Ohio State announced this week that it will entrust seven players with the captaincy for the 2026 football season, marking the seventh occasion in program history that the team has selected at least seven leaders.
Leadership reshaped after departures
The group features wide receiver Brandon Inniss, offensive lineman Austin Siereveld, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, safety Jaylen McClain, quarterback Julian Sayin, defensive lineman Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and linebacker Payton Pierce.
Six of the seven have started for the Buckeyes in the previous year, with Pierce being the only rotational player among the cohort.
Among them, Inniss and Siereveld are returning two‑time captains, and Inniss also dons the Block O jersey, a distinction previously held by only a handful of receivers.
The captains will be tasked with replacing eleven starters from the 2025 roster, including four prospects who were drafted in the top twelve, while integrating newcomers such as Wisconsin transfer Christian Alliegro, who will assume the linebacker spot vacated by departing draft picks Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese.
Cultural continuity
Head coach Ryan Day highlighted the program’s culture of “tough love and fight,” noting that the captains are expected to embody the standards of toughness and discipline that have defined Ohio State’s recent successes.
The culture has propelled the Buckeyes to double‑digit win seasons, back‑to‑back College Football Playoff appearances and a national championship in 2024, and it now serves as the foundation for a schedule that promises to be among the most demanding in the nation.
With the leadership group in place, the team aims to rebuild its elite status and push toward another National Championship game in 2026.
A new era of leadership
Pierce, named captain in his first full season, illustrates how the program’s ethos can be lived by a player who has earned a rotational role and now guides his peers with the same intensity he displayed on the field.