Ohio State has its Week 1 depth chart mostly set, and the clearest sign of that change is Austin Siereveld moving into the projected starting job at right guard for Saturday's opener against Ball State. The Buckeyes kick off at 12:30 p.m. ET, ranked No. 1 and trying to make an early statement in a season built around another title push.
Siereveld is not just another name on the line. He was part of the group that helped carry Ohio State through the 2024 national championship run, then started every game last season, and now projects to open the 2026 season back in a role that had once frustrated him so much that he told Ryan Day he hated playing right guard. That kind of turn matters because the interior line has become one of the few places where the Buckeyes can point to continuity instead of guesswork. Carson Hinzman and Luke Montgomery are expected to join him inside, giving Ohio State a front that has already been through the pressure of a title chase and is again being asked to steady the offense early.
The same kind of certainty does not run all the way through the roster. Julian Sayin is the starter at quarterback, but the backup spot is still live between Tavien St. Clair and Luke Fahey, and that is one of the few places where the pecking order has not fully closed before kickoff. John Walker also could start at nose tackle over Will Smith, another small but real reminder that even a depth chart that has mostly settled still has a couple of edges that can move before Saturday.
That is the shape of this opener for Ryan Day and Ohio State: a No. 1 team that looks like a finished product in most places, but not everywhere. Bo Jackson is set to open at running back, Jeremiah Smith leads a receiver group that also includes Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin, and the defense has Jaylen McClain and Earl Little lined up at safety with Terry Moore and Leroy Roker III ready to rotate in. Jay Timmons is the new addition at nickel from the pre-camp chart, another sign that the defense is still finalizing a few pieces even as the overall picture sharpens.
For Ohio State, Saturday is less about sorting through a roster than showing how far that roster has already come. The opener against Ball State will be the first live look at whether the Buckeyes' settled spots stay settled, and whether the small number of open jobs remain open once the season starts for real.
