Ohio State football has another freshman making his name heard, and it adds to the players pushing for an early impact
Ohio State has several freshman pushing for playing time in 2026. As fall camp rolls on, another Buckeyes newcomer is making his name heard.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are going to have a very different team in 2026 after losing a significant chunk of talent from last year’s squad that was one and done in the college football playoff. Ohio State will still have wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and quarterback Julian Sayin as the focal points of the offense, but new names are stepping up as playmakers around them.
The Buckeyes brought in several exciting wide receivers between the transfer portal and the freshman class, and the names generating the most attention are UTSA transfer Devin McCuin, along with freshmen Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd.
Another freshman is catching some buzz, though, as fall camp rolls on in preparation for the Week 1 game against Ball State. He could be the next player to lose his black stripe and solidify his spot as a Buckeye.
Another freshman Buckeye is getting his flowers
According to Spencer Holbrook of Lettermen Row, it’s freshman WR Jerquaden Guilford who some believe could be the next freshman to lose his black strike.
“Lettermen Row reached out to a source after practice Wednesday asking about who could be next. The answer from that source was Jerquadan Guilford, who has taken a big step forward in terms of maturity during the last few months and is now making plays at receiver. Oh, and he’s a special teams name to watch.”
Guilford is the third Ohio State freshman wide receiver generating attention for this 2026 team. Guilford was the second-highest-rated receiver the Buckeyes brought in, as 247Sports’ Composite rankings had him as the No. 6 wideout and No. 45 player in the country in the class of 2026.
Jerquaden Guilford faces a crowded receiver room but has a potential path to playing time
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound wideout took some time to ramp up in the spring, but he’s clearly gotten more comfortable in Columbus as the summer months have rolled on and the season approaches. It’s going to be hard for Guilford to crack the wide receiver rotation on offense right away, but he’s going to have a chance to make a special teams impact first. From there, he could potentially leap ahead into a bigger offensive role next year for the Buckeyes.
Right now it seems like Guilford is behind players like Smith, Brandon Inniss, McCuin, LSU transfer Kyle Parker, Henry Jr., and Boyd. Still, injuries can happen, and Guilford could certainly see a bigger rise into more playing time. Either way, the freshman is creating some buzz in August, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him on the field this fall.
