Never Too Early Lineup Look: Ohio State

We’re now looking at a team that will be squarely in the NCAA team trophy hunt in Ohio State. Buckeye head coach, Tom Ryan, is entering his 19th year at the helm for Ohio State. During that time, he has led the Buckeyes to eight NCAA team trophies, including a national championship in 2015. Since 2021, Ohio State has only had one top-four finish, after placing in the top three every year between 2015-19. 

With a young, but talented and experienced nucleus, this could be the year Ohio State jumps back into that national title discussion for the foreseeable future. 

Ryan could unveil a lineup that features six past All-Americans during the 2024-25 campaign. One of them is Jesse Mendez who broke a mini-drought in 2024 with the Buckeyes first individual title since 2018. 

During Ryan’s tenure, Ohio State has established itself as one of the best recruiting teams in the nation. That continued in 2024 as Ohio State inked the #5 overall recruiting class. With so many returning stars, it’s unlikely that they’ll be needed in 2024-25, but it’s a great option to have. 

Option is the keyword for Ohio State in the upcoming season. The Buckeye coaching staff has plenty of options up and down the lineup. There are only maybe three weights that appear to feature unchallenged starters. With Ohio State’s propensity to wrestle true freshmen, combined with their rash of injuries in 2023-24, there are plenty of potential starters that have redshirt years available. 

With so many options available, it’s difficult to pin down an actual Ohio State lineup in late August. But…that won’t stop us from trying! 

125: Brendan McCrone/Vinny Kilkeary

At this time last year, many outside Ohio were unfamiliar with redshirt freshman Brendan McCrone and may have assumed that Vinny Kilkeary would get the nod for the Buckeyes in his first year in Columbus. There’s good reason to believe that, considering Kilkeary was the #33 overall recruit in the Class of 2023, a three-time Pennsylvania AAA state champion, and Coach Ryan’s willingness to trust true freshmen. 

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