Brandon Inniss’ next jump could decide how explosive Ohio State’s 2026 passing game looks

Ohio State’s offense has been built, in part, on the idea that if the Buckeyes can put pressure on defenses with their top playmakers, the rest of the passing game can flourish. The question heading into 2026 is whether that “next gear” is fully supported by a reliable second option. In a recent preview, Yahoo Sports centered that need on Brandon Inniss, framing him as the former five-star recruit who must become the level of steady, trusted target that everyone expected from his early arrival at Ohio State.

Inniss’ path, as described in the piece, is one of development from a highly touted freshman into a dependable veteran. That matters in college football because receiver production is not only about having talent. It is also about route discipline, knowing how to find the soft spots in coverage, and being the receiver quarterbacks trust when the first read is closed. When Ohio State’s offense is firing on all cylinders, the second receiver often becomes the player who turns contested catches and short windows into sustained drives.

The companion to that role in 2026, according to the same outlook, is Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State’s passing attack is viewed as most dangerous when Smith’s ability to stretch the field forces defenses to respect routes downfield. If Smith is the catalyst, the roster dynamic then makes Inniss the pressure-release valve, the option expected to produce consistently enough that defenses cannot simply bracket the No. 1 threat and eliminate the rest of the field.

From a tactical standpoint, the “No. 2 receiver” label is rarely a cosmetic distinction. It usually comes with a specific job description. The No. 2 has to win enough in intermediate zones to keep drives alive, and he has to adjust when defensive rotations take away deeper targets. In a timing-dependent offense, the second option also helps determine how freely the quarterback can operate, because it reduces the need for late improvisation when a route is covered longer than expected.

Ohio State’s need for that reliability is magnified by the way elite offenses handle personnel. When a team has one clear vertical threat, defensive coordinators can game-plan to limit the rest of the routes that do not demand the same respect. Yahoo Sports’ argument is essentially that Inniss has already earned a leadership standing within the receiver group, and now the program needs him to cash that leadership into the type of consistent production that makes the offense difficult to defend from week to week.

At the same time, it is important to frame this as a developmental emphasis rather than a single-game proposition. The preview language points toward a “become the player everyone expected” expectation, which implies a ceiling that has not been fully realized yet, at least in the role the Buckeyes want him to play in 2026. Receiver effectiveness over a season is also influenced by quarterback progression, offensive line protection, and how aggressively the play-calling attacks downfield, none of which can be fully determined from an offseason narrative alone.

The most immediate thing to watch will be whether Inniss can consistently operate as the complement to Smith, particularly in situations where the defense is trying to force Ohio State into taking lower-percentage throws. If Inniss delivers that steadiness, it would suggest Ohio State’s passing attack can remain explosive even when opponents do not get surprised early. If not, the Buckeyes may find themselves more dependent on big-play outcomes rather than sustained efficiency.

For now, the storyline coming out of the offseason is straightforward: Ohio State expects Jeremiah Smith to be a driving force in the aerial attack, and the Buckeyes need Brandon Inniss to be the second piece that makes that attack function from start to finish. Inniss’ veteran status gives him the credibility, but the next step is about turning credibility into the kind of production that forces opposing defenses to cover the full field in 2026.