At Ohio State, earning the ‘biggest honor in the program’ requires more than just on-field talent, it demands a total commitment to the team’s culture. The path to a captain’s ‘C’ on the jersey often begins with a different, grueling honor: the Iron Buckeye award. The program has released the recipients for this year, and there’s a surprise inclusion.

Ohio State just concluded its winter workouts on March 14 and named Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss, Garrett Stover, and Jaylen McClain as 2026’s Iron Buckeyes. While Brandon Inniss was already the team captain in 2025, former OSU linebacker Steele Chambers predicted the other two to be captains too this year.

“One of the highest honors you can get as an Ohio State football player,” Steele Chambers wrote. “Ends up being a sneak peek at who’ll be a captain for the upcoming season. Congrats to these dudes,” Chambers added.

Chambers joined Ohio State in 2020 and stayed with the team till the 2023 season. In his time, the 6’1″ and 229 lb LB won All-Big Ten honors in 2023 and totaled 208 tackles. Throughout his tenure, Chambers was forged by fire, winning the Iron Buckeye award himself in 2023.

Jeremiah Smith has been dominating the award for the third consecutive season, dating back to his freshman season in 2024. And while McClain and Smith are familiar faces on the Iron Buckeye list, Garrett Stover’s inclusion signals a potential shake-up in the linebacker room, where he now looks poised to challenge for a starting role.

McClain has won the Iron Buckeye award twice, earning it during summer workouts in 2025. A second Iron Buckeye honor solidifies his status in defense, and he will be a no-brainer for the captaincy. Although he has won the award previously, Stover has largely remained a depth piece.

Brandon Inniss, on the other hand, earns the award for the first time. He was the team’s captain in the 2025 season and will likely keep the role this year. With Inniss in his fourth year and only involved in sporadic starts, this will be his breakthrough year. Most of the WRs, including Carnell Tate and Quincy Porter are gone, and the onus is now on the 6-foot, 199-lb explosive WR.

Being a captain at Ohio State comes with a lot of legacy from decades past. James Laurinaitis was a three-time All-American and a two-time captain during a period of immense pressure for the Buckeyes. After the heartbreaking loss to Florida in the 2006 National Championship, the team was demoralized. Laurinaitis took it upon himself to hold “player-only” meetings every Sunday night in 2007. He would break down film for the younger players himself. He became the first player to win the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Lott IMPACT Trophy while serving as captain.

Then there was Terry McLaurin. A captain who didn’t care about stats. He became famous for his downfield blocking. In a game against Maryland, he sprinted 40 yards just to block for a teammate who was already 20 yards ahead of him. Brian Hartline often used McLaurin’s film to teach incoming 5-star recruits like Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. He taught them that being a captain meant doing the “dirty work” that doesn’t show up in a box score.

Quarterback J.T. Barrett was the first three-time captain in the modern era and broke several school records. Barrett was also the only quarterback on either side of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry to go 4–0 as a starter. Although he did not finish his first or last games against Michigan due to injuries.

Despite the 4 selections, this year’s Iron Buckeye award was rather slim. In 2023, eight Ohio State players were selected as Iron Buckeyes, and in 2025’s Fall camp, eight players were given the honor. Nevertheless, the 4 selections are understandable. Ryan Day has to work with a total of 51 new faces this year, and they will take time to gel with the squad.

Jeremiah Smith shows wisdom and maturity with some dating advice

Jeremiah Smith has, in just two years, established himself as a top player. Right from All-American honors coming his way every season to seven-figure NIL deals lining up, he has become the face of Ohio State now. With a great deal of attention comes great responsibility and a chance to show maturity.

Knowing full well that he’d have young players out of high school in the locker room, the Buckeye WR has given a recipe to approach personal life.

“You gotta have something going on for yourself. And you can’t just live off me,” Jeremiah Smith said on March 13. “You gotta find the right one. Girls now my age, they just worry about one thing: what can you do for them? They don’t wanna bring anything to the table. I’m really picking on who I’m talking to.”

That’s a level-headedness that you hear from the pros. So far in his OSU career, Smith has accumulated 2,558 receiving yards and 27 TDs, but captaincy hasn’t come his way yet. But given his wisdom, maturity, and consecutive Iron Buckeye honors, 2026 could be the year when Smith finally wears the ‘C’ patch on his jersey.