Since the end of Ohio State’s 2025 season Dec. 31, the Buckeyes have endured a chaotic offseason defined by roster turnover.
In total, 47 transfers have come and gone, with 31 departures and 16 additions reshaping Ohio State’s depth chart.
Ohio State also saw the departure of 10 seniors, most notably defensive end Caden Curry, linebacker Sonny Styles, cornerback Davison Igbinosun, nickelback Lorenzo Styles Jr., running back CJ Donaldson and tight end Will Kacmarek.
In addition, five key juniors declared for the 2026 NFL Draft: defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, linebacker Arvell Reese, safety Caleb Downs, tight end Max Klare and wide receiver Carnell Tate.
While Ohio State did lose nine starters, the Buckeyes will retain draft-eligible lineman Austin Siereveld, Carson Hinzman, Phillip Daniels and Luke Montgomery, defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr., cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. and wide receiver Brandon Inniss.
Ohio State’s backfield will likely stay put as redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin, as well as rookie running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, will all return for another season with the Buckeyes.
Ohio State lost backup quarterback Lincoln Kienholz (Louisville) as well as fourth and fifth-string running backs James Peoples (Penn State) and Sam Dixon (South Carolina) to the transfer portal. The Buckeyes will work to fill the gap by bringing in Florida transfer running back Ja’Kobi Jackson. The 5-11, 214-pound back rushed 95 times for 509 yards and seven touchdowns in his 2024 campaign with the Gators. Ohio State also brought in Maryland and UCLA transfer quarterback Justyn Martin.
The Buckeyes’ wide receiver room was dealt a major blow, with offensive coordinator/ wide receivers coach Brian Hartline leaving for South Florida to take the Bulls’ head coaching job, Tate declaring for the NFL Draft and six receivers departing from Ohio State via the transfer portal.
Ohio State lost former five-star recruits Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter to Notre Dame, while Bryson Rodgers followed Hartline to USF. To recover from the departures, the Buckeyes brought in UTSA wideout Devin McCuin, who hauled in 65 catches for 726 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior for the Roadrunners, as well as former LSU receiver Kyle Parker. Parker, who was the No. 69-ranked wideout in the transfer portal this offseason, hauled in 31 receptions for 330 yards and four scores in his sophomore campaign with the Tigers. The Buckeyes also brought in Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. (6-5, 205) and Fort Wayne (Ind.) Northrop four-star wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford (6-2, 190) in their 2026 recruiting class.
In the tight end room, Ohio State experienced major attrition, with Klare declaring for the NFL Draft, Kacmarek exhausting his eligibility, and Jelani Thurman transferring to North Carolina. However, the Buckeyes moved quickly to offset those losses, landing Northwestern seventh-year senior transfer Hunter Welcing — 247Sports’ No. 4 tight end in the portal — along with Ohio’s Mason Williams. Williams hauled in 26 receptions for 276 yards and three touchdowns with the Bobcats 2025, while Welcing added 28 catches for 296 yards and two scores for the Wildcats.
The Buckeyes will retain four of their five starting offensive linemen, but former Ohio State right guard Tegra Tshabola transferred away to Kentucky. While Ohio State didn’t immediately fill in the loss and received no commitments from offensive linemen in the transfer portal, the Buckeyes will likely rely on backup guards Josh Padilla and Gabe VanSickle to step up and fill the gap. Each played in rotation with Tshabola this season, with VanSickle earning the start in Ohio State’s 24-14 Cotton Bowl loss to Miami (Fla.) before he was ultimately replaced by Padilla mid-game. Ohio State also lost redshirt sophomore Devontae Armstrong, redshirt sophomore Justin Terry (Virginia Tech), redshirt freshman Jayvon McFadden (Colorado) and redshirt freshman Isaiah Kema (Utah) to the portal.
The biggest changes for the Buckeyes came on defense.
Ohio State added three defensive linemen through the transfer portal, landing Alabama products James Smith and Qua Russaw, along with former UCF defensive lineman John Walker. Russaw appeared in nine games over two seasons with the Crimson Tide, recording 14 total tackles and two sacks, while Smith, the No. 9-ranked player in the transfer portal, posted 26 tackles, one pass breakup and 2.5 sacks. Walker finished 2025 with 40 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble. Alongside returning Buckeyes defensive tackles Will Smith Jr. and Eddrick Houston, as well as defensive ends Beau Atkinson and Zion Grady, the trio will look to fill the gap left by the departures of McDonald and Curry.
The three pickups came in the wake of multiple defensive linemen entering the transfer portal, including defensive ends C.J. Hicks (South Florida), Logan George (Washington), Joshua Mickens and Dominic Kirks, as well as defensive tackles Jarquez Carter (Miami), Trajen Odom (Arkansas) and Eric Mensah (Virginia Tech).
Ohio State’s linebacker corps took a significant hit with the departures of Styles and Reese, but the Buckeyes quickly addressed the losses with the addition of Wisconsin senior transfer Christian Alliegro, who notched 49 tackles, four sacks, and a pass breakup for the Badgers last season. Rising junior Payton Pierce and sophomore Riley Pettijohn are likely candidates to step into the starting roles alongside him.
Adding further depth and talent, the Buckeyes also welcome two four-star top-15 linebacker recruits in Cincere Johnson (6-3, 222), ranked 50th nationally, and Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy CJ Sanna (6-3, 225).
In the secondary, Ohio State adds two safeties and two cornerbacks in its 2026 transfer portal class. The Buckeyes bolstered their secondary with journeyman cornerback Cam Calhoun, who played at Utah, Alabama and Michigan, in addition to former Georgia cornerback Dominick Kelly. Calhoun joins his fourth program in as many years after totaling seven tackles, one pass breakup, and a fumble recovery with the Crimson Tide in 2025. Kelly, meanwhile, appeared in 61 defensive snaps last season with the Bulldogs, recording three tackles and three pass breakups while allowing three receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown on seven targets.
The cornerback additions look to fill the losses of Lorenzo Styles and Igbinosun, as well as transfers Aaron Scott Jr. (Oregon) and Bryce West (Wisconsin).
Former Duke safety Terry Moore and Florida State’s Earl Little Jr. are major hits for the Buckeyes secondary after losing its jack-of-all-trades in Downs. Little, who has been projected to play nickelback at Ohio State next season, made 76 total tackles, including two for loss, four interceptions, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 2025 with the Seminoles. Moore missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL, but totaled 71 tackles, seven TFLs, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and one sack in his junior campaign at Duke.
The Buckeyes also were active in bolstering their special teams, adding former Baylor redshirt sophomore kicker Connor Hawkins and long snapper Dalton Riggs, who played at both UCF and BYU. Hawkins, who connected on 18 of 22 field goals last season with a long of 54 yards, will take over for Ohio State senior Jayden Fielding, who has exhausted his eligibility, while Riggs steps in to replace Buckeye long snapper John Ferlmann.
Image via Gary Cosby Jr., Imagn Images
