5 winners and 2 players with stock falling from Ohio State football’s blowout win over Ball State to begin the season
The first game of the 2026 season is in the books for the Ohio State Buckeyes. In the opener against Ball State, there’s plenty to take away from this first game.
The Ohio State Buckeyes opened the 2026 season with a 56-3 demolition of Ball State in Week 1, and the return of Ohio State football brought plenty to evaluate.
Ohio State led 28-3 at halftime and had most of their starters out midway through the third quarter, rotating plenty of depth throughout. With a game this lopsided, the real value comes from sorting out which players helped their stock and which ones raised concerns heading into a much tougher Week 2 matchup against Texas. Here is the stock up, stock down report from Ohio State’s season opener.
Stock up report for Ohio State after beating Ball State
Jeremiah Smith
Smith was sensational in the opener, as expected. The star wide receiver hauled in eight receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns for the Buckeyes. He made it look easy on a 48-yard reception down the sideline, and it was an effortless day against lesser competition that frankly had no right being on the same field as him. Smith is the best player in college football, and Week 1 did nothing to change that.
Devin McCuin
Ohio State’s newest weapon earned a spot on this list in his first game in scarlet and gray. McCuin, who arrived through the transfer portal from UTSA, went for 6 catches and 97 yards with 1 touchdown. He showed that he is going to be the No. 2 receiver for Ohio State alongside Smith. McCuin is going to be a big playmaker for the Buckeyes this season, and a 1,000-yard receiving season is well within reach if this debut was any indication.
Julian Sayin
Sayin completed 21-of-25 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns, but the most important factor was his rushing touchdown on a fourth-and-short play. He took off for three yards, made a defender miss, and found the end zone. That was something we simply did not see from him last year. Getting Sayin to take off and run is a major step in him fulfilling his potential in college, and Week 1 was a good first step.
Khary Wilder
The true freshman defensive lineman flashed early for Ohio State and looked like a player who is going to have a role on the defensive line this season. Wilder generated a couple of pressures and was even rushing from the interior on some passing downs. It was a great day for him as the Buckeyes look for someone to be the No. 2 pass rusher opposite Kenyatta Jackson. Perhaps Wilder could be that guy.
Bo Jackson
Coming off a 1,000-yard season as a true freshman last year, Jackson still needed to show he can be a back who breaks off long plays for touchdowns and creates explosive plays from the running back position. He did exactly that with a 65-yard breakaway run to open the second half. Until that point, Ohio State had struggled to run the ball on the ground, and Jackson breaking through was a big moment for the run game in the opener. Jackson will be better off for that run this season.
Stock down for Ohio State following Game 1 vs. Ball State
Phillip Daniels
The starting right tackle was rotating in and out early and struggled throughout, giving up multiple hits on the quarterback. It looked like a tough day that cannot happen next week against Texas. Coming away from this one, you have to wonder if Ohio State is going to start looking at other options at right tackle. The Buckeyes moved Austin Siereveld from right guard to right tackle and entered Gabe VanSickle into the game against Ball State. Daniels has to improve, and quickly.
Isaiah West
West had a lot of offseason buzz suggesting he had clearly inserted himself as the second running back for Ohio State, but that was not the case against Ball State. Florida transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson was the second running back into the game and looked the part of the No. 2 back behind Bo Jackson. West was the fourth-best running back on the day, behind even freshman Legend Bay. It was not the first game anyone expected from West when you factor in the offseason noise around his name.
Time will tell whether these early trends hold up, but the stock report from Week 1 gives Ohio State plenty to build on and a few things to clean up before the Buckeyes head to Texas.
