Ohio State successfully navigated the transfer portal once again this offseason.
The Buckeyes landed impact players during both transfer portal windows, bringing in several potential difference-makers on offense like former Purdue tight end Max Klare, Rice offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa and West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson during the winter window while adding former North Carolina defensive end Beau Atkinson this spring. Altogether, Ohio State has added 10 players through the portal this offseason, and as many as seven of them could play substantial roles in 2025.
While Ohio State’s transfer haul wasn’t quite as splashy as it was a year ago – when the Buckeyes added Caleb Downs, Quinshon Judkins, Will Howard, Seth McLaughlin, Julian Sayin and Will Kacmarek – the Buckeyes addressed most of their transfer portal needs, with defensive tackle depth being the biggest exception.
Just as importantly, Ohio State made it through both transfer portal windows without losing any of its star players. Thirteen Buckeyes entered the portal during the winter window, but none of them were projected starters and most of them weren’t even projected to be on the two-deep. Ohio State didn’t lose a single scholarship player to the portal after spring practice.
With the transfer portal now closed for the year and no more transfer additions anticipated for Ohio State this offseason, it’s time for a position-by-position look at the Buckeyes’ gains and losses in the portal and the net impact of those additions and departures.
The listed additions only include players who Ohio State acquired through the transfer portal while the listed departures only include scholarship players who left the Buckeyes to transfer elsewhere.
Quarterback
Additions: None
Departures: Devin Brown (Cal), Air Noland (South Carolina)
Ohio State would have liked to add another quarterback in the mold of former graduate transfers Tristan Gebbia, Gunnar Hoak and Chris Chugunov, but finding a transfer who’s fully content with being a backup isn’t easy. While a fourth scholarship quarterback would give the Buckeyes more peace of mind, they didn’t need to force an addition with Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair filling the three-deep at QB.
Neither Brown nor Noland’s departure came as a surprise; Brown wasn’t expected to be Ohio State’s starting quarterback while Noland was effectively recruited over in his class when Sayin transferred in. Retaining one of them for depth purposes would have been ideal, but their exits didn’t change the long-term outlook for Ohio State’s quarterback room.
Running Back
Additions: CJ Donaldson (West Virginia)
Departures: None
Donaldson’s transfer to Ohio State didn’t garner the same fanfare as Judkins’ arrival a year ago, but the big running back from West Virginia was a quality addition to the Buckeyes’ backfield. He filled Ohio State’s need for a reliable veteran to pair with James Peoples at the top of this year’s running back depth chart, having rushed for more than 2,000 yards in three years as a Mountaineer, and there’s optimism he can elevate his game in Columbus as he brings a slimmed-down physique to an offense where he’ll be surrounded with far more talent.
Ohio State narrowly avoided losing a running back to the transfer portal when Sam Williams-Dixon entered the portal in January but returned to the team in February. His return was a nice boost for the Buckeyes’ running back depth as they now have six RBs on scholarship for the 2025 season, with Williams-Dixon likely to slot in as the fourth RB behind Peoples, Donaldson and Bo Jackson.
Wide Receiver
Additions: None
Departures: Kojo Antwi (Colorado State), Jayden Ballard (Wisconsin)
Ohio State hasn’t added a scholarship transfer wide receiver since Brian Hartline became its receivers coach, so it’s no surprise that the Buckeyes didn’t again this year. They didn’t need to with how well Hartline has recruited at the position, as they have a loaded WR depth chart once again this year led by Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss, Mylan Graham, Quincy Porter and Bryson Rodgers.
Neither Ballard nor Antwi was likely to be on the two-deep if they stayed, so both had good reason to go elsewhere to play more with Ballard entering his final year of eligibility and Antwi down to two years of eligibility.
Tight End
Additions: Max Klare (Purdue)
Departures: Patrick Gurd (Cincinnati)
Ohio State didn’t need to add a transfer tight end with six other tight ends on scholarship, but Klare – much like Caleb Downs a year ago – is the kind of player a team should always take if it has a chance to get him. Klare might very well be the best receiving tight end in college football, and he makes Ohio State’s tight end room the deepest in the country.
Gurd was a regular on special teams and a quality backup tight end for the past couple of years after starting his Ohio State career as a walk-on, but his move to Cincinnati made sense for all parties as he would have been no higher than fifth on OSU’s TE depth chart this year behind Klare, Will Kacmarek, Bennett Christian and Jelani Thurman.
Offensive Line
Additions: Ethan Onianwa (Rice), Phillip Daniels (Minnesota), Justin Terry (West Virginia)
Departures: George Fitzpatrick (Kansas State), Zen Michalski (Indiana), Miles Walker (Boise State)
Offensive tackle was Ohio State’s biggest transfer need this offseason with the departures of Josh Simmons, Josh Fryar and Donovan Jackson, and the Buckeyes addressed that need by bringing in three OTs.
Onianwa was viewed as one of the best offensive linemen to enter the portal this offseason and is expected to be OSU’s new starting left tackle, while Daniels – who’s competing with Austin Siereveld to be the Buckeyes’ starting right tackle – brings Big Ten starting experience from Minnesota and high upside with three remaining years of eligibility. Terry is a long-term project who’s unlikely to see significant playing time this year, but the Pickerington native adds depth at both tackle and guard with size and athleticism worth betting on to fill out this year’s offensive line roster.
