Former Ohio State football player hit with big NFL news over the weekend that not many had coming
Ohio State’s football program wins too thanks to a former Buckeye turned NFL undrafted free agent who won a job on a 53 man roster.
It was a successful weekend for the Ohio State Buckeyes when it comes to their former players sticking on NFL rosters and making their spot known for the 2026 NFL season.
Ohio State had all 11 draft picks from the 2026 NFL Draft make rosters, and all 25 draft picks from the last two years made initial 53-man rosters around the NFL.
Overall, Ohio State has 59 players on initial 53-man rosters around the NFL. The Buckeyes also had a pair of undrafted free agents from the 2025 team make rosters, with Josh Fryar and Seth McLaughlin both securing NFL spots.
Ethan Onianwa’s roster spot is the biggest surprise of the weekend
The biggest surprise of the bunch is Ohio State’s seventh-round pick, offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa, making the Atlanta Falcons’ initial 53-man roster. That’s big news for the former seventh-round selection who did not start at Ohio State at all.
The Buckeyes got Onianwa out of the transfer portal from Rice, where he was a standout tackle. He was expected to battle for the starting left tackle job at Ohio State but was never able to win it. Onianwa spent the season as depth for the Buckeyes, totaling just 173 offensive and special teams snaps altogether in 2025.
For Onianwa to go from sitting on the bench at Ohio State to making an NFL 53-man roster shows how loaded the Buckeyes’ roster typically is. He has taken first-team reps at times with the Falcons during training camp and figures to be a backup offensive lineman who could see the field in 2026.
Onianwa was productive at Rice but was never able to get on the field at Ohio State due to some technical issues with his game. Finding an NFL home as a seventh-round pick after not starting his final season of college football is a cool story and a strong sign of his development during the pre-draft process and training camp.
The Buckeyes continue to churn out NFL talent at an elite rate. Having 59 players on initial 53-man rosters and a perfect hit rate on draft picks over the last two classes speaks to the depth Ohio State has built under coach Ryan Day. Time will tell how many of these players carve out long NFL careers, but the early returns from this roster-cut weekend are a big recruiting win for the program.
