Ohio State Football's Full 2024 Position Group Grades

The general consensus is that this year's Ohio State football roster is excellent. How does each individual position group grade out though?

Aug 1, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Davison Igbinosun (1), cornerback Denzel Burke (10), cornerback Jordan Hancock (7) and safety Lathan Ransom (8) do a handshake during football camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

With fall camp currently in progress and games quickly approaching for the Ohio State Buckeyes, it feels like time to evaluate each position group on the roster. The Buckeyes may be the most talented roster in all of college football headed into the new season, but some position groups have more question marks than others. Obviously additional confidence can be instilled during camp the next few weeks. At the same time, additional concerns can also arise.

Here is where each position group should grade as of the first week in August.

Quarterback

When it comes to future success at this position, the Ohio State Buckeyes should be in excellent shape. Both Julian Sayin and Air Noland were top rated quarterback recruits in the 2024 class and Lincoln Kienholz is another young quarterback who was highly ranked as a prospect. Not to mention, five-star 2025 quarterback Tavien St. Clair is committed to Ohio State.

As for who will stay and who will transfer in the future, that is a 2025 or 2026 thing to worry about. When it comes to the 2024 season, there appears to be an obvious direction this starting job is headed in. Will Howard is the veteran of the group and has more college starting experience than the rest of the room combined. The transfer from Kansas State is entering his fifth season in college football and currently has 458 completions for 5,786 yards and tallied 67 total touchdowns with the Wildcats.

Although it seems like this is Howard's job to lose, Devin Brown is still pushing in what is currently being considered a competition. Since arriving to Ohio State, head coach Ryan Day stated on Thursday that the quarterback had to change his diet. He dropped some unhealthy weight and then added some healthy, lean weight back on this offseason. Howard is taking the steps necessary it seems to be the guy under center.

Aug 1, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) throws during football camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

This should be better than the Kyle McCord situation last year, where the quarterback situation honestly could have received a grade somewhere around a C. Assuming that Howard gets the job, the Ohio State offense should run fine. He is usually pretty accurate, composed and has the ability to run. Howard might not have the strongest arm though, which could limit the ability to launch the ball down the field. Regardless of how this season plays out, no one should expect Howard to look like C.J. Stroud or Justin Fields. For that reason, the 2024 grade will be pretty average.

Grade: B

Running Back

This one feels rather straight forward. TreVeyon Henderson decided to return to Ohio State for one more season and the Buckeyes also landed Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins in the portal. These two running backs are explosive and will likely form the best running back duo in all of college football this season.

In Chip Kelly's offense, both running backs could truthfully push the 1,000-yard mark this season while still splitting carries. For the sake of the Ohio State Buckeyes and both running backs, hopefully splitting reps will reduce significant wear and tear on their bodies. If they can both remain healthy all year, then that will bode well for the Ohio State rushing attack.

True freshmen James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon will also offer depth as the third and fourth running backs in the room.

The only negative here is that TC Caffey was recently lost for the season due to injury. That does take away one more player who has some talent. That being said, this room is still great and the top two running backs could carry this team to massive success.

Grade: A

Wide Receiver

Emeka Egbuka is back in the scarlet and gray and headlines an excellent receiver room. The expectation since the spring has been that the starting three receivers would be Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate on the outside with Emeka Egbuka in the slot. Egbuka is certainly the veteran in the young group, but fans should be excited to see sophomore Carnell Tate and true freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith get to showcase their abilities.

Brandon Inniss is also expected to be the No. 4 wide receiver, which works well considering he offers plenty of versatility. Inniss is a player who will likely line up in the slot a lot, but could get some touches on jet sweeps or even some carries out of the backfield if needed at any point.

Behind these four players, Jayden Ballard, Mylan Graham, Bryson Rodgers and Kojo Antwi have all been players called to step up. They have varying degrees of college experience and all offer different styles of games to the receiving room. Ballard is likely set to be the No. 5 wide receiver and be put in to utilize his straight-line speed, but that is to be determined.

Even with this being a young group, there should be zero questions about if the youth will prevent them from performing. This unit is too good to not be the best in the country.

Grade: A+

Tight End

The tight end room is one that often gets overlooked when discussing the Ohio State Buckeyes. Gee Scott Jr. is set to be the starter and the converted wide receiver can certainly be an asset as a route runner. His size and strong hands may also be an asset in the red zone. This season will be Scott's first opportunity to step up and be the go-to guy in the room.

