Ohio State Club Football is set to return to action on Sunday, Nov. 1 to take on a familiar opponent for Senior Day.
The Buckeyes are set to host Cincinnati United Prep for the third straight season, following a record-setting game against Wright State in which Ohio State set new National Club Football Association records for points in a single game and margin of victory.
Ohio State and Cincinnati United have met each of the last two seasons in Columbus, with wildly different results. The first matchup kicked off the 2024 season and saw the Buckeyes barely get by with a 21-20 win. Ohio State needed a stop on a two-point conversion attempt in order to seal the victory.
Last season, Ohio State dominated the Bulls, winning 60-6 and tied the program record for touchdown passes in a single game as quarterbacks Niko Pappas and Corbyn Aleshire combined to toss seven. Pappas has since graduated, but Aleshire has stepped into the starting role and picked up where his predecessor left off.
Through five games, Aleshire has completed 54% of his passes for 846 yards and 13 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Six of those touchdown passes came last week in the win over Wright State, but Aleshire has also accounted for five rushing scores as well this season, tied for second on the team and fourth in the NCFA. His 18 total touchdowns lead the NCFA, as does his 13 touchdown passes.
Despite a season-low in rushing yards last week, running back Milan Jackson still sits at second in most rushing categories in the NCFA. Last week, he returned the opening kickoff 79-yards for a touchdown, just the second kick return for a score in the league this year. He sits at second in the NCFA in rushing yards (398), rushing touchdowns (7) and yards per carry (10.76) through five contests. He is tied with teammate Ethan Young in career touchdowns with 12, leaving them tied for fourth all-time in team history. Young has amassed 170 yards rushing this season and is averaging just more than five yards per touch.
Against Wright State last week, six different receivers caught at least two passes with all but one of them finding the end zone. Through five games, Ricardo Washington leads the Buckeyes in receiving having hauled in 23 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns. He is tied for the NCFA lead in receptions and is second in the league in receiving yardage. He is also just 28 yards away from breaking the 1,000 career receiving yards mark, which would make him just the third player in team history to reach that milestone.
Defensively, Ohio State broke records last week for single-game turnovers and interceptions, forcing 10 total takeaways, eight of which coming by interception. Reagan Little, Vann Riordan, Stosh Niezgoda and Anthony Tulli are all tied for the team and NCFA lead for interceptions with three apiece, while five other Buckeyes have also pulled in interceptions this season.
While the Buckeyes did not record a sack last weekend, Ohio State’s defensive front has proven to be stout all year. The Buckeyes have posted 15 sacks this season, led by senior Elijah Lowden, who has four. At least eight separate Buckeyes have posted a single sack this year.
On the opposite sideline, Cincinnati United sits at 2-1 on the year, having defeated Michigan State Club Football 12-6 in its last outing. The Bulls also defeated fellow prep program North Carolina Lightning 12-7 after dropping their season opener, 19-12, to Toledo Club Football, Ohio State’s next opponent.
Ohio State is set to honor 12 seniors on Sunday afternoon. The full list of seniors playing in their final regular season home game is below, followed by their years on the team.
- Caleb Smith (2023)
- Anthony Tulli (2026)
- Matthew Naumann (2025-26)
- Milan Jackson (2025-26)
- Desean Bonte (2025-26)
- Ricardo Washington (2025-26)
- Damian Hanf (2024-26)
- Ethan Young (2024-26)
- Elijah Lowden (2024-26)
- Aidan Donovan (2024-26)
- Reagan Little (2023-26)
- Matthew Humphreys (2023-26)
Kickoff between the Buckeyes and Bulls is set for Noon on Sunday, Nov. 1. Admission is free, but fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets as bleacher seating. The game will be live-streamed on Campus Nation.
