OSU navigates expanded five-year eligibility for 2027 roster
Ohio State’s 90 scholarship players are affected by the NCAA’s new five-year, age-based eligibility model: the 2026 class now starts with five years of eligibility, redshirts are effectively obsolete under the new rules, and teams can use more players without worrying about long-term eligibility. Fourth-year seniors who would have exhausted in 2027 can return for 2027, and players who hadn’t redshirted gain a fifth year. The article groups remaining eligibility by bucket (seniors, two-year seniors, juniors, sophomores, freshmen). Justyn Martin could still seek a sixth year for a pre-rule injury, though hardship waivers are no longer granted, and several players across buckets may choose to extend their careers into 2027, boosting depth for Ohio State.
