COLUMBUS — Ohio State played 20 of its 29 true freshmen in Saturday’s 56-3 win against Ball State to open the 2026 season. We may not do this every week, but the expanded look at OSU’s first-year players gives us a chance to rank that class by the type of impact they could make this year.
Consider this your first (maybe last, maybe first of many) Buckeye freshman power rankings.
1. Jay Timmons, CB
We thought Timmons could start this game based on the preseason chatter. Instead, the defense opened the game with three linebackers. Still, Timmons was on the field as soon as the defense went to its 4-2-5 nickel look, playing in slot. He’ll start at some point this year. It’ll just depend on the matchup. It could come as soon as next week’s game at Texas. Timmons was only credited with one tackle against Ball State, but he also had two pass breakups and only allowed two catches on five targets. Timmons primarily played in the slot, but he got a few snaps outside, which suggests he could be the third outside corner if the defense ever needed to dip into the depth.