Ohio State · Big TenOhio State names seven captains to guide 51 new players through 2026
The Buckeyes’ largest captain group since 2020 includes two repeat selections, three defensive position groups and Julian Sayin as the first Ohio State quarterback captain since 2022. The vote gives a reshaped roster more established voices, but it doesn’t settle how those voices will carry into practice.
AUG 22, 2026
New players on Ohio State’s 2026 roster.
Buckeyes named team captains for the upcoming season.
Captains returning from last season’s four-player group.
01 · The NewsWhat Happened
Ohio State named seven captains for the 2026 season: senior wide receiver Brandon Inniss, senior defensive end Kenyatta Jackson, junior safety Jaylen McClain, junior linebacker Payton Pierce, junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, senior offensive lineman Austin Siereveld and junior quarterback Julian Sayin. The group is Ohio State’s largest since 2020. Inniss and Siereveld are the first Buckeyes to serve as two-time captains since linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and tight end Cade Stover did so in 2022 and 2023. Sayin is the first Ohio State quarterback selected as a captain since C.J. Stroud in 2022. McClain said at Big Ten Media Days that becoming a captain had been one of his offseason goals. Sayin said in spring practice that he had been trying to lead more in the weight room and throughout the facility.
02 · The StakesWhy This One Matters
Ohio State is bringing in 51 new players while preparing for what the program called one of its toughest schedules, possibly its toughest ever. That puts the captain vote in the middle of daily football, not just on a preseason graphic. New players have to learn the team’s habits, corrections and expectations quickly. The seven selections reach across quarterback, receiver, offensive line, defensive end, linebacker and safety. Inniss and Siereveld also bring experience from last year’s room, when four veterans held the role. A captain can pull a teammate into the right meeting, demand a cleaner rep or speak up after a poor practice. He can’t make 51 new players play like returning veterans.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
Two names from last year’s group return, but the bigger change is at quarterback. Sayin had already been trying to become more vocal before receiving the title, and now his teammates have made that effort part of the team’s formal leadership group. That matters because the quarterback touches every offensive practice, while the other selections can carry the message through the position rooms and across the defense. McClain’s selection adds another layer. He had openly set captaincy as a personal goal, so this vote answers a question about his place in the room before a game ever arrives. The title is new for five of the seven. Their daily behavior will set the tone more than the number on the announcement.
“Ohio State made a sensible choice for a roster that has changed this much.”
The Wire Desk04 · The PersonnelWhat Changes Now
Inniss and Siereveld know the job already. They were part of last year’s four-captain group alongside Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs, who are no longer in this year’s group. That gives Ohio State two players who have already handled the less glamorous parts of captaincy: pulling a teammate aside, speaking when practice slips and carrying the team’s habits into a new room. Sayin, McClain, Jackson, Pierce and Smith now have to add their own voice without turning seven captains into seven separate instructions. There’s no evidence that will become a problem. There’s also no reason to assume the title solves one. McClain said he didn’t want to be “just a guy” at Ohio State, while Sayin described his offseason work in the weight room and facility. The next useful evidence will be specific. Which captain corrects a new player first, and does that correction stick on the next rep?
05 · The ThesisThe Pate State Read
Ohio State made a sensible choice for a roster that has changed this much. The captains cover the quarterback, both lines, two receiver spots and three defensive position groups. That gives a new player more than one place to find direction. It also gives Sayin a formal role after he spent the spring trying to become more vocal, which is a meaningful step for a quarterback still establishing himself in the room. The concern isn’t that seven captains are too many. It’s that titles don’t teach a new player where to stand when the protection changes or how the defense communicates after a busted call. Inniss and Siereveld can pass along what last year’s room demanded. The other five have to make that standard visible in their own positions. Ohio State has chosen its voices. The first practice correction that changes the next rep will tell us whether the voices carry.
06 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Does Sayin’s spring voice reach the offense?
Sayin said he had been trying to lead more in the weight room and throughout the facility. The next practice report that includes him directing teammates, handling a correction or settling an offensive mistake will show whether the effort has moved beyond intention.
Which captain handles the new-player traffic?
Ohio State has 51 new players, and the first concrete examples of captains helping those players through practice will matter more than another list of titles. Pay attention to whether that work comes mostly from the returning captains or from the five first-time selections.
Can McClain’s goal become daily work?
McClain said becoming a captain was one of his offseason goals. The next meaningful test is whether he is involved in corrections and communication at safety, where a missed call can affect the entire back end.
Who joins the captains after a bad practice?
The first detailed account of a difficult practice should identify whether one of the seven gathers teammates, challenges the room or resets the work. That moment will show whether Ohio State has seven names or seven active voices.