4 Ohio State Buckeyes Receiving NFL Hype Before 2025 Season

The 2025 NFL Draft was one of the wildest drafts in recent memory. Between the Jacksonville Jaguars giving up a haul to move up for Travis Hunter, the Cleveland Browns trading out of the Hunter spot, and Shedeur Sanders's slide to the fifth round, fans and analysts are still trying to fully digest everything that happened, and those are just the storylines directly involving the Colorado Buffaloes.

Another key narrative was how dominant the Ohio State Buckeyes were in the draft. After taking home the College Football Playoff National Championship, their spectacular year was capped off with a nation-high 14 players drafted into the NFL this past April. Not only did that lead all colleges, but it also tied their own program record.

Normally, losing 14 core members to the draft would be a huge hit for a team, and players like Emeka Egbuka, Donovan Jackson, and Tyleik Williams will certainly be missed, but the Buckeyes should be just fine. Even with a massive question mark under center, Ohio State is still expected to open in the top five when the official AP Poll releases again, driven by a strong recruiting class and an impressive crop of returning players.

Their veteran core is so talented, in fact, that they're already in danger of losing several stars to the NFL Draft again next year. They might not match their program record of 14 draftees again, but there are several high-profile players who'll surely make their way into the big leagues after this upcoming 2025 NCAA season.

Sports Illustrated recently released a ranking of the top 50 NFL prospects currently in college football, and four different Buckeyes made the list: safety Caleb Downs (2), wide receiver Carnell Tate (35), linebacker Sonny Styles (47), and tight end Max Klare (49). A lot can change through the course of a college football season, but Ohio State having four of the top 50 preseason draft-eligible players in the country bodes well for their chances at defending their national title.