Ohio State Post Spring and Post Portal Top 25 Projection Revealed

The Ohio State Buckeyes look poised to compete for a national title.
April 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; 
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) of the scarlet team throws a pass to running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) during the first half of the LifeSports spring football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
April 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) of the scarlet team throws a pass to running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) during the first half of the LifeSports spring football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch /
In this story:

The Ohio State Buckeyes are likely to be in the thick of the national title hunt next season.

With hype surrounding a roster that returned a bevy of NFL talent, upgraded at the quarterback position, and a slew of incoming talent from the portal and the 2024 recruiting class that will contribute right out of the gate, that hype is certainly warranted.

Among those additions include running back Quinshon Judkins, quarterback Will Howard, safety Caleb Downs, and five-star freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith - each of whom is expected to play a big role in 2024.

With that in mind, On3's Jesse Simonton released his post-spring and post-portal top-25 rankings and has the Buckeyes coming in at No. 2 right alongside a pair of other national title contenders.

April 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; 
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) of the scarlet team throws a pass to running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) during the first half of the LifeSports spring football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
April 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) of the scarlet team throws a pass to running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) during the first half of the LifeSports spring football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch /

"The Buckeyes are the undisputed 2024 off-season champions, but that won’t mean anything if Ryan Day can’t capitalize on an all-in season this fall," Simonton wrote. "Ohio State is loaded after returning every standout off a Top 5 defense, plus adding the likes of All-American safety Caleb Downs and All-SEC tailback Quinshon Judkins. Interestingly, Day decided not to name Will Howard the team’s starter exiting spring practice, and while the Kansas State transfer remains the likeliest option, Devin Brown and Alabama transfer Julian Sayin will continue to compete at the start of fall camp."

The Buckeyes came in just behind the Georgia Bulldogs at No. 1, and just ahead of Texas at No. 3, Alabama at No. 4, and Oregon at No. 5. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, the Michigan Wolverines check in at No. 7, with Penn State at No. 12, Nebraska at No. 24 and Iowa at No. 25.


Published
Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com