Ohio State football players given eye-popping placement in ESPN rankings

Ohio State Football has been a hotbed for high-profile transfer players and five-star recruits. That’s been a huge part of what’s helped make the Buckeyes a consistent CFP contender.

While the Buckeyes were No. 2 in the preseason AP Poll, they didn’t get much love in ESPN’s recent college football player rankings. Despite having numerous in the rankings, Ohio State was void of any top-10 player.

Caleb Downs was the first Buckeye player to see his name appear, being ranked as college football’s 11th-best player. Emeka Egbuka came in at No. 28, Jack Sawyer at No. 33, and Quinshon Judkins No. 34.

Now, there were numerous others in the top 100 that will put on the Scarlet and Gray this upcoming season, but the Buckeyes having none in the top 10 is relatively shocking.

While it is difficult to justify where to place him, Jeremiah Smith, the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2024, didn’t made the cut on the list. Eight Buckeyes were mentioned.

It was an even split with four coming on the defensive side of the ball and four on the offensive side of the ball.