Ohio State football could expand wide receiver rotation in 2026

Ohio State’s wealth of high-end receiving talent in recent years has not often led to a frequent rotation at the position.

It’s difficult to take future first-round NFL draft picks off the field.

But even if this season's group of receivers is still led by Jeremiah Smith , the Buckeyes might lean on more options.

Coach Ryan Day said the Buckeyes could use as many as six receivers against the top teams on their schedule.

“Our depth at wide receiver is way better than it was last year,” Day said. “There’s a lot of guys you’ll see play.”

Day acknowledged four upperclassmen as part of the rotation, as transfers Devin McCuin and Kyle Parker joined Smith and Brandon Inniss, who was Ohio State’s starting slot receiver last season.

Freshmen Brock Boyd and Chris Henry Jr. also emerged during spring practice and preseason training camp , and Day further mentioned Phillip Bell and De’Zie Jones, who arrived as freshmen last year and have received more opportunities while Parker has been unavailable with an unspecified injury during preseason practices.

“Those guys can find themselves playing and rotating in,” Day said. “They’ve been having a good camp. They’re working hard. They’re showing up. It’s been a good competition on both sides.”

If the rotation expands, it would mark a departure from recent seasons. The Buckeyes’ three most-used receivers have accounted for more than 80% of the snaps among their six most-used wideouts since 2022, according to Pro Football Focus data.

Smith and Inniss, along with Carnell Tate, who was taken fourth overall by the Tennessee Titans in the NFL draft in April, accounted for 80% of the snaps last season among the group of six that also included Mylan Graham, Bryson Rodgers and David Adolph. That figure was as high as 84% in 2024 and 2022.

When Day replaced Urban Meyer as coach, the Buckeyes more frequently rotated their receivers.

Garrett Wilson did not start as a freshman in 2019 but played nearly as many snaps (457) as Binjimen Victor (504), who was the Buckeyes’ No. 3 receiver. The top-three saw 63% of the snaps among the top six that year.

Not only do the Buckeyes have a potentially deeper room of wide receivers, but they also have a new position coach as Cortez Hankton took over for Brian Hartline, who left in January to be the coach of South Florida.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at  [email protected]  and follow him on  @joeyrkaufman on X.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football could expand wide receiver rotation in 2026

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