Ohio State’s 25 NFL draft picks from the past two years, including 21 players who were Buckeyes for multiple seasons, prove that “Developed Here” is more than just a motto.
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Developed Here: Ohio State’s 25 NFL Draft Picks Over Last Two Years Prove It’s More Than Just A Motto
Developed Here.
It might just seem like a simple hashtag on social media, one of the mottos for the football team, or a cliché statement, but for Ohio State, the last two NFL drafts back up that it’s one of the best programs in all of college football in developing talent.
Development has always been key for a team to reach its maximum potential. That was the case before the transfer portal era and remains the case now, as well, even if the portal allows teams to fill holes where said team might have missed on an evaluation or didn't get the development from a player that it was expecting.
The Buckeyes have not only been able to develop prospects immediately out of high school, but also ones that they have added through the portal. It's turned into the perfect recipe for Ohio State, one that Ryan Day and Co. continue to lean on.
To take a closer look at this, we broke down Ohio State's 25 NFL draft picks over the last two years, which tied an NFL record (Georgia, 2022-23), to see how long each selection played for the Buckeyes.
OSU's NFL Draft Picks the Last Two Years and No. of Years in the Program
| 2025 |
CARNELL TATE |
1 |
3 |
NO |
| ARVELL REESE |
1 |
3 |
NO |
| SONNY STYLES |
1 |
4 |
NO |
| CALEB DOWNS |
1 |
2 |
YES |
| KAYDEN MCDONALD |
2 |
3 |
NO |
| MAX KLARE |
2 |
1 |
YES |
| DAVISON IGBINOSUN |
2 |
3 |
YES |
| WILL KACMAREK |
3 |
2 |
YES |
| LORENZO STYLES JR. |
5 |
3 |
YES |
| CADEN CURRY |
6 |
4 |
NO |
| ETHAN ONJANWA |
7 |
1 |
YES |
| 2025 |
EMEKA EGBUKA |
1 |
4 |
NO |
| DONOVAN JACKSON |
1 |
4 |
NO |
| TYLEIK WILLIAMS |
1 |
4 |
NO |
| JOSH SIMMONS |
1 |
2 |
YES |
| QUINSHON JUDKINS |
2 |
1 |
YES |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON |
2 |
4 |
NO |
| JT TUIMOLOAU |
2 |
4 |
NO |
| CODY SIMON |
4 |
5 |
NO |
| LATHAN RANSOM |
4 |
5 |
NO |
| JACK SAWYER |
4 |
4 |
NO |
| TY HAMILTON |
5 |
5 |
NO |
| JORDAN HANCOCK |
5 |
4 |
NO |
| DENZEL BURKE |
5 |
4 |
NO |
| WILL HOWARD |
6 |
1 |
YES |
For an easier breakdown of those numbers:
- Of the school record and draft-high 14 picks Ohio State had in 2025 (one short of the record set by Georgia in 2022), 11 spent at least four years with the Buckeyes, with 12 being in Columbus for multiple years.
- Of Ohio State's four first-round picks in 2025, three spent four seasons at OSU and all four were with the Buckeyes for multiple years.
- Of Ohio State's draft-high 11 picks it had in 2026, nine spent multiple years in Columbus, including seven that were Buckeyes for 3-4 seasons.
- Of the four first-round picks OSU had in 2026, all of which were selected in the first 11 picks, each one donned the scarlet and gray for multiple years, with three representing the Buckeyes for 3-4 seasons.
In total, 13 of Ohio State’s 25 draft picks over the last two years were Buckeyes for at least four years and 21 were in Columbus for multiple years. Nine of the 25 transferred into Ohio State, but five of those nine were Buckeyes for multiple years.
Number of Years Spent at Ohio State by 2025-26 NFL Draft Picks
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