Podcast Summary

The Bill and Doug Show: "Ohio State Spring Football Preview; Transfers and Returning Players to Watch"

Episode Date: March 2, 2026
Hosts: Doug Lesmerises & Bill Landis (Blue Wire)
Guests: Tim May (Tim May Show), Marcus Hartman (Press Pros Magazine)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into Ohio State’s much-anticipated 2026 spring football, with a special focus on key returning players and vital transfers. Doug and Bill, alongside seasoned Buckeye reporters Tim May and Marcus Hartman, analyze the current roster, identify the most intriguing position groups, and break down the new faces who could shape the defending champs’ repeat prospects. The tone balances insider humor and experience-driven seriousness, reflecting the camaraderie of veteran Ohio State media.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Spring Football Outlook & Big Questions

• Spring practice starts March 10 (01:33).
• The panel frames the roster outlook around two axes: returning talent and incoming transfers.
• Immediate focus: offensive and defensive lines, given last season’s challenges and the impact of NFL departures.

2. Returning Offensive Players to Watch

Offensive Line: The Center of Curiosity

• Tim May (02:28): "What they do with Philip Daniels is going to set the stage for everything else... That right side of the offensive line suffered from inadequacies at right guard."
• Consensus: Right guard remains the biggest question after repeated struggles against elite opponents (Miami, Indiana).
• Marcus Hartman (04:10): Eager to see Luke Montgomery: "Is he going to come back? Is he like ready to fight bears with the switch finally?"
• They both reiterate the need for a more physically dominant O-line: “Is it too much to ask for Ohio State to have an offensive line that can just kick people's ass, like more than once every six years?" (Hartman, 04:10).

Quarterback & Leadership

• Bill Landis (07:36): “Can I say Julian Saying? … Pretty big offseason for Julian, I think… Does it start to feel like it's his team in any way?”
• Mention of Julian’s evolving look and leadership: “He looked like he was trying to grow a mustache. So I'm curious about that.” (Tim May, 09:05)
• Doug and Tim express matching intrigue with the development of Ian Moore: “If Ian Moore’s ready to be that [left tackle] and they want to move Seravel inside, that changes a lot of stuff.” (Doug, 10:03)

Summary:

• Offensive line and its configuration are still in flux and pivotal for 2026.
• Quarterback Julian Saying’s assumed leadership is watched, but there’s curiosity about his development beyond just on-field production.

3. Offensive Transfers: Who Has the Most Juice? (14:05)

WR Transfers: Speed & Separation

• Marcus Hartman (14:16): Watching Devin McCune and Kyle Parker—do they "look different," or are they just another set of competent Buckeye receivers?
• Tim May (15:25): “The guy I’m very curious about… Jacoby Jackson, the running back from Florida… He looks like a tough guy.”
• The group agrees there’s a distinct need for YAC (yards after catch) and a slot/playmaker to emerge.

Running Backs & Depth

• Doug (19:21): Is Jackson a goal-line bruiser (“the bowling-ball goal line back”), a seventh-year honorary coach, or both? “Either way, we’re going to see a lot of Jacoby Jackson in the spring.”

Quarterback Depth

• Tim May (21:01): Raises backup QB intrigue: “Is [Justin] Martin going to factor into the backup quarterback situation? Because I think Tavian Sinclair… it behooves them to bring him along as the backup at minimum this year.”

4. Returning Defensive Players: Opportunity Abounds (21:43)

LB and DL Prospects

• Bill Landis (21:55): “I'm going to go with Riley Pettajohn… I’m not entirely sure who Ohio State’s best pass rusher is going to be this year, but in 2025 it was a linebacker…”
• Tim May (23:24): “My guy’s Edric Houston. We were sitting here a year ago thinking… He did not become that force I thought he would become. But they really need him to step up and be that five-star kind of player.”
• Doug (24:55): Cites “so much opportunity here,” with only three of the top ten snap getters back on defense: Jalen McClain, Jermaine Matthews, and Kenyatta Jackson.

Secondary

• Marcus Hartman (27:19): “My guy is actually Jalen McClain because I've got to take Caleb Downs at his word. He said he’s gonna be the guy next year and he was overshadowed.”

DL Spotlight

• Spotlight on Zion Grady and his potential as a true pass-rush threat.

5. Defensive Transfers: Filling the Gaps (29:39)

Secondary Shakeup

• Doug (29:47): “Dominic Kelly coming from Georgia… Not a veteran, but what if he just shows up and is great?”
• Tim May (30:36): Emphasizes the need for someone to fill Caleb Downs’ “everything” role—“Earl Little Jr. is a curious guy because losing Caleb Downs, man, you’re losing a guy that seemed like a fifth-year player…”

Nickel and Safety Philosophy

• Bill Landis (32:57): “I think it's clear… that in that spot [Nickel], I think he [Matt Patricia] prefers more of a safety type than a corner type…”
• The hosts theorize that Patricia may reimagine the secondary configuration depending on who emerges—the “mix and match” approach.