Behind Scott, 6'6" Jelani Thurman is likely preparing to be the next starting tight end following Scott's departure. He offers nice size as the backup, along with Ohio transfer Will Kacmarek also providing depth.

Tight end is not always the most utilized position at Ohio State, but Cade Stover did an excellent job making the most of his receiving opportunities and was a tough blocker. Gee Scott Jr. will need to be ready to match that intensity.

Grade: B+

Offensive Line

Last season, the Ohio State offensive line probably played at about a C level per Ohio State standards. They had good moments and they had bad moments. Headed into the 2024 season, they should be improved.

Josh Simmons is back at left tackle, Donovan Jackson is once again the left guard and Josh Fryar is the returning right tackle. Keeping these three positions set with returning starters is beneficial. In addition to these three players being back, Carson Hinzman started all 12 regular season games at center last year and the Buckeyes also added long-time Alabama center Seth McLaughlin via the transfer portal.

I would truthfully like to give this group a B+ or something higher, but there are currently too many moving pieces at the moment. The opening at the right guard spot may take some time to iron out in fall camp. McLaughlin, Hinzman, Tegra Tshabola and Luke Montgomery have all been names mentioned when it comes to that competition. Personally, it seems to make the most sense to put McLaughlin at center and Hinzman at right guard. The coaches will have to throughly evaluate though and make the decision they feel is best.

Until there are real answers and this all plays out on the practice field, the offensive line still holds one of the biggest question marks.

Grade: B

Defensive Line

This is one of the most experienced starting position groups on the entire roster. Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams all decided to forego the 2024 NFL Draft and return for one more season. Both Sawyer and Tuimoloau have the ability and opportunity to wreak havoc coming off the edge. They just need to do it more consistently this season. Williams has reportedly added some more weight to his frame, which will be interesting to see if that affects his explosiveness. If he can push the pocket and stop the run, then he may be the best defensive tackle in college football this season.

Aug 1, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) and defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) stretch during football camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ty Hamilton is the fourth starting defensive lineman among this group and his experience will be significant as well. He may get overlooked at times, but with so much talent around him, he could have a big year statistically.

Caden Curry, Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Eddrick Houston, Hero Kanu, Kayden McDonald and Jason Moore are just a few of the names who will be providing some depth this season on the line.

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has one of the best defensive lines in the country at his disposal this season and the more pressure they generate, the quicker the defense gets off the field every drive.

Grade: A

Linebacker

On a defense expected to be one of if not the best defense in the whole country, this is the level of the defense being overlooked. Cody Simon is the experienced leader of this unit and finally gets the opportunity to be a full-time starter in the middle. Converted safety Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks are the two players competing for reps at WILL next to Simon.

Behind these three players, Gabe Powers and Arvell Reese are waiting for their opportunities to showcase their abilities as well. This group of five linebackers is pretty talented and Buckeyes fans should feel good about the unit.

Regardless of whether Simon and Styles start or Simon and Hicks start, this group could be better than Eichenberg and Chambers were previously. Eichenberg and Chambers were tough, but they lacked the pure athleticism of this group. Simon is built like a sturdy linebacker who can stop the run, but he can move quickly. Styles and Hicks are also excellent athletes and can fly around the field. This group will be rangy and cover ground from sideline to sideline in a hurry.

There is a slight unknown factor here, yet there should be an oddly strong confidence.

Grade: A-

Secondary

Caleb Downs transferred from Alabama to join a secondary with Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun, Jordan Hancock and Lathan Ransom as the five starters. This group of five defensive backs will likely be a nightmare for opposing wide receivers and quarterbacks.

Jermaine Matthews Jr. also got plenty of valuable reps last season and will once again offer excellent cover as a fourth cornerback. Malik Hartford as the third safety will provide much of the same support after looking pretty good last season.

Other players like South Carolina transfer safety Keenan Nelson Jr. and cornerbacks Calvin Simpson-Hunt, Lorenzo Styles Jr. and true freshman Aaron Scott Jr. offer even more valuable depth in 2024.

This unit is loaded with talent and should be excellent once again. Probably even better this year.

Grade: A+

With a loaded roster and just a few question marks, any concerns could honestly be alleviated in the first few weeks of the season. Nothing is glaring enough this year that it should prevent the Buckeyes from beating Michigan, winning a Big Ten Championship and competing for a National Championship. After all is said and done, the Ohio State roster gets an overall grade of...

A-