Ohio State is down one candidate to replace Lorenzo Styles Jr. at the nickel position in 2026.
Redshirt freshman nickel Bryce West will enter the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining.
BREAKING: Ohio State CB Bryce West is entering the @TransferPortal, he tells @On3Sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 1, 2026
The 511 195 CB was ranked as a Top 75 Recruit in the 2024 Class (per On3 Industry)
Hell have 3 years of eligibility lefthttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/FJ5lJhIaIG
A four-star prospect from the famed Ohio State pipeline of Glenville High School in Cleveland, West was the 247Sports composite No. 64 prospect in the recruiting class of 2024. He was technically the second nickel on the Buckeyes' depth chart in 2025, though the Buckeyes opted to slide starting cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. over to the position and have freshman Devin Sanchez take his place on the outside on the handful of occasions when Styles was injured this year.
West played a total of 90 defensive snaps in 2025, collecting 10 total tackles between that and his work on special teams. He forced one fumble. He concludes his Ohio State career with 11 total tackles.
With Styles out of eligibility, the only primary nickel left on Ohio State's roster for 2026 is rising redshirt sophomore Miles Lockhart. The more likely option to replace Styles is that one of the Buckeyes' other defensive backs slides over to the position. Mathews is a candidate to leave for the NFL draft, but if he does return next season, he could potentially do just that. Alongside Sanchez, redshirt sophomore and five-star prospect Aaron Scott Jr. will be another name to look at.
Rising redshirt sophomore safety Leroy Roker III saw some action in dime packages when Styles was hurt this season and could be another option. Sophomore Faheem Delane is likely to compete to start at deep safety alongside Jaylen McClain in 2026, but he is another possibility.
A transfer portal addition could also be on the table for Ohio State. The transfer portal window officially opens on Friday.
