Stock UP for FOUR Buckeyes

A handful of Ohio State players got some very encouraging public endorsements this week — and a few of them may be more important to the 2026 Buckeyes than we previously thought.

In this episode of The Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss four Buckeyes whose stock appears to be rising heading into the season.

The guys start with Legend Bey, who Ryan Day confirmed as Ohio State’s top kickoff returner and someone the Buckeyes clearly believe can be a difference-maker with the ball in his hands.

They also discuss Jay Timmons, the true freshman nickelback who told Devin Sanchez during recruiting that he planned to come to Ohio State and start immediately — and then actually did it.

From there, the conversation turns to Devin McCuin, who continues to draw strong praise from Ryan Day and Sanchez, and defensive end Zion Grady, whose name came up surprisingly early when Day discussed the Buckeyes’ defensive line rotation.

There’s also a bonus discussion about Hunter Welcing and the funny moment when Ryan Day interrupted another interview just to make sure he didn’t leave the tight end out of the conversation.

0:00 — Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast
0:10 — Why we unexpectedly had to record another show
0:49 — Stock Up No. 1: Legend Bey
1:10 — Ryan Day names Bey the kickoff returner
1:44 — What Bey did to earn the role
2:50 — How many chances will he actually get against Ball State?
3:25 — Stock Up No. 2: Jay Timmons
4:12 — Timmons said he was coming to Ohio State to start
4:44 — Why his rise has been so unusual for a freshman
5:30 — Stock Up No. 3: Devin McCuin
6:11 — Ryan Day: McCuin is “as good as we’ve had”
6:55 — Why McCuin could raise the ceiling of the offense
8:15 — Could McCuin surpass Carnell Tate’s production from last year?
9:08 — Devin Sanchez calls McCuin a starter
9:17 — Stock Up No. 4: Zion Grady
10:11 — Why the order Ryan Day mentioned the defensive ends matters
11:45 — Bonus Stock Up: Hunter Welcing
12:10 — Ryan Day interrupts an interview to mention Welcing
12:32 — Why coaches sometimes hate being asked to list players
13:17 — How much of the rotation will we see Saturday?
13:46 — Looking ahead to Bold Predictions
14:39 — Closing thoughts

Which of these four Buckeyes are you most excited to see in the opener? And which one do you think could make the biggest jump this season? Let us know in the comments.

For more Ohio State football coverage, practice intel, depth-chart discussion, recruiting and more, visit BuckeyeInsiders.com.

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