The Ohio State Buckeyes are 1-1 on the young college football season after a gut-punch loss to the Texas Longhorns on Saturday. 

Ohio State controlled the game for three quarters before allowing 21 straight points in the fourth quarter, falling 24-23 on the road. It was a painful finish, but it was also a game where we learned quite a bit about what this Buckeyes team is going to be in 2026.

Coming away from that loss, there are 3 players who simply need to play more for Ohio State going forward.

Linebacker Riley Pettijohn showed he’s ready

Pettijohn showed up big against Texas with a sack and a couple of tackles, making the most of his 37 snaps on the afternoon. The sophomore looked like a player the defense is better off with on the field for 50-plus snaps per game. He needs to be one of the top couple of linebackers for the Buckeyes.

It’s going to take snaps away from players currently ahead of him on the depth chart, but that’s a move the Buckeyes need to make. Pettijohn is showing he’s ready to make the jump, and the coaching staff should let him.

Running back Legend Bey needs more touches

Ohio State’s top running backs Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson are capable of hitting home-run type plays, but there isn’t a player in the room with more ability to create electric moments than Bey. The freshman flashed his potential in the opener against Ball State but saw only one snap against Texas. He got a carry that went for no yards, and the Buckeyes never put him back on the field.

That felt like a missed opportunity. Expect Beh to play more against Kent State in Week 3 and beyond. The Buckeyes have a dynamic weapon in their backfield, and keeping him on the sideline doesn’t make much sense when the offense needs a spark.

Defensive end Khary Wilder is too talented to keep off the field

Wilder played just five snaps against the Longhorns, but he generated a couple of pressures in that limited time. Ohio State is already finding creative ways to get him on the field, deploying him as an interior rusher on third-down looks despite his natural position on the edge.

At 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, Wilder’s closing speed looks legit for the Buckeyes already. He’s going to continue earning more snaps, and he’s going to take reps away from more experienced pass rushers on the roster simply because he’s that good as a freshman. Wilder is a player who needs to be out there more, and it shouldn’t take long for Ohio State to make that happen.