Preseason football chatter hits different in Columbus, but this week brought proof to back up the noise. Three Ohio State stars earned spots on the 2026 Maxwell Award watch list. The honor marks its 90th year of crowning college football’s top player, and few programs command this much spotlight on a single roster.

According to reporter Dan Hope, Ohio State and Miami are the only two programs nationwide to place three players on the exclusive 81-man list. Landing a trio on this list highlights the sheer depth and explosive potential expected from the Buckeyes’ offense this autumn.

Quarterback Julian Sayin leads the group after a standout campaign that carried Ohio State to the College Football Playoff. Sayin set a Big Ten single-season record by completing 77 percent of his passes while throwing for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns. He enters the fall as the nation’s only returning Maxwell finalist.

Oddsmakers already list him among the top Heisman Trophy contenders at +1200 odds. After demonstrating such high efficiency in his first year under center, expectations are simple: anything short of a trip to New York for postseason awards will feel incomplete.

Next is wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who has delivered one of the most impressive two-year starts in Big Ten history. The former five-star recruit recorded 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdown catches over his first 28 college games, routinely delivering big plays whenever the offense needed a spark.

Last season alone, he accounted for 35% of Ohio State’s total explosive plays over 20 yards. That should make him the prime candidate to push for the award. Smith openly acknowledged to reporters at Big Ten Media Days that this will probably be his final season in Columbus before he heads to the NFL, making him a primary candidate for both the Biletnikoff Award and national player of the year consideration.

Rounding out the trio is running back Bo Jackson. The Cleveland native produced a memorable freshman campaign, rushing for 1,090 yards and six touchdowns. He became just the fifth freshman in program history to break the 1,000-yard mark, gaining over six yards per carry.

With a full offseason as the main tailback, Jackson is expected to see an expanded role in the offense. Insiders project his workload to climb toward 18 to 20 touches per game, giving Ohio State a balanced ground attack to complement their explosive passing game.

Now that the 2026 watch list is out, the Maxwell Football Club selection committee will be grading these athletes across all 12 regular-season games. They will officially trim the field down to a group of semifinalists on November 10, 2026, before announcing the three final players in the running on November 24, 2026. The voting process includes input from NCAA head coaches, members of the Atlantic City Maxwell Football Club, and selected sportswriters from across all 50 states.

The winner will be announced on December 10, 2026, during ESPN’s broadcast of The Home Depot College Football Awards, before being formally honored at the Maxwell Football Club Gala on March 13, 2027.