How Ohio State Transfers Throughout College Football Performed in 2025

There was no Joe Burrow or Jameson Williams among Ohio State’s transfers in 2025, but several former Buckeyes had breakout seasons, including Virginia defensive end Mitchell Melton, Toledo running back Chip Trayanum, Miami (Ohio) linebacker Jackson Kuwatch and West Virginia linebacker Reid Carrico, among others. Zen Michalski won his second consecutive national championship, earning one on Indiana’s offensive line one year after winning the title with Ohio State, while former Buckeye walk-on Colin Kaufmann was a Division III All-American.

Many other former Buckeyes who transferred out, however, remained backups for their new schools just as they would have been at Ohio State.

In total, 42 former Ohio State players who transferred out of OSU played college football elsewhere in 2025. We’ve put together a look at how all of them – including former Ohio State walk-ons – performed this past season, starting with the former Buckeyes who had the best years. (Note: Players are listed with the school they played for in 2025 even if they’ve since transferred again for 2026.)

Top Performers

Mitchell Melton, DE, Virginia

45 tackles, 10 TFL, 5 sacks, 3 FF, 1 INT, 3 PBU

No Ohio State transfer had a better year in 2025 than Melton, who took full advantage of his one and only opportunity to be a starter at the collegiate level. After battling injuries and playing sparingly in five years at Ohio State, Melton emerged as one of the ACC’s top defensive ends at Virginia.

Pro Football Focus graded Melton as the 20th-best defensive end in the FBS (85.8). Also per PFF, Melton tied for the 15th-most quarterback pressures among FBS defensive ends in 2025. He earned ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks after leading Virginia to a pair of overtime wins with seven tackles and a forced fumble vs. Florida State and two sacks with another forced fumble, a pass breakup and five total tackles at Louisville.

Melton, who played in the Hula Bowl in January, will look to parlay his big season with the Cavaliers into an NFL draft selection.

Chip Trayanum, RB, Toledo

182 carries, 1,015 yards, 12 TD; 21 catches, 212 yards, 2 TD

After five years as a backup running back at Arizona State, Ohio State and Kentucky, Trayanum finally got his chance to be a lead running back after transferring for the third time from Kentucky to Toledo in 2025. He shined against MAC competition, earning first-team all-conference honors as he ranked third in the conference in both rushing yards and touchdowns.

Trayanum played in the East-West Shrine Bowl in January and now hopes to hear his name called in the 2026 NFL draft.

Jackson Kuwatch, LB, Miami (Ohio)

109 tackles, 10 TFL, 5 sacks, 1 PBU

A former Ohio State walk-on, Kuwatch broke out in a major way in his final season at Miami (Ohio). After recording just 14 tackles in his first two seasons with the RedHawks, Kuwatch earned third-team All-MAC honors as a fifth-year senior, helping lead Miami to a MAC Championship Game appearance.

Kuwatch, who played no defensive snaps in two years as a Buckeye, now has a legitimate chance of being selected in the 2026 NFL draft. He also played in January’s East-West Shrine Bowl, capping off the exhibition with a game-sealing interception.

Hero Kanu, DT, Texas

30 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 PBU

Kanu quickly emerged as Texas’ top defensive tackle in his first season as a Longhorn. The former Ohio State backup played the most snaps of any Texas defensive tackle in 2025, leading the way up front for a run defense that ranked 12th in the country with only 3.1 yards allowed per carry. He capped the season by helping the Longhorns earn a 41-27 win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, planting Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood into the turf after a late-game interception.

Hero Kanu: Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye pic.twitter.com/rkixUyRBB3

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) December 31, 2025

Kanu remains with the Longhorns for his redshirt senior season in 2026.

Reid Carrico, LB, West Virginia

69 tackles, 8 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 1 PBU

In his second year as a Mountaineer, Carrico became West Virginia’s starting Mike linebacker and had a big season, recording 69 tackles, eight tackles for loss and a team-high 4.5 sacks.

Carrico is now out of eligibility, but will look to parlay his productive final season of college football into a chance to play in the NFL.

