Back in August, I made a write-up about how each transfer from Ohio State was fitting in at their new schools. I figured, with the regular season wrapping up, it would be fitting to recap how each one actually performed throughout the year!

Devin Brown, QB, JR(RS), California:

Devin Brown transferred to California looking to be the guy for the Golden Bears and hopefully mentor talented freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele in his first collegiate season. However, Sagapolutele's raw talent won out over Brown's experience, as he was named the starting quarterback for Cal. As the backup, Brown came into five games during the season -- blowout wins over Oregon State and Texas Southern, blowout losses to San Diego State and Duke, and for one play in a tight game against North Carolina when Sagapolutele was knocked out of the game. Brown finished the regular season 4-for-7 passing for 48 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. While Brown was often used to run during his time at Ohio State, he had only three carries for -15 yards for the Golden Bears. With Sagapolutele seemingly the future in Berkeley, it's likely Brown will transfer once again for what will be his final season in college. He will have one more game with Cal, as the Golden Bears have been selected to the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Eve. Pure speculation, but I would be interested in seeing him potentially reunite with Brian Hartline at South Florida!

Air Noland, QB, FR (RS), South Carolina:

Noland dealt with a lot of homesickness during his time at Ohio State, and with Julian Sayin transferring in and passing him up, Noland opted to transfer closer to home and join South Carolina. It was never the intention for him to start this year, as he was behind (at the time) NFL Draft prospect and returning starter LaNorris Sellers and 5th Year Senior Luke Doty. Noland did enter one game for the Gamecocks, a 51-7 shellacking of Coastal Carolina, and finished the season 2-for-3 passing for 13 yards, along with 1 carry for 4 yards. South Carolina finished 4-8 this season and will not make a bowl game. Though Sellers didn't have the stellar season he had hoped for and will likely return to college, it's been rumored he will hit the transfer portal and potentially end up at a school like Oregon or Miami (FL) that loves transfer QBs. And with Doty graduating, it may be time for Noland to take over the reins in Columbia.

T.C. Caffey, RB, SO (RS), Youngstown State:

After several injuries during his career at Ohio State, Caffey, a former walk-on, opted for the transfer portal to find playing time. He chose to stay close to home, joining the Youngstown State Penguins in the FCS ranks. Despite his Power 4 experience, Caffey struggled to find playing time at YSU. He was tied as the 7th rusher on the team, with 5 carries for 39 yards. He played in two games for the Penguins, a blowout of Robert Morris and a close match with Towson. But, with two of YSU's lead backs, Ethan Wright and Tahir Mills, being seniors, it opens the door for more carries for Caffey in 2026, should he choose to return to the Penguins. He's possibly still recovering from his torn ACL that ended his 2024 campaign at OSU as well, which could have hampered his abilities. The Penguins had a good season this year, finishing 8-5 and 3rd in the notoriously tough MVFC, with a playoff loss to Yale, who pulled off a 28-point comeback to win. In my opinion, Caffey would be wise to return to Youngstown State, as he has multiple years of eligibility left due to his medical issues, and hopefully become an impact player for the Penguins.

Kojo Antwi, WR, JR (RS), Colorado State:

Despite entering the transfer portal before the playoffs last year, Antwi stayed with his commitment to the Buckeyes and stuck with the team through their championship run. However, in practice leading up to the National Championship, Antwi suffered a ruptured Achilles. After transferring to Colorado State, Antwi made a fast recovery through fall camp and was able to return on September 20th for the Rams game against UTSA, where he had one reception for 3 yards. Despite aspirations to start, Antwi was the backup slot receiver behind Tommy Maher for much of the year. He played in five games for the Rams, all losses, against UTSA, San Diego State, Wyoming, UNLV, and New Mexico. The game against the Lobos was his best outing, with 4 catches for 27 yards. He finished the season with 8 receptions for 48 yards, a far cry from what he had likely hoped for but one that ended with a promising performance against UNM. The Rams tumultuous season ended with a 2-10 record where head coach Jay Norvell was fired midseason. Antwi may opt to transfer out in January with Norvell's firing, however, incoming head coach Jim Mora offers lots of promise to the Rams after his successful turnaround at UConn.

Jayden Ballard, WR, SR (RS), Wisconsin:

Ballard transferred out for his final year of eligibility, hoping to find better playing time. He transferred to Wisconsin in hopes of carving out a role in Luke Fickell's team's offense. Ballard had receptions in the Badgers first four games of the season, wins over Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee State and losses to Alabama and Maryland. However, despite playing in the remaining 8 games still, Ballard had no receptions in any of those games, even though he was the Badgers third option at WR. This is probably less on Ballard and more on the complete ineptitude of Wisconsin's Quarterbacks. Expected starter Billy Edwards Jr. went down in game one with injury, then backup Danny O'Neil did as well. Backup Hunter Simmons, a transfer from Southern Illinois in the FCS who never even started there, and freshman Carter Smith then split time as the starters. It got so bad for Wisconsin that their punter Sean West led their passing in one game (shockingly, a win over then-ranked Washington). Unfortunately for Ballard, this caused him to be unable to really reach his true potential in what will be his last collegiate season. Ballard finished the season with 7 catches for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Wisconsin finished the season 4-8, though they opted to retain head coach Luke Fickell.

