Ohio State QB Julian Sayin points to Payton Pierce and Jaylen McClain as possible 2026 defensive breakout candidates

Ohio State enters the 2026 season with an expectation that Buckeye football will not pause for personnel turnover. In that context, starting quarterback Julian Sayin named two defenders he believes fans will want to watch during the coming fall camp and regular season. Sayin’s comments place extra attention on the defensive roles of linebacker Payton Pierce and safety Jaylen McClain, both of whom are set up, in different ways, to expand their impact after a heavy draft season depleted several defensive spots.

Sayin said he has been “talking about Payton Pierce, our Mike linebacker,” describing Pierce as someone who is “going to be a really good player this year.” While Sayin framed it as not simply a “breakout” in the flashiest sense, he also suggested Pierce’s development could show up quickly in bigger-game responsibility. The “Mike” designation is central in most Ohio State defensive looks because the position is typically expected to help process alignments and calls, then translate them into tackles and coverage responsibilities.

A to Z Sports, which reported on Sayin’s remarks at the Manning Passing Academy, also tied Pierce’s opportunity to the departure of prior starters. Pierce’s route to the spotlight is presented as a first-year-by-role shift, with the report stating it would be his first season as a full-time starter entering his junior year. The same report attributed to Pierce production from the previous season, listing 43 tackles, one interception, and a forced fumble, then describing him as a “tough linebacker who tackles everything around him.”

Sayin’s second pick for 2026 breakout attention was McClain. The quarterback said McClain “is going to have a great year,” pointing to a safety role that could grow in prominence as Ohio State’s defensive rotation settles. The report cast McClain in the opposite-safety lane relative to Caleb Downs’ former spot, explaining that McClain started at the opposite spot last season. That detail matters because safety play in Ohio State’s system often carries both coverage responsibilities and run-support duties, and the assignment changes year-to-year when starters graduate or move on.

The backdrop for both names is Ohio State’s turnover cycle. A to Z Sports noted the Buckeyes have multiple defensive pieces they must replace following NFL Draft losses, and it cited examples including Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, and Kayden McDonald. With that kind of defensive graduation, Ohio State tends to lean on internal development, particularly when it wants to preserve continuity in scheme principles even as personnel changes.

Pierce and McClain therefore represent more than individual player development. They are the visible pieces of a broader question for Ohio State’s 2026 title picture: can the Buckeyes maintain the defensive pressure, tackling reliability, and secondary alignment that typically drive games when the offense is moving fast? If Pierce indeed moves from supporting role production into a starter’s week-to-week workload, and if McClain builds from an established starting spot at safety, Ohio State’s defensive “second wave” of players could become sturdy enough to match the program’s annual championship standard.

Still, there is a caveat. The discussion so far is prospective, built around what Sayin believes and what last season’s roles suggest, not a guarantee of repeatable 2026 results. Fans will learn a great deal quickly once the Buckeyes take live reps with consistent starting lineups, because Ohio State’s defensive tempo and coverage structure can expose whether a player is ready for full-game decision-making rather than a role-driven sample size.

For supporters, the short-term watch items are straightforward: whether Pierce earns and sustains the full-time Mike workload described in the reporting, and whether McClain’s safety responsibilities expand in ways that produce consistent impact plays. For the wider team, the answer will shape how comfortable Ohio State looks on defense during the games when the offense does not arrive on schedule, which is often where a championship defense has to show its floor.