Ahead of the Big Ten  Football Media Days, the Big Ten conference has released a list of its 2026 football preseason honorees. The list, which contains 12 college football players, was selected by a media panel. Of the 18 Big Ten programs, seven had at least one representative on the list, with the Ohio State Buckeyes having two. The selection reflects their recent contribution to the list, with three players representing the program in the previous two years.

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and quarterback Julian Sayin are the two representatives from Ohio State, as reported by Brandon Marcello on X. Sayin is joined by two quarterbacks from other Big Ten programs, while Smith also has two other players in his position on the list.

The list comes just a day after the two Buckeyes players and their program dominated preseason predictions shared by Cleveland.com, the most recognized prediction poll in the Big Ten. For those unaware, the conference does not make predictions. The prediction from Cleveland.com has Ohio State leading the conference, with the Buckeyes having 15 first-place votes out of 31, over the Oregon Ducks with 11 and the Indiana Hoosiers with five.

Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin were both tipped to receive the Offensive Player of the Year award, but it was a landslide victory for Smith, who had 21 votes out of a possible 31. Behind Smith was Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore, who had eight first-place votes. Then, Julian Sayin managed just two first-place votes.

Sayin was a Heisman finalist in 2025 after finishing the season with 3,610 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and a 77% pass completion rate. Smith also had a brilliant outing, hitting over 1,000 receiving yards for two consecutive seasons. In 2025, he had 87 receptions for 1,243 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games. The pair could have recorded more stats if they went as far as the College Football Playoff National Championship game.

It is no coincidence that the two players are soaring in major rankings, as they were two of the most outstanding contributors to the Buckeyes’ team that finished the 2025 regular season undefeated. 11 of the Buckeyes’ prominent stars were drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, with four going in the first round, which is why only Sayin and Smith have represented the team in most preseason predictions. Their selection also reflects Ohio State’s annual representation on the official Big Ten preseason honors list, falling one short of last year’s three.

Ohio State’s performance in the 2026 season is largely dependent on how well Sayin and Smith perform. They do not just hold significant roles on the team; they are leaders with first-round draft projections, and only a brilliant delivery would justify the hype they have received during the offseason.

Other Big 10 honorees

The other quarterbacks joining Sayin on the list are Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore and USC Trojans QB Jayden Maiava. Moore finished the 2025 season with 3,565 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and a 71.85% pass completion rate in 15 games. Maiava, meanwhile, posted 3,711 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and a 65.8% pass completion rate.

In the wide receiver position, Smith is joined by Indiana Hoosiers WR Charlie Becker and Rutgers WR KJ Duff. Becker had 34 receptions for 679 receiving yards and four touchdowns. KJ Duff recorded 60 receptions for 1,084 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Others on the list are Rutgers running back Antwan Raymond, Indiana linebacker Rolijah Hardy, Iowa offensive lineman Kade Pieper, Indiana defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker, Minnesota defensive lineman Anthony Smith, and Oregon defensive back Koi Perich.