C.J. Hicks is joining Brian Hartline at USF.
The former Ohio State defensive end committed to South Florida on Monday, three days after he entered the transfer portal for his final year of college football.
USF has signed Ohio State linebacker transfer C.J. Hicks, @chris_hummer and I have learned.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 5, 2026
Former top-10 overall recruit who posted 42 career tackles at Ohio State. Now in line to join Brian Hartline at USF. pic.twitter.com/TWyIXHd1dg
Hicks heads to USF after four years at Ohio State.
A top-10 overall recruit in the 2022 class, Hicks arrived at Ohio State with expectations of being a star linebacker for the Buckeyes. Hicks never earned a consistent role in the rotation at linebacker, however, and moved to defensive end last offseason.
While Hicks began the 2025 season as Ohio State’s No. 4 defensive end, he opted to redshirt the remainder of the regular season to preserve his final year of eligibility after playing in four games. Now, Hicks will take that final year of eligibility to Tampa, where he’ll look to finally have his long-awaited breakout season at the Group of 5 level.
Hicks is the second Ohio State transfer to commit to a new school for 2026, joining former Buckeye quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, who transferred to Louisville.