Zen Michalski, OT/G, Indiana

Five starts, 15 games played

Michalski wasn’t a full-time starter at Indiana, but from a team accomplishment perspective, no Ohio State transfer had a better year at Michalski. No player in all of college football accomplished more from a team perspective than Michalski, as the former Buckeye backup offensive lineman won his second straight national championship in his final season of college football.

Michalski saw action at both tackle and guard for the Hoosiers, serving as one of their top two offensive linemen off the bench. He played a career-high 308 snaps, per Pro Football Focus, including starts at right tackle against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game and Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

Colin Kaufmann, CB, Baldwin-Wallace

23 tackles, 1 TFL, 10 PBU

Kaufmann, a former Ohio State walk-on, earned third-team AP All-American honors for Division III in his second year as a starter in Baldwin-Wallace’s secondary. He won the Ohio Athletic Conference’s Lee Tressel Most Outstanding Defensive Back Award, named for the father of former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.

Starters

Joe Royer, TE, Cincinnati

29 catches for 416 yards, 4 TD

Royer wasn’t quite as productive in his second season at Cincinnati as he was in 2024 (50 catches for 522 yards and three touchdowns), but he still earned third-team All-Big 12 honors in his final season as a Bearcat. He’s now projected to be a Day 3 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Royer was the only player who transferred from Ohio State to be invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.

Evan Pryor, RB, Cincinnati

76 carries, 522 yards, 3 TD; 10 catches, 107 yards

Pryor split running back duties with Tawee Walker at Cincinnati in 2025 and ran for a career-high 522 yards on 76 attempts. His average of 6.9 yards per carry ranked as the 16th-best in the entire FBS.

Pryor, who received a sixth year of eligibility due to a knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2022 season at Ohio State, transferred again this offseason to Florida for his final year of college football.

Noah Rogers, WR, N.C. State

33 catches for 441 yards, 2 TD

After catching 35 passes for 478 yards and one touchdown in his first season at N.C. State in 2024, Rogers posted a nearly identical statline as the Wolfpack’s No. 2 receiver in 2025. That was enough to land the former Buckeye wideout the opportunity to transfer to one of college football’s top programs, as he transferred this offseason to Alabama, bringing two years of eligibility to Tuscaloosa.

Andre Turrentine, S, Tennessee

66 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 INT, 1 PBU

Turrentine started all 13 of Tennessee’s games at safety for the second straight season to end his college career. He had his most productive season as a fifth-year senior, going from 37 tackles in 2024 to 66 tackles in 2025. He limited opponents to 18 catches for 238 yards and one touchdown in coverage, per Pro Football Focus, with one interception and one pass breakup.

Garrison Smith, K, Florida Atlantic

16-19 FG, 36-36 XP

Smith, who spent one season at Ohio State as a walk-on in 2021, may have helped the Buckeyes more than anyone else on this list had he still been playing for Ohio State in 2025. Smith, who transferred for the third time in 2025 from Akron to Florida Atlantic after initially transferring from Ohio State to McNeese, made 16 of 19 field goal attempts in his final season of college football – the same number of makes on one fewer attempt than Jayden Fielding – with a longest kick of 49 yards, tying Fielding’s long for the Buckeyes.

Anthony Venneri, P, UCF

40.7 yards per punt

Venneri averaged 40.7 yards per punt, ranking 72nd out of 80 qualifying FBS punters, in his first year as UCF’s starting punter. He downed a career-high 21 of his 48 punts inside the 20-yard line. He has one more year of eligibility to play for UCF in 2026.

Mason Arnold, LS, Florida State

12 starts

Arnold started all 12 games at long snapper for Florida State for the second straight year in his final season of college football. Florida State named Arnold as its special teams MVP at its end-of-year awards banquet.

Rotational Contributors

Gabe Powers, LB, Kansas State

21 tackles, 1.5 TFL

Powers began his first year at Kansas State as the Wildcats’ top backup linebacker and started their third game of the season against Army, but his playing time waned for the rest of the season from there. The Marysville, Ohio native will have one more chance to emerge as an impact player as he returns to Kansas State for his fifth-year senior season in 2026.