P.S.: I really hope the Buckeyes go after Sean West in the portal to be our punter, he was genuinely the best part of that team from what I have seen this season.

Reis Stocksdale, WR, SR (RS), Bowling Green:

Stocksdale was a walk-on wide receiver for Ohio State who saw the field sparingly during garbage time games. His career as a Buckeye was promising at first but was derailed by injuries, and he eventually transferred to another Ohio team, the Bowling Green Falcons. In his last collegiate season, Stocksdale wasn't a starter but was on the field several times as the backup slot receiver behind Allen Middleton. Stocksdale recorded catches in three games -- wins over Lafayette and Liberty, and a loss to Cincinnati. He finished the season with 4 receptions for 23 yards as the Falcons stumbled to 4-8 in coach Eddie George's first year at the helm.

Patrick Gurd, TE, SR (RS + COVID Year), Cincinnati:

After 5 years at Ohio State, Gurd decided to use his COVID year and transfer to Cincinnati, where he worked hand-in-hand with another former Buckeye, Joe Royer. Gurd's role with the Bearcats was similar to his role at Ohio State, where he was used a lot as a blocking Tight End. He was featured slightly in the passing game early, recording catches in a season-opening loss to Nebraska and a blowout win over Northwestern State, but developed more into a blocking threat throughout the season for a Cincinnati offense that typically relies on using only one Tight End as a receiver, which was Royer. Gurd played snaps in 10 games this season for the Bearcats and finished with 2 receptions for 23 yards, which was the third highest among Cincinnati Tight Ends. In those 10 games, he was utilized a lot as a blocker in the run game, similar to what he did last year at OSU. Nate Roberts has assumed that role for the Buckeyes through the 2025 season. Though Gurd is out of eligibility, Cincinnati finished the year 7-5 and will now play in a bowl game, giving Gurd one last collegiate game.

George Fitzpatrick, OT, JR (RS), Kansas State:

Fitzpatrick hit the transfer portal in order to find more playing time and potentially start, though he did stick it out with the Buckeyes through their national championship run. He transferred to Kansas State and was performing well for the Wildcats until the summer, where he suffered a medical emergency during workouts that left him hospitalized. What exactly the medical issue was is still unknown to the public, but Fitzpatrick was said to be recovering well and would likely be able to return to Kansas State at some point in 2025. Despite this news, Fitzpatrick never did see the field for K-State. It seems that the medical issue caused him to lose quite a bit of weight, and despite several reports saying that Fitzpatrick was recovering well, it seems he just wasn't able to play still. Whatever the issue may be, I wish Fitzpatrick all the best in his recovery and hope to see him take the field in 2026. He was very likely to be the Wildcats starting Left Tackle this season prior to the medical scare, so hopefully he can return and start next year for Kansas State, who finished the year 6-6, though they declined a bowl game due to the retirement of head coach Chris Klieman.

Zen Michalski, OT, SR (RS), Indiana:

Michalski was a longtime backup at Ohio State, even starting a game last year in place of the injured Josh Simmons before he himself went down with an injury. He decided to move on to hopefully find playing time in his last college season, moving to his home state Indiana Hoosiers. He made the transition from Left Tackle to Right Tackle and has spent the season backing up starter Kahlil Benson. Michalski played in 10 games for Indiana, even as the backup, and even started two games. He stepped in for Benson as the starter for the Hoosiers blowout win over Indiana State and swung over to Left Guard in place of the injured Drew Evans for Indiana's win over Maryland. Indiana finished the season 12-0 with the #2 ranking and will now take on Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday. With IU's O-Line back to full strength, it's unlikely Michalski will see the field against his former team, though he does appear to be the clear-cut 6th man for the Hoosiers.

Miles Walker, OT, SO (RS), Boise State:

Walker was buried on the depth chart throughout his Ohio State career, so he opted to enter the portal and move to the Boise State Broncos. Though Walker had hoped to compete for at least a backup position, it doesn't seem that he was able to crack the two-deep for BSU. Boise State's Offensive Line was exceptionally strong, however, and returned 4 starters, which certainly gave Walker opportunities to learn and develop. Though he never saw the field in 2025 for the Broncos, Walker is still relatively young and will have several opportunities over the next couple years as Boise State makes the move to the new version of the Pac-12. The Broncos finished the regular season 8-4 and will compete for the Mountain West Championship Friday night against UNLV.

Mitchell Melton, DE, SR (RS + COVID Year), Virginia:

Melton always showed promise throughout his Ohio State career but was often hampered by injuries. For his final collegiate season, he used his COVID year to transfer to the Virginia Cavaliers. Melton has been an absolute stud for a Virginia team that has blown any and all expectations out of the water. He's started all season for the Cavaliers at the Bandit position and has excelled. He has wrapped up the regular season with 38 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 pass deflections, and 1 interception as Virginia cruised to 10-2 and earned a spot in the ACC Championship, where they will take on Duke tomorrow while hoping to clinch a College Football Playoff spot. Melton is a former Buckeye I have really rooted for this season, and with his great performances throughout the year, he's very likely to hear his name called in April during the 2026 NFL Draft.

