith. 

Ohio State returns Brandon Inniss as its only contributor at wide receiver with Smith, and the Buckeyes are counting on a breakout senior season from the former five-star recruit.

There’s no sugarcoating it. Ohio State has a very tough schedule in the regular season, perhaps the toughest on paper in the Ryan Day era, and there are going to be bumps and bruises along the way. The Buckeyes have never lost more than two games in a season under Day, and expectations continue to be as high as ever. For Ohio State to meet those expectations, the offense needs more production from Inniss.

Brandon Inniss is on breakout watch as a senior

The production hasn’t been there for Inniss through his first three years in Columbus. He had 176 receiving yards and 14 catches in 16 games played as a sophomore in 2024. He made a couple of big catches that season and scratched the surface, which led many to believe 2025 could be the year he breaks out.

That didn’t happen. Inniss had 271 receiving yards to go along with three touchdowns last year, though he was a team captain, and that shows what he means to this team. Of course, Inniss wasn’t a primary or secondary pass catcher for the Buckeyes the last couple of years. Last season it was Smith and Carnell Tate, and then Max Clare served as their third option at tight end.

Now, ahead of the 2026 season, there’s a lot of talk around this finally being the year Inniss can break out for the Buckeyes.

Jeremiah Smith expects ‘a different Brandon this year’

Smith dropped a nice quote on his teammate via Lettermen Row saying he thinks this year will be different for Inniss. 

“He was a leader, he was a captain, blocks his behind off, makes plays when his number is called. You’re going to see a different Brandon this year. The situation he was in the last two years, but I feel like this year he’s going to be pretty good,” Smith said.

There you have it. Smith says you’re going to see a different player this year out of Inniss, and that’s just what the Buckeyes need. This season, Inniss is going to be more of a focal point in the passing game, and he’ll have players alongside him pushing for reps as well. LSU transfer Kyle Parker and UTSA transfer Devin McCuin are two names to watch who could potentially line up from the slot and do some damage there.

Inniss is likely to be a team captain again for the Buckeyes for the second year in a row, and a breakout senior season would be big for him and for elevating Ohio State’s offense as a whole. It’ll certainly be a development worth watching play out for the Buckeyes in 2026.