Front Seven Depth

• High expectations for Alabama d-line transfers James Smith and Quay Russo, and UCF transfer John Walker.
• Tim May (42:27): “They need Smith and John Walker to be hits… I’m curious to see how they look physically out there.”

6. Rosters, Talent, and the Big Picture (44:32)

Is This Team as Talented as Last Year’s?

• Reference point: 2025 roster set to 100/100 talent-wise.
• Tim May (44:56): “I would say somewhere between 90 and 95 [for the 2026 team].”
• Marcus Hartman (45:29): “I'm about 90… the veteran transfers, I think probably every one of them is less physically talented than the guy he's replacing, but they can play.”
• Bill Landis (48:15): “I think like 85… There's one slam dunk first-round pick in Jeremiah Smith and I'm not 100% certain there's another one right now.”

Evolving College Football Landscape:

• Roster churn (NFL/portal) makes it hard to stack high-end talent like before; this is true for all blue blood programs.
• Higher roster floor (fewer glaring position groups), but potentially less high-end stardom.
• “If last year was 100… I don’t know how often that’s gonna happen again.” (Landis, 48:15)

Offensive Line Pipeline

• Curiosity about Ivy League transfer (from Dartmouth) and general depth: "Is he a project or a prodigy?" (Tim May, 51:58)
• Agreement that the O-line pipeline is now well-situated: 8+ playable, mature linemen; five development guys in the pipeline.

7. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Fight bears with a switch" — Marcus Hartman, 04:10. Humorously dissected as a metaphor for physical readiness.
• “Corrosion. That's not a racing term.” — Doug, 03:56, bantering about chemistry issues on the line.
• "If four guys make their block, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything.” — Hartman, 12:56, on the importance of depth and avoiding weak links.
• "You show up for spring football and the line is reshuffled in a way that we’re like, oh, that is not what I thought this was going to be." — Doug, 06:44
• "This is a roster flip 101, man.” — Tim May, 62:05, encapsulating college football’s current portal-driven volatility.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------- |------------ | | Spring camp preview intro | 01:05 | | Returning offensive players to watch | 02:17–13:57 | | Offensive transfers to watch | 14:05–21:25 | | Returning defensive players to watch | 21:43–29:29 | | Defensive transfers to watch | 29:39–43:32 | | Roster/talent-level discussion | 44:32–55:48 | | O-line pipeline/transfer OL segment | 51:58–55:48 | | Final guest plugs and historical OSU talk | 55:49–61:27 |

Panelist Contact Info

• Tim May – Tim May Show, fanstreamsports.com, 97.1 The Fan, occasional 10TV appearances.
• Marcus Hartman – Press Pros Magazine (pressprosmagazine.com), Cuss Words Sports newsletter (cusswordssports.com).
• Bill & Doug – osu.substack.com (pre-spring columns, player-by-player thoughts).

Takeaways for Fans

• Expect the offensive line to be the most watched group this spring—surprising shuffles possible.
• Quarterback Julian Saying is well-respected but his growth as a vocal leader is a key subplot.
• New receivers (Parker, McCune) and RB Jacoby Jackson—their athletic ceiling and fit with OSU’s speed standard is an open question.
• On defense, it's a “Who will step up?” year: plenty of snaps available for ascending players, but new leaders must emerge.
• Transfer DBs and DLs will have to quickly acclimate—veteran savvy is a necessity with so many departures.
• 2026 Buckeyes may be less loaded with surefire first-rounders, but overall depth and lack of glaring holes give this roster high potential for another playoff run.

Notable Quotes Table (with Timestamps)

| Quote | Speaker | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |-------------------------|------------| | "What they do with Philip Daniels is going to set the stage for everything else..." | Tim May | 02:28 | | "Is it too much to ask for Ohio State to have an offensive line that can just kick people's ass, like more than once every six years?" | Marcus Hartman | 04:10 | | "Can I say Julian Saying? ... Pretty big offseason for Julian, I think…" | Bill Landis | 07:36 | | "He looked like he was trying to grow a mustache. So I'm curious about that." | Tim May | 09:05 | | "If four guys make their block, it doesn't necessarily mean anything." | Marcus Hartman | 12:56 | | "The quarterback situation is curious to me..." | Tim May | 29:52 | | "This is a roster flip 101, man." | Tim May | 62:05 | | "If last year was 100… I don’t know how often that’s gonna happen again." | Bill Landis | 48:15 |

Final Thoughts

While Ohio State might not match the historic top-end talent of 2025, the Buckeyes return loads of experience, have reinforced through the portal, and face a wide-open spring with battles at almost every spot. Rosters are changing faster than ever, but expectation remains unchanged: anything less than another championship push will be a surprise.

For more deep-dive roster analysis and spring updates, subscribe to Bill & Doug at osu.substack.com, and check out Tim May Show and Press Pros Magazine for further Buckeye content.