All is good in Buckeyeland. The Ohio State Buckeyes are 2-0 and have won dominantly thus far, which was expected. Week 2 was even more promising, as the Buckeyes capped off a 56-0 victory with a little bit of everything fans wanted to see in a win.
While we covered the stars of the game already, the freshmen and other recent young players have been stellar. We're looking at the top recruits who have joined the program but haven't seen the field much, and giving them the love they've earned.
Under-the-Radar Ohio State Stars in Week 2
Jeremiah Smith
Of course, we have to start with Smith. A top receiver in the 2024 class, the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder was destined to be the next elite playmaker at Ohio State by the day he arrived on campus. He's quickly become the team's go-to option in the passing game, usurping Emeka Egbuka.
That might change as the competition ramps up in October. But, for now, Smith is making the most of his opportunities. He led the Buckeyes with 119 yards, including an awesome 70-yard touchdown you can watch here .
Smith is the total package, and Chip Kelly is feeding him plenty of touches as they establish the offense around his dynamic athleticism. While it's impossible to replace guys like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Marvin Harrison Jr., Smith is clearly en route to joining them as legendary options in Day's offense.
Arvell Reese
We're already seeing a role takeover on the Buckeyes' defense. Arvell Reese was supposed to become more of a factor in 2025 than 2024, but Reese has made it so he can't come off the field for long. With Cody Simon dealing with an injury that has limited his availability, Reese has made the most of his time.
Most interesting is that it seems Reese has taken CJ Hicks' job as a primary backup to Sonny Styles. Hicks was supposed to be in rotation on passing downs, but instead, he's being asked to rush the passer or has been replaced by Reese.
This is a great sign that Reese is going to be a playmaking starter when it's his time. For now, Jim Knowles is loving that Reese has proven him correct that he'd " flash " this season.
Julian Sayin
He's only thrown two passes, but Julian Sayin has been the 5-star quarterback he was supposed to be. His first career touchdown came on Saturday night on a beautifully feathered pass for 55 yards. Was this Ryan Day rubbing the win and OVER in? Maybe, but who wouldn't want to show this off?
Sayin has quickly become the team's third quarterback behind Devin Brown, putting him in position to challenge for the starting role in 2025 after Will Howard is in the NFL.
James Peoples
James Peoples, a true freshman rusher, has been very impressive through two games. He carried the ball 10 times for 51 yards and a touchdown in Week 2, giving him 81 yards and two scores on the year. He was hyped to be similar to J.K. Dobbins, and the comparisons make a ton of sense after seeing him on the field.
Peoples has the slashing, explosive style of Dobbins, but his shorter frame also gives him a level of stoutness that can withstand non-direct hits better than expected. There's an expectation Peoples can find chunk yards with decent blocking, and we should continue to see his game evolve as he earns more time.
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