The Ohio State football team will take the field for its season opener against Oregon State on Saturday with a new head coach.
The Buckeyes will have a new starting quarterback as well.
On Monday, acting head coach Ryan Day -- who will coach in place of the suspended Urban Meyer for Ohio State's first three games of 2018 -- confirmed that Dwayne Haskins will be the Buckeyes' first-team quarterback in their season-opening battle with the Beavers in Columbus.
Although Haskins will get the start, Day also said redshirt freshman Tate Martell will receive playing time on Saturday as Ohio State looks to replace J.T. Barrett, who spent the better part of the last four seasons as the Buckeyes' starting quarterback.
At this point, the naming of Haskins as OSU's starter was little more than a mere formality after the redshirt sophomore spent the bulk of the Buckeyes' offseason taking first-team reps. Earlier this year, junior Joe Burrow initiated a transfer to LSU, all but confirming Haskins would be Ohio State's QB1 to start the 2018 season.
A former 4-star prospect by way of Potomac, Md., Haskins completed 40 of his 57 pass attempts for 565 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception last season. Although his playing time primarily came in mop-up duty, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound signal-caller helped lead the Buckeyes to a comeback victory over Michigan, which Barrett was forced to leave due to a knee injury.
With the season opener just five days away, Haskins wasn't the only new starter named at Ohio State on Monday. Other personnel news via Day and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano included:
Offensive line
After starting at guard in each of the previous two seasons, Michael Jordan will serve as Ohio State's starting center on Saturday. With Jordan sliding to center, Malcolm Pridgeon will start at left guard, while right tackle Isaiah Prince and right guard Demetrius Knox will reprise their roles from a season ago.
Meanwhile, Massillon product Thayer Munford appears to be the favorite to replace Jamarco Jones, although nagging injuries have left him in a battle with Joshua Alabi to be the Buckeyes' starting left tackle on Saturday.
Linebackers
With more depth it has possessed in recent memory, Schiano said he expects Ohio State to routinely rotate its linebackers this season. When it comes to the Buckeyes' starters, however, three have already been set in stone, with Baron Browning, Pete Werner and Malik Harrison having been penciled in with Ohio State's first-team.
Other linebackers expected to see consistent playing time this season include Tuf Borland, Dante Booker, Keandre Jones and Justin Hilliard. Borland, who suffered an Achilles injury in spring football, could play as early as Saturday, according to Schiano.