Ohio State walked into its first spring practice of 2026 carrying an injury report that nobody wanted to read. The backdrop had already been set. Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, both freshmen who carried the Buckeyes’ ground game last fall, are out for the spring after shoulder surgeries. But on Tuesday, Ryan Day confirmed two more names.

Tight end Bennett Christian and linebacker Riley Pettijohn are both sidelined and will not participate in spring ball, each for undisclosed reasons. Combined with the running back situation, that’s four meaningful contributors who won’t be on the practice field when Ohio State needs every available rep to sort out their roster.

Christian’s absence stings the most in terms of experience. Max Klare entered the NFL Draft in January. As the primary receiving tight end, he posted 43 receptions for 448 yards and two touchdowns. Will Kacmarek departed via graduation, so Christian was left as the only returning tight end with meaningful game experience. 

He’s not a stat-stuffer. His value lives in the trenches. He is a true blocking tight end whose presence made Ohio State’s heavy run packages cleaner and more physical in 2025. Day hasn’t been shy about what he thinks of him, either. He called Christian a “tremendous leader” for the tight end room. The group behind Christian this spring will be Hunter Welcing, a Northwestern transfer, and Mason Williams, who came over from Ohio University. 

On the other side of the ball, the linebacker situation had already been unsettled before Pettijohn’s spring absence was confirmed. The Buckeyes lost Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles to the NFL draft. It wiped out their two most experienced players at the position. 

What they have heading into 2026 is a room full of young, relatively unproven players competing for real starting snaps. And Pettijohn, despite being just a sophomore, was seen as the most hyped name in that mix. 247Sports lists him as one of Ohio State’s top-20 players heading into 2026, ranking him No. 12 on that list. He came in as the No. 2 linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class and is built like a future starter at 6-foot-2, 231 pounds with a track background. Missing spring practice when you’re already behind the depth chart is a major setback.

Both absences are serious because spring practice actually does more for players fighting for starting roles than for those holding them. For a blocking tight end, it’s about chemistry. The repetitions that wire your body to the timing of a pull block or a zone stretch in real time. For a sophomore linebacker competing in an open room, it’s about earning the trust of the defensive staff before fall camp even opens. 

Christian and Pettijohn aren’t gone for the season. History suggests that players who miss spring usually return healthy. And summer camp will give them both a real runway before the opener. But in a thin roster, absorbing four meaningful absences at once would hinder the development of the greatest of teams, including Ohio State.

A big secret has emerged from OSU’s spring practice

Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Ryan Day may have revealed a key clue about why 4-star Savion Bey chose OSU over the Vols. Tennessee wanted to use Bey as a WR, while the Buckeyes offered him at RB.

“Just day one out there, he started at running back,” said Day. “He played quarterback in high school, so he has a tremendous skill set, and he’s dynamic when the ball is in his hands.”

But the coach especially emphasized the fact that Bey could be an offensive weapon with multiple possibilities. He even drew stylistic comparisons to former OSU standout Curtis Samuel, noting that Bey could line up at RB while also flexing out wide depending on the situation. But for Bey during the recruiting process, early playing time was a priority.

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With his OSU arrival, he not only gets that, but the program also carves out a role that showcases his hybrid abilities. But at Tennessee, he likely would have entered a crowded WR room, making an immediate impact more difficult. Now we will see how his 2026 season unfolds with OSU and whether his decision pays off or not.