Adding three transfer tackles was necessary not only because of Jackson, Simmons and Fryar heading to the NFL but also because of Fitzpatrick, Michalski and Walker entering the portal, which just left two returning tackles on the roster from last season (Ian Moore and Deontae Armstrong). That said, the Buckeyes are glad to take the tackles who transferred in over the ones who transferred out as none of Michalski, Fitzpatrick and Walker showed enough during their time as Buckeyes to project as future starters in Columbus.
Ohio State addressed its need to reload at offensive tackle by adding Phillip Daniels and Ethan Onianwa.
Defensive End
Additions: Beau Atkinson (North Carolina), Logan George (Idaho State)
Departures: Mitchell Melton (Virginia)
Ohio State put itself in much better position to replace Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau with the additions of Atkinson and George, who come to Ohio State with histories of being productive as both pass rushers and run stoppers for their previous schools. The Buckeyes didn’t necessarily need to add two transfer defensive ends, but they’re built to play a deep rotation on the edge now as Atkinson and George join Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Caden Curry and C.J. Hicks.
Melton could have been a part of that rotation, too, as he performed well in limited action when called upon over the past two years, but he’ll likely play a much bigger role at Virginia than he would have if he stayed at Ohio State for his final year of eligibility. Considering how impactful George (19.5 tackles for loss) and Atkinson (12 TFLs) were for their team last season, they’ll both likely play bigger roles at OSU than Melton would have.
Defensive Tackle
Additions: None
Departures: Hero Kanu (Texas)
This is the one position where Ohio State took a big hit in the transfer portal. Out of all the Buckeyes who entered the portal this offseason, Kanu projected to play the biggest role in 2025, as he likely would have been the first defensive tackle off the bench behind Kayden McDonald and Eddrick Houston.
Ohio State likely would have pursued defensive tackles more aggressively during the transfer window if it knew Kanu would leave, but his departure after the national championship game left only the spring window for the Buckeyes to replace him. Ohio State was unable to find the right fit at defensive tackle during the second transfer cycle, and its defensive tackle depth is now a weighty concern as a result.
Linebacker
Additions: Ty Howard (Duquesne)
Departures: Gabe Powers (Kansas State)
Howard was a productive playmaker at Duquesne, earning All-NEC honors last season, but the Cleveland native doesn’t appear likely to play a big role for the Buckeyes this season, as he wasn’t seen taking many reps with Ohio State’s top defensive units this spring.
That said, Powers wasn’t likely to play a big role this year either, as his transfer came after he was passed up by two younger players – Arvell Reese and Payton Pierce – on the Mike linebacker depth chart. With true freshmen Riley Pettijohn and TJ Alford also pushing for early playing time behind Sonny Styles, Reese and Pierce, Powers’ departure is unlikely to have a notable impact on Ohio State’s 2025 defense.
Cornerback
Additions: None
Departures: Calvin Simpson-Hunt (Baylor)
Ohio State could have benefited from adding one transfer cornerback to replace Simpson-Hunt, as it currently has just eight scholarship cornerbacks, leaving it slightly below its target number of nine scholarship players at the position. That said, Ohio State’s cornerback two-deep is in strong shape with Davison Igbinosun, Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Lorenzo Styles Jr. set to be backed up by Devin Sanchez, Aaron Scott Jr. and Bryce West.
Simpson-Hunt likely would have been the seventh cornerback on the depth chart behind those six if he had stayed at Ohio State, so it wasn’t shocking he chose to leave for a chance to play more. The arrivals of Scott, West and Sanchez over the past two years made it unlikely that Simpson-Hunt would be a future starter in Columbus.
Safety
Additions: None
Departures: Jayden Bonsu (Pittsburgh)
Ohio State explored the possibility of adding a safety when Dillon Thieneman entered the portal in December, but it didn’t really need to add a transfer safety. Much like his Purdue teammate Klare and Downs last year, Thieneman – who chose Oregon over Ohio State – was worth pursuing because he’s one of the best players in the country at his position. But Ohio State’s safety room is in good shape with eight safeties on scholarship and Malik Hartford and Jaylen McClain both looking like viable candidates to start next to Downs.
Bonsu didn’t play a single snap in two years at Ohio State, so his departure was unsurprising as he didn’t appear to be a significant factor in the Buckeyes’ future plans.
Specialists
Additions: K Jackson Courville (Ball State), LS Grant Mills (North Carolina)
Departures: No scholarship players
Ohio State needed to add a second kicker and a second long snapper following the departures of their backup kickers and long snappers from last season, and it checked those boxes by adding Courville and Mills.
Courville is a clear upgrade for Ohio State’s kicking depth and could push Jayden Fielding for the starting job as he converted 26 of 34 field goal attempts over two seasons at Ball State. Mills isn’t expected to push John Ferlmann to start at long snapper this year, but he replaces departed walk-on Morrow Evans as Ferlmann’s backup for this year and likely successor next year.