Dallan Hayden, RB, Colorado

70 carries for 326 yards, 1 TD; 4 catches for 15 yards

As the No. 2 running back in a rushing offense that ranked among the nation’s least efficient, Hayden had better numbers than 2024 (64 carries for 196 yards and a touchdown) but still fell short of his freshman-year numbers at Ohio State in 2022 (111 carries for 553 yards and five touchdowns). 

After two years at Colorado, Hayden transferred to Memphis for his final year of college football in 2026.

Kaleb Brown, WR, UAB

17 catches for 255 yards, 2 TD; 1 carry for 5 yards

After transferring for the second time in his college career from Iowa to UAB, Brown was a rotational receiver in his first season for the Blazers, which was highlighted by a 61-yard touchdown catch in a loss to Tennessee. He’ll be back with UAB for his final season of college football in 2026.

JK Johnson, CB, Oklahoma State

16 tackles, 2 PBU

Johnson, who transferred to Oklahoma State after two years at LSU, played in eight games off the bench for the Cowboys. Now a sixth-year senior, Johnson will play for his fourth college football team in 2026 after transferring again this offseason to Florida Atlantic.

Darrion Henry-Young, DE, Coastal Carolina

8 tackles, 1.5 TFL

After three years at Kentucky, Henry-Young transferred to Coastal Carolina in 2025 and played 134 snaps off the bench as a rotational defensive end. Granted a seventh year of eligibility after a torn ACL sidelined him for his entire final season at Kentucky, Henry-Young transferred this offseason to Virginia, where he’ll play defensive tackle in 2026 after playing DE for the Chanticleers.

Patrick Gurd, TE, Cincinnati

3 catches for 46 yards

Like at Ohio State, Gurd primarily played as a blocker in his 178 snaps for Cincinnati last season, though his three catches for 46 yards were career-highs. The former Ohio State walk-on, who finished his Buckeye career on scholarship, played his final season of college football in 2025 after five years at OSU.

Jayden Ballard, WR, Wisconsin

7 catches for 150 yards, 2 TD

Ballard made an impact in his first four games as a Badger, catching seven passes for 150 yards and a career-high two touchdowns, including a 41-yard touchdown vs. Alabama. He didn’t catch a single pass for the rest of the season, however, despite playing in every game. It was Ballard’s final season of college football.

Kojo Antwi, WR, Colorado State

8 catches for 48 yards

After tearing his Achilles in one of his final practices as a Buckeye in January 2025, Antwi returned to action just eight months later and played in eight of Colorado State’s final 10 games. Being sidelined all offseason hurt Antwi’s chances of making a significant impact in 2025, however, and he had just one game with multiple catches. He has one more year of eligibility to try to make a bigger impact for the Rams in 2026.

Cedrick Hawkins Jr., S, USF

13 tackles, 1 PBU

Hawkins played in all 13 of South Florida’s games with 10 appearances on defense in his first season at USF after transferring from UCF in 2025. He has two more years of eligibility and remains in Tampa to play for Brian Hartline in 2026.

Jyaire Brown, CB, UCF

7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU

Brown played 65 snaps in back-to-back November games, manning the slot cornerback position for the Knights, but otherwise played sparingly in his lone season at UCF. Brown, who transferred to UCF in 2025 after one year at LSU, transferred again to Southern Miss for his final season of college football in 2026.

Jantzen Dunn, CB, Kentucky

13 tackles, 0.5 TFL

Dunn saw action in eight games on defense as a backup nickelback in his final season of college football. He played a career-high 108 snaps in his third and final season with Kentucky.

Ryan Turner, CB, Purdue

10 tackles, 0.5 sacks

In his first season at Purdue after a year at Boston College, Turner played in seven games off the bench at cornerback, making one start in a loss to USC. He remains with the Boilermakers for his final season of college football in 2026.

Cameron Martinez, CB, Boston College

9 tackles, 1 PBU; 1 PR for 9 yards

Martinez played in only four games in 2025 before suffering a season-ending injury. He started his final game of the season at nickelback vs. Pittsburgh. He received a medical redshirt to play a sixth year of college football in 2026 and remains with the Eagles.

Willtrell Hartson, RB, Ashland

91 carries, 383 yards, 3 TD; 13 catches for 61 yards

After one season at the FCS level at Southern Illinois, Hartson transferred again to the Division II level to play for Ashland, totaling 444 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 104 touches in his first season with the Eagles.

