Reigning Champion Ohio State Begins 2025 Preseason Camp With Sights Set on Back-to-Back Titles and Sustained College Football Dominance
Ohio State, fresh off its 2024 national championship, will kick off its 2025 preseason camp on Thursday. For the Buckeyes, the transition from celebration to preparation is happening swiftly and with purpose. After climbing college football’s highest peak last season, the mission now is clear: stay there. Repeating as national champions is a challenge that few programs have accomplished in the modern era, but if any team is built to defy the odds, it is this one.
As preseason camp opens, the atmosphere surrounding Ohio State feels like both a coronation and a recommitment. The Buckeyes are not approaching this season as if they’ve arrived—they’re treating it like the beginning of something bigger. Winning one title is hard; winning two in a row requires culture, consistency, and relentless attention to detail. Head coach Ryan Day knows this better than anyone. The championship silenced many of his critics and solidified his place among the game’s elite coaches. But Day hasn’t let up. If anything, he seems more focused, more exacting, and more determined to push his program even higher.
The 2024 season was a campaign of redemption and redefinition for Ohio State. After falling short against Michigan and missing the Big Ten title game in the previous years, the Buckeyes responded with a vengeance. They conquered their rivals, dominated the conference, and then navigated a brutal playoff gauntlet to secure the national crown. It was a year defined by toughness, clutch performances, and a belief that no moment was too big. Now, that belief becomes the standard.
The 2025 team returns with a blend of veteran leadership, rising stars, and one of the deepest rosters in college football. Quarterback Devin Brown, who stepped into the starting role last season and delivered with poise and precision, is back with even higher expectations. His growth from talented prospect to championship-caliber signal-caller was one of the most important storylines of last year. Now, he has a full offseason as QB1 under his belt, a stronger command of the offense, and a wealth of weapons at his disposal.
Ohio State’s wide receiver room remains a national treasure, even after sending more talent to the NFL. Emeka Egbuka, assuming he stayed for another year, returns as one of the most polished and dangerous receivers in the country. He’ll be joined by rising stars like Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss, and freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith—who many believe could be the next great Buckeye wideout in a lineage that includes Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Marvin Harrison Jr. The competition in this group will be fierce, but it’s the kind of internal pressure that breeds excellence.
On the defensive side, coordinator Jim Knowles enters his third season in Columbus with a defense that finally looks like the aggressive, fast, and fundamentally sound unit he envisioned when he arrived. The 2024 national title run was fueled in large part by a defense that swarmed quarterbacks, stuffed the run, and created turnovers at critical moments. Players like Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams, and Sonny Styles return with not just experience but the confidence that comes from performing under the sport’s brightest lights.
One of the most important developments this offseason has been the evolution of Ohio State’s offensive line. Rebuilding the trenches was a top priority after some inconsistencies earlier in Day’s tenure. Now, with a seasoned core and talented depth behind them, the Buckeyes appear more equipped to control the line of scrimmage and impose their will late in games—something they did masterfully in their playoff victories.
Another storyline to watch this camp is the running back rotation. Last year’s backfield was a two-headed monster that wore down defenses, and 2025 could offer even more variety. TreVeyon Henderson is gone to the NFL, but Dallan Hayden returns, joined by former five-star talent and emerging sophomore phenom Jordan Lyle. Add in a bruising freshman or a transfer with experience, and this group could become one of the most balanced and explosive units in the country.
What separates this Ohio State team from others with national title aspirations is their familiarity with high stakes and high standards. These players aren’t just talented—they’ve been tested. They’ve been on the biggest stages and emerged victorious. And they’re being coached by a staff that knows how to keep hunger alive even after the mountaintop has been reached.
Preseason camp is where the next phase of this journey begins. It’s where battles for starting spots will intensify, where chemistry is forged in sweat and repetition, and where leaders begin to assert themselves. Ryan Day has built a culture that prizes competition. Nothing is handed out. The national title is celebrated, but it doesn’t buy anyone playing time. The coaches are preaching urgency and focus from day one.
And it’s not just the familiar foes the Buckeyes are preparing for. The 2025 schedule is packed with challenges that will test their mettle. With USC, Oregon, Washington, and UCLA now official members of the Big Ten, the conference has become a weekly gauntlet. There are no off weeks. Every game is a statement opportunity, and every slip-up could cost them a shot at repeating.
Add to that the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, and you have a season that will demand not just greatness but stamina. Depth will matter more than ever. Freshmen who might have redshirted in past years will need to contribute. Veterans must be willing to mentor and lead while staying fresh for a postseason that will feel more like the NFL playoffs in scope and intensity.
All of this creates a fascinating environment as camp opens. There’s a tension—not of fear, but of expectation. These players know what’s at stake. They know what they’ve accomplished. But more importantly, they know what remains unfinished.
The city of Columbus is buzzing with anticipation. Fans are still riding the high of the championship, but they’ve quickly shifted into full support mode for the next run. Ohio State football isn’t just a program—it’s a movement, a standard, a belief system passed down through generations. And this team understands the weight of that responsibility.
Camp will be grueling. It will be filled with long days, tough practices, film sessions that dissect every movement, and coaches pushing for perfection. But it will also be filled with moments of bonding, players elevating each other, and quiet victories that set the tone for the fall.
For Ohio State, 2025 isn’t just another season. It’s a chance to etch their names alongside the all-time great teams in college football history. A repeat championship would elevate this group into rarified air, cementing their place as not just champions, but as a dynasty.
They know that nothing will be given. Every opponent will treat them like a measuring stick. Every stadium they visit will be charged with energy aimed directly at knocking them off their throne. But that’s the price of greatness. That’s what they’ve earned. And that’s what they now fight to protect.
So as Thursday’s camp kicks off and the cleats hit the turf, the 2025 Buckeyes take their first steps toward defending their crown. They do so not with arrogance, but with intent. Not with entitlement, but with a warrior’s focus. The scars of previous setbacks taught them how to win in 2024. Those lessons now become the fuel for what comes next.
The title is theirs. The target is on their back. And the chase begins again.
