As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, 16 of the nation’s premier football prospects have accepted invitations to attend the highly anticipated event in Pittsburgh. Ohio State leads all programs with five players slated to be in the green room, a testament to the program’s continued dominance in producing top-tier NFL talent, following a 12-0 regular season and return trips to the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.

The Buckeyes invited to Pittsburgh include safety Caleb Downs, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles and wide receiver Carnell Tate. All of these players starred for the Scarlet and Gray over the past few years, including helping Ohio State win the 2024 national championship.

Downs is widely regarded as the top safety in the class. After transferring from Alabama following his freshman season, he immediately etched his name in Buckeye lore, helping lead the team to a 2024 national championship. He followed that with a spectacular 2025 campaign, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning both the Jim Thorpe Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Ohio State’s 2026 college football is still months away, but preparation has already begun. Spring practice is underway, and plenty of news will come about next year’s Buckeyes. Ohio State basketball made it back to the NCAA Tournament, but lost in the first round, setting up an important offseason. It’s the busiest time of year for Ohio State. Stay on top of the latest Buckeye news by BECOMING A BUCKNUTS SUBSCRIBER today!

McDonald brings an elite interior presence to the Scarlet and Gray’s defensive line. He proved to be a dominant force against the run in his final year. Ranked by Pro Football Focus as one of the best interior defensive linemen in the nation, he can blow up plays at the line of scrimmage and force fumbles, making him a highly coveted prospect.

Reese has drawn comparisons to Micah Parsons thanks to the incredible versatility he showed in his one season as a starter at Ohio State last year. Racking up snaps both as a traditional box linebacker and as an edge rusher, Reese’s tantalizing upside as a pass rusher has positioned him as a potential top-five pick. Right alongside him in the linebacker corps was Styles. The 6-foot-5, 244-pound freak athlete converted from safety to linebacker seamlessly during his college career, using his rare blend of size and coverage ability to earn first-team All-American honors in 2025 while flying sideline-to-sideline.

Tate continued the long-standing tradition of elite Buckeye wideouts, finishing his collegiate career with 121 receptions, 1,872 yards and 14 touchdowns. Coming off a 2025 season in which he earned second-team All-American honors on the field and first-team Academic All-American honors in the classroom, Tate is highly sought after by receiver-needy franchises.

While the Scarlet and Gray represent nearly a third of the attendees, they will be joined by 11 other standout prospects from around the country hoping to hear their names called early by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The other invitees include Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey, Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr., LSU defensive back Mansoor Delane, Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk, Tennessee defensive back Colton Hood, USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor and Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.

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With five dynamic players set to take the stage in Pittsburgh, the 2026 NFL Draft is shaping up to be another historic night for Ohio State.