‘He’s in his own category’ – Ohio State football captain didn’t mince words about a freshman who is quickly emerging for the Buckeyes
Ohio State has several freshman playing for them already, but one is quickly emerging and could be a whole lot more important earlier than expected.
The Ohio State Buckeyes opened the 2026 season with a 56-3 demolition of Ball State, and while the result was never in doubt, one freshman stood out as a player worth watching the rest of the way.
Defensive lineman Khary Wilder, a 6-foot-4, 257-pound edge rusher out of California, flashed the kind of pass-rushing ability that could earn him a legitimate role as Ohio State prepares for a Week 2 trip to face the Texas Longhorns.
Though a group of freshman stood out overall, Wilder might be the one not being talked about enough.
Wilder was a top 100 recruit in the class of 2026 and the specific pass rusher Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson targeted in the cycle. He was recruited as an edge rusher but has the versatility to kick inside as a 3-tech and rush from the interior. Against Ball State, the Buckeyes already had a package designed for him, bringing him in on third downs to utilize his ability to get after the quarterback.
Khary Wilder’s debut showed why Larry Johnson wanted him
It was only Ball State, but the tape told a clear story. Wilder got after the passer, put him under duress, and helped force a turnover on an interception grabbed by safety TJ Alford. One play in particular jumped off the screen when Wilder essentially hip-tossed an interior offensive lineman out of his way to collapse the pocket. That kind of true grown-man strength is rare for a freshman, and it signals he’s already ready for college football from a physical standpoint.
Ohio State senior captain and top edge rusher Kenyatta Jackson made it sound like the Buckeyes knew this was coming.
“I mean, his energy from day one, like in camp. I mean, it was just like, like you gonna be a really good player for sure,” Jackson said of Wilder. “And he showed on Saturday, his first game in the shoe, you know, called the speed package, and I mean, he did what he did, so he got to build on that.”
A crowded edge room, but Khary Wilder is pushing
Jackson is Ohio State’s top edge, but after him there’s a group of pass rushers battling to be the second guy. Zion Grady and Beau Atkinson might sit at the top of the depth chart behind Jackson heading into the playoffs picture, but Alabama transfer Qua Russaw and Wilder are making a push. Epi Sitanilei is another young player competing for snaps off the edge for the Buckeyes.
Where Wilder fits in that rotation for Saturday’s top-five matchup at Texas will be telling. If the coaching staff trusts a true freshman with meaningful snaps on the road in a game of that magnitude, it confirms what the Ball State showing suggested: Ohio State believes Wilder can contribute right now.
He may not have been one of the freshmen talked about the most for the Buckeyes this offseason, but he’s one to get to know now. This Saturday in Austin will be the first real measuring stick for Wilder and for a Buckeyes defense looking to prove it has the depth to compete at the highest level.
