The 2026 college football season is getting close, and Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List confirms it. 

This year, two Ohio State Buckeyes made the cut, and while one is the obvious pick in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, the other is a name most fans may not know: walk-on Brenton “Inky” Jones.

Jones is a redshirt senior with the Buckeyes. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound safety from Steubenville, Ohio, has spent the last four seasons with Ohio State and appeared in seven games as a redshirt junior last season with 31 snaps on special teams. He hasn’t seen defensive action for the Buckeyes, serving primarily as a special teams contributor. Still, Jones is a superb athlete, and his inclusion on the Freaks List speaks to the caliber of player it takes to suit up at Ohio State, where even the walk-ons are freakish athletes you just don’t often see.

What Bruce Feldman said about Brenton Jones

“The Buckeyes have walk-ons who are Freaks. Last summer, both Jeremiah Smith and Sonny Styles stumped for Inky to be on this list,” Feldman wrote. “And with the numbers this guy keeps putting up, he definitely belongs on here. At 6-2, 216 pounds, Jones is a giant corner and gunner on special teams. He is a product of the Buckeyes program.”

His top end speed is 23.52 mph. Jones, a standout basketball player in high school who set his school’s record in the 400, broad jumped 11 feet this offseason and clocked a 1.47 10-yard split. He bench pressed 385 pounds and squatted 555.

Those are jaw-dropping numbers for any player, let alone a walk-on who isn’t expected to be a contributor on defense. Jones is the kind of athlete who would stand out at many programs across the country, and at Ohio State he’s a depth piece on special teams. That tells you everything about the roster Ryan Day has assembled in Columbus, really year in and year out.

What Brenton Jones’ role looks like in 2026

Jones is not a player the Buckeyes are going to rely on to make a defensive impact on game day in 2026. Unless a lot of things go wrong in front of him on the depth chart, his snaps will come exclusively on special teams. Ohio State has plenty of talent at safety and across the secondary, with returners and newcomers competing for playing time ahead of him.

That said, it’s still a nice nod for Jones to earn recognition on Feldman’s list. Making the Freaks List as a walk-on is unique. The 2026 season is right around the corner, and the Buckeyes have as high of expectations as ever. Having walk-ons who show up on national athletic lists is just another reminder of the talent Ohio State has top to bottom heading into the 2026 season.