Bold claim: Ohio State enters the CFP with more star power on the roster than almost any other program in college football. That’s the throughline as we revisit the Buckeyes’ top performers, led by Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs, and Julian Sayin, who anchor our December Buckeye 20 rankings even as Jeremiah, Caleb, and Julian all pushed into the Heisman conversation this season.
Julian Sayin continued his ascent in our Ohio State player rankings after finishing fourth in this year’s Heisman race, but it’s the program’s two top-10 Heisman finishers— Jeremiah Smith (sixth) and Caleb Downs (ninth) — who drive the current Buckeye 20 ahead of the College Football Playoff. Joining them in the top five are Carnell Tate and Kayden McDonald, with Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese, Caden Curry, Bo Jackson, and Davison Igbinosun rounding out the top 10. The biggest riser this edition is Kenyatta Jackson Jr., who climbs seven spots from 18th at the end of October to 11th overall.
The full ranking, Eleven Warriors’ year‑round tally of Ohio State’s top 20 players, is listed in the table below. It’s a consensus built from eight staff votes, where each first-place vote yields 20 points, down to one point for a 20th‑place vote; 160 points is the maximum an individual player could accumulate. Note: Sayin and Tate tied for the third-most points, but Sayin won the tiebreaker by receiving a first-place vote on one ballot.
The change column reflects positions from our prior Buckeye 20 edition, compiled during the Buckeyes’ second bye week after seven regular-season games.
Buckeye 20 Rankings Entering CFP
Rank Pos Player Pts (1st) Change Prev. Rank
1 WR JEREMIAH SMITH 157 (5) – 1
2 S CALEB DOWNS 153 (2) – 2
3 QB JULIAN SAYIN 131 (1) ▲2 5
4 WR CARNELL TATE 131 ▼1 3
5 DT KAYDEN MCDONALD 126 ▲1 6
6 LB SONNY STYLES 122 ▲2 8
7 LB ARVELL REESE 117 ▼3 4
8 DE CADEN CURRY 112 ▼1 7
9 RB BO JACKSON 89 ▲5 14
10 CB DAVISON IGBINOSUN 81 – 10
11 DE KENYATTA JACKSON JR. 78 ▲7 18
12 LT AUSTIN SIEREVELD 70 ▼1 11
13 CB JERMAINE MATHEWS JR. 59 ▼4 9
14 TE MAX KLARE 56 ▲1 15
15 S JAYLEN MCCLAIN 51 ▲1 16
16 LG LUKE MONTGOMERY 38 ▼4 12
17 C CARSON HINZMAN 32 ▼4 13
18 TE WILL KACMAREK 18 ▼1 17
19 DB LORENZO STYLES JR. 16 ▲1 20
20 DT TYWONE MALONE JR. 13 ▲1 NR
Also receiving votes: WR Brandon Inniss (11), RB Isaiah West (7), RT Phillip Daniels (6), DT Will Smith Jr. (3), LB Payton Pierce (2), LS John Ferlmann (1)
Risers: Two players share a surname and both jump into the top tier, though they aren’t related. Kenyatta Jackson Jr.—who had fallen to 18th after a quiet start—rose back to 11th after a strong finish to the regular season. Following a midseason discussion with defensive coordinator Matt Patricia about expanding his pass-rush repertoire, Jackson has delivered, posting nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks across the last eight games.
Bo Jackson, not listed at the outset of the season, has climbed into the top 10 as Ohio State’s No. 3 running back. After averaging over 100 rushing yards in six straight games, he lands as the ninth-best Buckeye in this edition.
Other notable moves include Julian Sayin continuing his upward trajectory, ranking in the top five for a second consecutive edition as he maintains an excellent 78.4% completion rate. Sonny Styles also climbs, taking over as Ohio State’s top-ranked linebacker with 80 tackles and remaining flawless in tackling so far this season.
Malone’s Debut and O-Line Sliding
Defensive lineman Tywone Malone Jr. makes his first appearance in The Buckeye 20, earning the final spot in our post‑October CFP edition amid a breakout season as a starter in the trenches. He bumps starting right tackle Phillip Daniels from the rankings as Daniels drops out after a challenging stretch.
The Buckeyes’ offensive line faced its toughest game in the Big Ten Championship loss. In the post‑game rankings, all four linemen from the October list slipped. Left tackle Austin Siereveld remains relatively stable, dropping just one spot to 12th, but left guard Luke Montgomery and center Carson Hinzman fall more sharply to 16th and 17th, respectively.
Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Arvell Reese also take notable drops after the conference title game, as their performances in that contest weighed on their rankings.
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For deeper analysis on Ohio State’s top 20 as they head into the CFP, visit the Buckeye 20 rankings page. The final rankings for the 2025 season will be released in January after Ohio State’s CFP run concludes.
