The Ohio State Buckeyes head into 2026 in a year where anything, but a National Championship would be a disappointment. Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith headline a team that's tasked with replacing a ton of talent, but also bring back some of the best players in the Country regardless of position.
Ryan Day and his staff lose a ton of elite talent with Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate, and Kayden McDonald all expected to hear their names called in the 1st Round. If the Buckeyes are going to roll through the regular season like they did last season, they'll need transfers and players looking to earn bigger roles to step up in a big way.
LSU transfer Kyle Parker could be Ohio State's Carnell Tate replacement
The biggest loss for Ohio State on offense is without question wide receiver Carnell Tate who was the perfect compliment to Jeremiah Smith. Tate's ability to win downfield kept defenses from fully taking away Jeremiah Smith while Tate posted a solid season of his own with 51 catches for 875 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Ohio State replaces wide receivers at an absurd rate thanks to High School recruiting, but incoming transfer Kyle Parker looks the part of an elite playmaker. When Brian Hartline left for USF, Ohio State turned to LSU hiring away Co-Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers coach Cortez Hankton to coach the Buckeyes wideouts.
Cortez Hankton brought with him LSU wide receiver Kyle Parker who flew under the radar when he first made the decision to transfer. Parker has just 34 career catches for 385 yards and 5 touchdowns as injuries cost him a ton of time for the Tigers.
Kyle Parker is already impressing at Ohio State as he was the first new player to lose their black stripe this offseason.
Florida State transfer safety Earl Little Jr. lost his black stripe today, joining LSU transfer wide receiver Kyle Parker as the first two Buckeyes to earn the honor in 2026. 🌰 pic.twitter.com/2N4jole5Ul
— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) March 28, 2026
If Kyle Parker can stay healthy in 2026, he has all the potential to be a 1,000+ yard receiver next to Jeremiah Smith. Parker has big play speed to stretch the field while he'll continue to develop in the short to intermediate areas of the field.
Kyle Parker developing into a key piece for this offense would allow the offense to continue fielding one of the best passing attacks in the Country. The Buckeyes have plenty of talented underclassmen, but allowing them to continue to developing rather than thrusting them right into major roles would be best for the program long term.