Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) blocks a pass by Ohio Bobcats quarterback Parker Navarro (13) in the second half at the Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

College football analyst reveals three early stars of Ohio State's season

Originally posted on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI
By Robert Watson III | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 3:44 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes have started their season with a flawless 3-0 record and no significant injuries or problems ahead as they head into their bye week. They secured dominant wins over Ohio and Grambling State, and captured a crucial victory in a ranked matchup against Texas.

As a team that had some question marks coming into the season with their high expectations this year, Ohio State has still impressed. Now that the Buckeyes have a breather here in Week 4 of the college football season, it’s time to reflect on some of the best things that have come out of their first three contests.

College Football analyst Bill Bender discussed Ohio State on the Bobby Carpenter Show via the BIGPLAY Sports Network, sharing what he thinks have been the highlights so far.

.@BillBender92 gives his bright spots of Ohio State's offense and defense through three weeks

1. Arvell Reese
2. Bo Jackson
3. Julian Sayin

"Julian Sayin's a 5-star QB that's also playing at a sleeper Heisman level."

Presented by @FanDuel pic.twitter.com/f6zdV4L9wZ
— Bobby Carpenter Show (@BobbyCarpShow) September 17, 2025

First, Bender mentioned linebacker Arvell Reese, who has proven to be a force on Ohio State’s defense. Reese already has 20 tackles and two sacks this year. He is an athletic linebacker, capable of rushing the passer and dropping into coverage to disrupt opposing offenses.

Bender commented live that, “I’m seeing a lot of tweets about Arvell Reese and him being compared to Abdul Carter,” Which is very high praise for the junior linebacker from Cleveland, Ohio.

Next, Bender touched on freshman running back Bo Jackson and how he’s been a much-needed boost for Ohio State’s run game. Bender said, “Big plays waiting to happen. They got the running game going.”

Jackson is currently averaging an absurd 12.1 yards per carry and has been quickly proving why he needs more touches in the Buckeye backfield with 217 yards on just 18 carries. He’s grabbing the imagination of fans, wondering what he could be like with a lead-back workload.

Finally, Bender talked about quarterback Julian Sayin, who has been surgical for the Buckeyes. Sayin’s efficiency has been top of the country, ranked second in completion percentage and third in passing efficiency.

Bender mentioned, “We’ve heard a lot of stories the last couple of weeks about inaccurate quarterbacks. Arch Manning’s struggling, DJ Lagway’s struggling, Julian Sayin is a 5-star QB who’s also playing at a sleeper Heisman level.”

It’s gone under the radar so far, but Sayin has filled the shoes of Will Howard well to open the season. Though it’s only been three weeks, if he can keep this play up, he would definitely deserve Heisman votes.

Ohio State is off this week as they prepare to travel across the country to face the Washington Huskies on September 27th.

This article first appeared on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: