When a college program sends eleven players to the NFL Draft in a single weekend, rivals usually breathe a sigh of relief. Ohio State watched four stars go in the top eleven picks alone, leaving head coach Ryan Day with massive shoes to fill. So when pro scouts pulled up to Columbus for fall camp, everybody expected the program to be in a rebuilding phase.

Instead, Columbus turned into an impromptu NFL convention. Former Buckeyes linebacker Bobby Carpenter reported on his podcast that roughly fifteen pro talent evaluators flooded the sidelines each day. One scout connected to the Dallas Cowboys took a hard look at the roster and delivered an evaluation that should terrify every defensive coordinator on Ohio State’s schedule.

“There was probably Friday and Saturday too. It was like Scout Central, NFL scouts,” Bobby Carpenter said on his podcast. “I mean, there was a ton of guys. I bet almost the whole NFL was there between the two days, and they were all pumped. And I’m asking them, like, ‘What does this team look like? What did that team look like?’ And someone goes, one of my friends with the Cowboys, he goes, ‘Dude, this team looks better than last year.’

The anonymous cowboy scout doubled down. “He’s like, ‘I know they’re just walking out, and they don’t have pads on. It was Friday. They don’t have pads on, but it’s like, dude, they look bigger, faster.’ “He’s like, ‘I mean, they’re just as good, if not better, looking on paper right now,’” he added.

Considering the talent that Buckeyes lost in this year’s draft, that’s as impressive as it gets.

At the Draft, Carnell Tate went fourth overall to the Tennessee Titans, Arvell Reese went fifth to the New York Giants, Sonny Styles went seventh to the Washington Commanders, and Caleb Downs went to the Dallas Cowboys. Kayden McDonald, Max Klare, Davison Igbinosun, Will Kacmarek, Lorenzo Styles Jr., Caden Curry, and Ethan Onianwa also heard their names called out.

That means Ohio State didn’t simply lose a couple of starters. A big portion of its championship roster walked straight into the NFL. And yet, the scouts walking into camp apparently didn’t see a team that looked depleted.

The reason the Buckeyes can pass the look test so easily after a draft exodus comes down to retaining top players, elite recruiting, and making smart moves in the transfer portal.

Ohio State entered the offseason with an unusually strong foundation returning on offense. The Buckeyes’ official spring notes listed 11 returning starters, including eight on offense: quarterback Julian Sayin, running back Bo Jackson, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, wide receiver Brandon Inniss, offensive tackle Phillip Daniels, center Carson Hinzman, guard Luke Montgomery, and guard Austin Siereveld.

For each top player the Buckeyes lost to in the big leagues, Ryan Day and his staff brought in adequate skill-based talent to match their production on both sides of the ball. This includes players like wide receivers Devin McCuin (via UTSA) and Kyle Parker (via LSU), and many more. Guys like Alabama transfers Qua Russell and James Smith are as big as they come.

And tons of credit needs to be given to Ohio State’s strength and conditioning coach, Mickey Marotti, and his department.

Coach Mick is famous for his brutal summer workouts, and it paid off big time. The vet bulked Julian Sayin all the way to around 215 pounds, apparently. Sayin told reporters that Marotti “pushed me pretty hard,” and noted that a stronger base and stronger legs have given him much more zip and pace on his passes during camp red-zone drills.

Other young players, like freshman linebacker Cincere Johnson, also bulked up by an insane 20 pounds of muscle before even playing their first college game. All in all, the Buckeyes indeed look better than they did last season, but Bobby’s kind of holding it back.

Not so fast?!

The Buckeyes were recently voted No. 1 in the preseason Coaches Poll, receiving 38 first-place votes. Oregon, Georgia, Texas, and Notre Dame followed in the top five.

Ohio State also opened fall camp on Aug. 6, with fans getting their first public look at the new-look team during the three-day camp at the Harmon Family Football Complex. Still, Carpenter pumped the brakes.

“I’m like, well, paper’s one thing, games are another. They’ve ultimately got to go win it and get it done.”

And that’s the part Ohio State can’t escape. Looking bigger and faster in shorts is one thing. Doing it against Texas in Week 2, against Indiana later in the season, and throughout a brutal Big Ten schedule is another.

But if the early “look test” from NFL scouts is anything to go by, the Buckeyes may have pulled off something that seemed almost impossible when their stars started leaving for the NFL.

And if an NFL scout’s first impression is already that this Ohio State team looks “just as good, if not better” than last year’s squad, the rest of college football may have a serious problem on its hands.