SEATTLE — Ohio State is on the road for the first time this season as it opens up Big Ten play against Washington.
Going on the road means a first look at the Buckeyes’ travel roster, which features 75 players out of 85 scholarship players and 20 other walk-ons. It’s also a chance to see which freshmen have been turning heads in practice in a way that could lead to roles later in the season. Or at least fast-track them to winning jobs in 2026.
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Headlining that group is cornerback Devin Sanchez, who has carved out a role as the Buckeyes’ third cornerback, often seeing the field in third-and-long situations. But there’s a chance that could even grow into more as the season progresses, especially if the coaches ever decide to move Jermaine Mathew into the slot more often.
“Hopefully, these snaps that we’re building on now can allow him to improve as we go forward,” defensive coordinator Matt Patricia said during the bye week. “Certainly, we’re also trying to build our depth to make sure that we have that as we go forward, and putting him in that position, in that role, allows us to build on that every single week.”