COLUMBUS, Ohio — Despite 51 new players on the roster, Ohio State will have plenty of voices in its leadership group this season.
Head coach Ryan Day announced Saturday that seven Buckeyes have been voted team captains for the 2026 season: wide receivers Brandon Inniss and Jeremiah Smith, defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr., safety Jaylen McClain, linebacker Payton Pierce, quarterback Julian Sayin and offensive lineman Austin Siereveld.
The seven captains were selected by a vote of members of the Ohio State football program. Juniors, seniors and fifth-year players are eligible to be chosen by their teammates. It is only the seventh time in program history that Ohio State has had at least seven captains in a season.
“This is a significant day for our program,” Day said. “We have seven captains this year, the seventh time in Ohio State football history that we have had that many or more.”
There is also some continuity in the group. Inniss and Siereveld were both captains in 2025 and will wear the title again this season. Inniss was also named the recipient of the prestigious Block “O” earlier Saturday.
Day said the seven captains come from different position groups and backgrounds but share an understanding of what is expected of them as Ohio State players.
“Being voted a captain is one of the greatest honors in this program because it comes directly from your teammates,” Day said. “This group represents our team well, with leaders from different position groups, backgrounds, and experiences.”
Given that the Buckeyes have 51 new players from a year ago, the role of the team’s returning leaders particularly important. The Buckeyes’ seven captains have been credited with helping bring together a roster full of new faces while maintaining the standards established by the program.
“Throughout the offseason, they helped bring this team, which includes 51 new plays from a year ago, together, challenged their teammates, and built accountability across the roster,” Day said.
For Day, the captaincy is ultimately less about the title and more about the responsibility that comes with it.
“Our culture is built on Tough Love & Fight, and these men embody that every day,” Day said. “Being a captain is about responsibility, and these seven understand what it means to wear the Scarlet and Gray and leave the jersey better than they found it.”
Brandon Inniss
Inniss is entering his second season as a captain after putting together his best season as a Buckeye in 2025.
The wide receiver caught 35 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns last season while also contributing heavily on special teams. He had five kickoff returns for 66 yards and 17 punt returns for 181 yards, earning All-Big Ten Special Teams honorable mention recognition.
Inniss was also named a CSC Academic All-District selection, Academic All-Big Ten and an OSU Scholar-Athlete. He was named to the Hornung Award Watch List ahead of the 2026 season, recognizing his versatility.
Inniss becomes the first Ohio State wide receiver to serve as captain in consecutive seasons since Kamryn Babb in 2021 and 2022. He is also the 2026 recipient of the Block “O,” an honor established in recognition of Bill Willis and voted on by the Buckeyes football program.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
Jackson will lead an Ohio State defensive line that has undergone plenty of change over the past few seasons, but the senior defensive end has been a consistent presence up front.
Jackson has played in all 30 games over the past two seasons and started all 14 games in 2025. He finished last season second on the team with 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
Jackson becomes the seventh defensive lineman to be named a captain during the Ryan Day era and the first since Jack Sawyer in 2024.
Jaylen McClain
McClain enters the season with considerable expectations on the back end of Ohio State’s defense. The safety was an All-Big Ten selection in 2025 after recording 53 tackles, sixth-most on the team, along with three pass breakups. He recorded multiple tackles in 13 of Ohio State’s 14 games.
McClain enters 2026 on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, as a member of the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 and on multiple preseason All-Big Ten teams.
His selection makes it two consecutive seasons with a safety among Ohio State’s captains and the third time a safety has been chosen during Day’s tenure.
Payton Pierce
Pierce has steadily grown into a leadership role within Ohio State’s linebacker room. He has appeared in 26 games during his Ohio State career and made three starts last season. Pierce earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2025 while also being recognized as a CSC Academic All-District selection, Academic All-Big Ten and an OSU Scholar-Athlete.
His selection continues a notable run of linebacker leadership at Ohio State. At least one Buckeye linebacker has been named a captain every season since 2015.
Julian Sayin
Sayin will lead the Buckeyes’ offense for a second consecutive season at quarterback, making him the third returning starting quarterback of the Day era.
The 2025 Heisman finalist won his first 12 games as Ohio State’s starter and finished the season with 3,610 passing yards and 32 touchdowns against eight interceptions. Sayin completed 77 percent of his passes, which led the nation, while his 177.5 efficiency rating ranked second nationally.
His selection makes him the first Ohio State quarterback to be named a captain since C.J. Stroud in 2022.
Austin Siereveld
Like Inniss, Siereveld will serve as a captain for the second consecutive season. The offensive lineman played 810 snaps in 2025 and was named second-team All-Big Ten. He was also an OSU Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Siereveld has been a mainstay along the offensive line over the past two seasons and now becomes the first Ohio State offensive lineman to serve as captain in consecutive seasons since Billy Price in 2016 and 2017.
Jeremiah Smith
Smith has already accomplished plenty during his first two seasons in Columbus. Now he will add team captain to the list.
The unanimous All-American has totaled 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdown receptions during his first two seasons. Those 27 touchdown catches are the most by a Big Ten receiver through his first two years.
Smith is also one of just three receivers in Ohio State history to record two 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He enters 2026 on the watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Biletnikoff Award after being a Heisman candidate last season.
Smith’s selection continues Ohio State’s run of having at least one wide receiver serve as a captain every season since 2021. He is the ninth wide receiver selected as a captain during Day’s tenure.
Photo via Ohio State Football.
