COLUMBUS, Ohio — The preseason honors continue to pile up for Ohio State. As the Buckeyes get underway with fall camp, Ohio State continues to add players to national award watch lists and preseason All-America teams.
The latest recognition came Monday, when long snapper Dalton Riggs was named to the 2026 Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List. That followed a week that also saw kicker Connor Hawkins earn a spot on the Lou Groza Award Watch List, center Carson Hinzman land on the Rimington Trophy Watch List and three Ohio State players receive Sporting News Preseason All-America honors.
Ohio State is one of just six schools to have at least one player represented on every national award watch list announced thus far.
Hawkins Named to Groza Watch List
Hawkins was named to the Lou Groza Award Watch List after a strong 2025 season at Baylor.
Hawkins connected on 18 of 22 field-goal attempts last season, an 81.8 percent rate, with a long of 54 yards. He was also perfect on all 37 extra-point attempts and finished the season with 91 points.
His 18 made field goals ranked sixth in the Big 12, while his field-goal percentage ranked fifth and his point total ranked eighth.
The Groza Award is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate place-kicker.
Hinzman Adds Another Watch List
Hinzman was also recognized this week, earning a spot on the Rimington Trophy Watch List.
It marks the second national watch list for the Ohio State center, who was also named to the Outland Trophy Watch List alongside Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld.
Hinzman started all 14 games at center in 2025 and played 841 snaps. He earned First Team All-American honors from the AFCA, Third Team All-Big Ten honors, Academic All-Big Ten recognition and OSU Scholar-Athlete honors.
Ohio State also enters the season with significant continuity along the offensive line. The Buckeyes return 85.8 percent of their offensive line snaps from players who played at least 100 snaps last season, the highest percentage among Power Four programs.
Three Buckeyes Named Sporting News Preseason All-Americans
Three Ohio State players were also recognized by Sporting News.
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was named a First Team Preseason All-American, while offensive linemen Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld were named to the second team.
Smith also was selected to Sporting News’ All-Decade Team.
Through his first two collegiate seasons, Smith has recorded 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdown receptions, both the most by a Big Ten receiver during his first two years. He is also one of three receivers in Ohio State history with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
Riggs Adds to Special Teams Recognition
Riggs became the latest Buckeye to earn national recognition when he was named to the Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List.
Riggs has snapped in 24 games over the last two seasons, including all 12 games for UCF in 2025. He was previously the starting long snapper at BYU in 2024 and also saw action during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The Mannelly Award recognizes the nation’s top long snapper and was created in 2019.
It also marks the second consecutive season an Ohio State long snapper has been named to the preseason watch list. John Ferlmann earned Mannelly Award Watch List honors last season.
More Buckeyes Receiving Recognition
Ohio State’s preseason honors extend well beyond the latest additions.
Quarterback Julian Sayin, Smith and running back Bo Jackson were all named to the Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List. Ohio State is the only school from the Big Ten with three players on the list.
Sayin and Smith both return to the Maxwell watch list after being named semifinalists for the award in 2025. Sayin was also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy last season after completing 77 percent of his passes for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns with eight interceptions.
Jackson enters his sophomore season after becoming one of three true freshmen in the country to rush for more than 1,000 yards in 2025. He finished his first season with 1,090 rushing yards.
The Buckeyes also have Hinzman, Montgomery and Siereveld represented on the Outland Trophy Watch List.
Defensive lineman Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and safety Jaylen McClain were named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The pair were full-time starters last season after contributing to Ohio State’s national championship team.
Jackson finished 2025 second on the team with 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, while McClain recorded 53 tackles and three pass breakups.
Tight end Hunter Welcing was named to the Mackey Award Watch List after transferring to Ohio State from Northwestern. Welcing recorded 28 receptions for 296 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Ohio State also has Dalton Riggs on the Mannelly Award Watch List.
Earlier this summer, 19 Buckeyes were selected to the Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl 1000, representing nearly every position group on the roster.
The Buckeyes have also received preseason recognition from Phil Steele, Athlon Sports and Walter Camp. Phil Steele named six Ohio State players preseason All-Americans and placed 16 on the preseason All-Big Ten team, while Athlon named seven Buckeyes preseason All-Americans and 16 to its All-Big Ten team.
Walter Camp named Smith and Siereveld First Team Preseason All-Americans and Sayin a second-team selection.
Ohio State’s preseason recognition has now reached nearly every area of the roster, with players earning consideration at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line, safety, kicker and long snapper.
With fall camp now underway, those preseason honors will eventually give way to what happens on the field.
For now, though, the Buckeyes continue to be well represented whenever another national award or preseason honor is announced.
