Every season the Ohio State Buckeyes are expected to reload and compete for a national championship. The team’s 2026 expectations will be no different. 

Ohio State watched nearly three dozen players exit in the transfer portal after last season with the majority of them being second-string players, or even deeper on the depth chart. The Buckeyes return Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin, so there’s a good feeling around what the offense will be. 

On the defense, Ohio State won’t have more than three starters returning. Two of those starters that’ll be back in the secondary have some buzz around what they can be in 2026. 

Former Buckeyes star singles out two Ohio State players who could reach stardom in 2026

Former Ohio State standout CB Jeff Okudah was in Columbus recently for Columbus native and Cincinnati Bengals LB Brian Asamoah’s youth football camp. It was there that Okudah gave some promising thoughts on two Buckeyes defenders for the 2026 season. 

“Devin Sanchez, my Texas guy, I think he’s going to have a special year,” Okudah stated via 10TV’s Adam King. “Jermaine Mathews is going to have a tremendous year as well. It’s Coach Walton, it’s Coach Matty P, I think they are building something that’s really special. I’m excited to see what they can do.”

Mathews and Sanchez both return with starting experience with Matthews representing the veteran leader in the cornerback room. Sanchez got some starting experience for the Buckeyes last year and he’s expected to take a big jump in 2026 as a sophomore. The former No. 1 cornerback in the country coming out of high school played in 13 games last year and made 15 tackles with two pass breakups. 

With Davison Igbinosun off to the NFL, the Buckeyes need Sanchez to step up and be a true lockdown cornerback on the boundary. Mathews will enter his senior season with experience both inside and out with the 2025 season being played mostly on the outside. The Cincinnati native needs a strong season on the boundary if he wants to go high in the 2027 NFL Draft. 

Mathews made 26 tackles, two interceptions, one sack, and one forced fumble in 14 games for the Buckeyes last year. He has 41 games played in a scarlet and gray uniform and is a player the team is going to count on as a fiery leader in 2026. 

Okudah knows a thing or two about being a successful cornerback at Ohio State and, notably, he’s singling these two players out. If Ohio State’s defense is elite again in 2026, both cornerbacks will have a major role in it happening.