Hero Kanu, DT, SR, Texas:

One of the most shocking transfers for Ohio State, Kanu, a native of Germany, hit the Transfer Portal and joined the Texas Longhorns. Though he was set up to be one of the primary rotational players on Ohio State's Defensive Line (which was thought to be lacking depth, though Tywone Malone Jr. and Will Smith Jr. really stepped up, especially Malone who is a starter now), Kanu made the jump to Texas, which was also pretty strong on the Defensive Line. Despite this, Kanu immediately made an impact at Texas and has been the starting Nose Tackle for the Longhorns all season. He has said several times that he really enjoys being at Texas as well. Kanu finished the regular season with 31 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 pass deflection for the Longhorns, who finished 9-3 and are vying for a College Football Playoff berth (which I don't believe they deserve, personally). Kanu, a senior, will likely also be drafted in April due to his production this season with the Longhorns.

Gabe Powers, LB, JR (RS), Kansas State:

While Powers would have probably been a rotational Linebacker for Ohio State this season, he chose to move on and try to start elsewhere. Powers transferred to Kansas State and was in a battle throughout the offseason to be the starting WILL Linebacker for the Wildcats. Despite this, Powers was still utilized as a rotational piece, swapping in with starter Desmond Purnell. Powers finished the year with 21 tackles for Kansas State as the Wildcats went 6-6, though they declined a bowl game due to HC Chris Klieman's retirement, as stated earlier. Though it may have been a disappointing season for Powers, he still has one more year of eligibility remaining and would be in line to start in 2026 with Purnell graduating, should he choose to stay at KSU with new head coach Collin Klein.

Calvin Simpson-Hunt, CB, SO (RS), Baylor:

Simpson-Hunt joined Ohio State as a promising recruit but was sort of buried by Ohio State's incredible depth at the Cornerback position. For his third season in college, CSH hit the transfer portal and moved closer to home, joining the Baylor Bears. Simpson-Hunt spent the 2025 season as the Bears primary backup at Cornerback, behind starters LeVar Thorton Jr. and Tevin Williams III. He saw snaps in seven games this season and recorded stats in two -- Baylor's season-opening loss to Auburn and the Bears blowout win over UCF. CSH finished the year with just 2 tackles in a disappointing season for Baylor, who finished 5-7 and will miss a bowl game. Though it might not have been the season he had hoped for, Simpson-Hunt will still have two years remaining and still has time to blossom into the star that Buckeyes fans have always though he could/would become.

Jayden Bonsu, S, SO (RS), Pittsburgh:

Bonsu is another Buckeye that jumped into the portal to hopefully find playing time, deciding to join the Pittsburgh Panthers. Bonsu, who was a Safety at Ohio State made the move to Linebacker at Pitt, as the Panthers opted to develop Bonsu into the STAR Linebacker position in their 4-3 defense. Though he was seemingly buried on the depth chart for Pittsburgh and didn't see the field all season, he likely spent most of the season developing into his new position and learning all about it to hopefully contribute to Pat Narduzzi's team in the future. Pitt finished the year 8-4 and will play in a bowl game later this year.

Anthony Venneri, P, JR (RS), UCF:

Venneri joined the Ohio State Punters room from Buffalo last season to compete with Joe McGuire and nick McLarty but ultimately lost the competition to McGuire. He decided to move on and find playing time in 2025, joining the UCF Knights. Venneri started all season for the Knights, as he beat out former Washington Nationals pitcher-turned-punter Mason Denaburg for the job. Venneri punted 48 times this season for UCF, averaging 40.7 yards per boot with a long punt of 58 yards. UCF capped their disappointing year with a loss to BYU, finishing 5-7 and missing out on a bowl game yet again. Venneri has one more season in college and will likely return to UCF as the Knights Punter again, barring interest from bigger programs.

Morrow Evans, LS, FR (RS), UCLA:

Evans, the 2nd ranked Long Snapper in the class of 2024 who walked on at Ohio State, chose to transfer to the UCLA Bruins and hopefully start at the position, as he was behind entrenched starter John Ferlmann at OSU. Though he was projected to start for UCLA, he was beat out by Junior Salem Abdul-Wahab. Evans is still young though, so he will likely get his chance one day, be it for the Bruins or another program. UCLA finished the year 3-9 and fired head coach DeShaun Foster, replacing him with James Madison coach Bob Chesney.

While a lot of these former Buckeyes did not have the season they had hoped for, several still shined, and others will hopefully have their chance at some point. Keep in mind, this is only former Ohio State players who transferred this past portal season, not those who went before but are still playing, such as Evan Pryor and Joe Royer who are having incredible seasons at Cincinnati!  I think it's interesting to see how former Buckeyes do elsewhere, and I think it speaks to the skills our coaching staff has to develop guys when they can have success elsewhere!