Quick Hits: Ohio State Captains Discuss Their Excitement to Play Texas, What It Means to Them to Be Captains

Even though they won the national championship last season, it didn’t take long for Ohio State to turn the page and start preparing for 2025. The Buckeyes knew they couldn’t waste much time this offseason, with a matchup against the team they played in last year’s College Football Playoff semifinals leading off the schedule.

According to newly minted Ohio State captain Brandon Inniss, the Buckeyes have been anticipating Saturday’s game against the Longhorns since the confetti fell after their championship win over Notre Dame.

“We’ve been waiting for this moment ever since we won the natty last year. We know what we’ve got coming in here. They’re coming up here and we’ve got to defend the Shoe,” the junior wide receiver said Wednesday.

All four of Ohio State’s captains – Inniss, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Austin Siereveld – met with the media on Wednesday to talk about being selected as the team’s leaders and their excitement for Saturday’s season opener against the nation’s top-ranked team at Ohio Stadium.

We’ve compiled videos from each of their interviews along with their best quotes and most notable comments below.

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WR Brandon Inniss

“We’ve been waiting for this moment ever since we won the natty last year. We know what we’ve got coming in here. They’re coming up here and we’ve got to defend the Shoe.”– Brandon Inniss on Ohio State’s excitement to play Texas

• On being named a captain: “It means everything to me. When Coach Day told me that I was a captain after practice that day, it felt so real, man. You come here wanting to be a captain, first of all. That’s one of the greatest honors you can have as being an Ohio State player. Not a lot of people get to do it, and I’m just honored and blessed.”
• Inniss singled out cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. as someone who brings “tremendous energy” to the team even though he wasn’t named a captain. “We feed off each other, just going back and forth.”
• Inniss said he texted Julian Sayin on Tuesday night to tell Ohio State’s new starting quarterback that he was proud of him. He knows Sayin is feeling a lot of pressure going into his first start, and he wanted Sayin to know how much confidence the team has in him.
• On Sayin, Inniss said there’s been “a different step in his game” since he was named the starting quarterback.
• Inniss said the Buckeyes expect Texas to put multiple defenders on Jeremiah Smith. “It would be dumb to leave him one-on-one. Honestly, we expect what we expect. JJ is going to be JJ at the end of the day.”
• Playing quarterback in his final two years of high school helped Inniss become a vocal leader, he said. He said it’s helped him with his overall game as a receiver because he understands timing better and where quarterbacks want their receivers to be.

LB Sonny Styles

“It means a lot. It was a dream for me to be in the scarlet and gray, and when you wear that Block O, that means you’re representing everything a Buckeye is supposed to be. It’s always been a dream of mine, and I take it with a huge honor.“– Sonny Styles on being named Ohio State’s Block O recipient

• Styles is excited to face Texas on Saturday and shared that he will “cherish” his final season opener at Ohio State. “It’s awesome. You have a great team coming in. They got a lot of talent. Obviously, we just played them pretty recently, so you know, they’re fired up, ready to play, and so are we. It’s been exciting. I can’t wait to get back in the Shoe.”
• Styles said it’s a great honor to be named Ohio State’s Block O recipient and a team captain. As for what it looks like to hold both titles, Styles said, “The way your prepare and things like that. The way you carry yourself around the building. The way you treat people upstairs and in the kitchen. It’s a lot bigger than just being a football player. You’re a leader on the field, but for me, it’s the way you carry yourself on a consistent basis.”
• On Texas quarterback Arch Manning: “When you turn on the film, he has amazing arm talent. You’ve seen him make some pretty deep passes. He’s a great athlete, so you’ve got to be ready for him to run and stuff like that. He’s a great playmaker, he can extend plays and make plays down the field, so you’ve got to try and keep him in the pocket and just know what you’re getting into.”

S Caleb Downs

“We’re just going to play our game. That doesn’t mean anything to me.”– Caleb Downs on Texas’ 11-game road winning streak

• On Steve Sarkisian’s Texas offense: “He’s a great OC. I played him twice now, and this will be the third time. So every time he’s come out with a bunch of shifts and motions, a lot of eye candy. They do a good job and a lot of really good choreography to make the defense make adjustments off of it.”
• On defensive coordinator Matt Patricia talking up his football intelligence: “I’ve learned a lot from him, so I appreciate him seeing my knowledge of the game too and saying that piece about it. For me, just trying to be the same player, can’t try to put more on myself to do anything more, just do what I can, try to settle the guys before the game, go out and play the game that we’re supposed to play.”
• Downs feels he’s been a fast learner when it comes to in-game adjustments since starting as a true freshman at Alabama. “I feel like that comes with experience, definitely. I feel like last year, I noticed myself being able to recognize things just from previous drives and being able to spit it out to my teammates. I take a lot of pride in that.”

LT Austin Siereveld

“I’ve really had to step up my leadership role even more now. I’m one of the leaders of the team now. I’ve got to make sure everyone’s on the standard set here at Ohio State.”– Austin Siereveld on the responsibility of being a captain

• Siereveld said becoming an Ohio State captain was a dream of his.
• Siereveld acknowledged he didn’t expect to become Ohio State’s left tackle, saying he always thought he’d be a guard for the Buckeyes. He’s confident in his ability to play the position now, though, because of all the hard work he’s put in to get to where he is now.
• Compared to the challenge Donovan Jackson had in facing Abdul Carter in his first game at left tackle last season, Siereveld said it helps that he has the advantage of playing at home and not needing to go to a silent count on offense.