Reserves

Devin Brown, QB, Cal

4-7 passing, 48 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 3 carries, -15 yards

Brown transferred from Ohio State with visions of starting at Cal, but lost the Golden Bears’ quarterback competition to freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and saw only occasional playing time. He transferred again for the 2026 season to Weber State, an FCS school, where he’ll play for Eric Kjar, his former coach at Corner Canyon High School, for his final year of college football.

Air Noland, QB, South Carolina

2-3 passing, 13 yards; 1 carry for 4 yards

Noland was South Carolina’s third-string quarterback in his lone season as a Gamecock. With last year’s top two quarterbacks, LaNorris Sellers and Cutter Woods, both back for another season in 2026, Noland transferred again to Memphis, where he’ll compete with West Florida transfer Marcus Stokes for the starting job.

Nigel Glover, LB, Northwestern

5 tackles

Glover played regularly on special teams in his second season at Northwestern but played only seven snaps on defense, with six of those coming in the Wildcats’ GameAbove Sports Bowl win over Central Michigan, in which he recorded two tackles. He still has two more years of eligibility and will be back with the Wildcats in 2026.

Calvin Simpson-Hunt, CB, Baylor

2 tackles

Simpson-Hunt played defensive snaps in just three games as a backup cornerback in his first season at Baylor. The former Ohio State cornerback still has two more years of eligibility and remains with the Bears.

Kye Stokes, CB, Cincinnati

2 tackles

Stokes played in all 12 of Cincinnati’s regular-season games on special teams but played just 18 snaps across three games on defense as a backup cornerback, recording two tackles. Stokes reentered the transfer portal this offseason after two years at Cincinnati and will play his final season of college football at Utah State.

Nate Riegle, DE, Ohio

2 tackles

Riegle appeared in five games on defense in his first year at Ohio after one season as an Ohio State walk-on. He recorded two quarterback hurries in his final game appearance of the season vs. UMass.

Reis Stocksdale, WR, Bowling Green

4 catches, 23 yards

Stocksdale appeared in 11 games but caught just four passes in his lone season at Bowling Green after four years at Ohio State. Stocksdale transferred for a second time this offseason, taking his talents to Temple for his final year of eligibility.

Kyion Grayes, WR, California

1 catch for 10 yards

Grayes played seldomly for the second year in a row since transferring to Cal, appearing in just five games as a backup wide receiver and catching just one pass. Despite that, he’ll be back with the Golden Bears for a third season in 2026 with hopes of earning a bigger role.

TC Caffey, RB, Youngstown State

5 carries for 39 yards

Caffey played in just two games on offense in his first season at Youngstown State.

Rashid Sesay, RB, West Liberty

24 carries for 139 yards; 2 catches for -2 yards

Sesay appeared in five games in his first season at West Liberty, a Division II school in West Virginia, after one season as a walk-on at Ohio State.

George Fitzpatrick, OT, Kansas State

Did not play

Fitzpatrick was in line to be Kansas State’s starting left tackle until he suffered an undisclosed medical emergency during a workout last summer. Fitzpatrick did not play in 2025 as a result. Fortunately, Fitzpatrick has been cleared to return to action in 2026 and is expected to compete for a job along the Wildcats’ offensive line.

Miles Walker, OL, Boise State

Did not play

Three years into his college football career, Walker has yet to play a single snap of game action. Like at Ohio State, Walker was buried on the depth chart as a backup offensive lineman in his first year at Boise State in 2025.

Jayden Bonsu, LB, Pittsburgh

Did not play

Bonsu suffered a leg injury in preseason camp that sidelined him for his entire first season at Pittsburgh. Like Walker, Bonsu has now gone three years without playing a snap, as he did not see game action in two years at Ohio State as a safety before transferring to Pittsburgh, where he’s now a linebacker.

Morrow Evans, LS, UCLA

Did not play

Evans saw no game action after transferring to UCLA in 2025. Evans, who was ranked as the No. 1 long snapper in the recruiting class of 2024 but also played no snaps for Ohio State in 2024, reentered the transfer portal this offseason but has not yet announced a new destination.