The Ohio State Buckeyes roster is going to look very different on both sides of the ball at the start of next season.
As the transfer portal window is opening up, the harsh reality is here: the Ohio State Buckeyes are going to look very different next year. Head coach Ryan Day has not lost any key contributors to the portal, but will instead lose a ton of guys to both the NFL Draft and to graduation.
The asterisk indicates the players who have eligibility left but are likely to be going to be moving on from the program.
Offense
- *Carnell Tate - Wide Receiver
- *Austin Siereveld - Offensive Tackle / Guard
- Carson Hinzman - Center
- *Max Klare - Tight End
- *Luke Montgomery - Guard
- *Phillip Daniels - Offensive Tackle
- CJ Donaldson - Running Back
- Ethan Onianwa - Offensive Tackle
- Will Kacmarek - Tight End
Defense
- *Kayden McDonald - Defensive Tackle
- *Kenyatta Jackson - Defensive End
- *Arvell Reese - Linebacker
- *Caleb Downs - Safety
- Caden Curry - Defense End
- Sonny Styles - Linebacker
- Tywone Malone Jr. - Defensive Tackle
- Lorenzo Styles - Safety
- Davison Igbinosun - Cornerback
Not each of these players who are draft eligible will go on, but a good number of them will. Similar to the Buckeyes winning the National Championship in 2024, the program will likely have to replace more than 10 starters on both sides of the ball.
Day has proven that he can do it, but it's going to require a ton of work, especially right now.
Ohio State hasn't had to major in the transfer portal to this point in this era of college football, but that is going to have to quickly change this offseason.
The Buckeyes will be able to reload at certain position groups, such as their secondary and their defensive line, but elsewhere they are going to have to go shopping.
It is clear that their offensive line is not what it needs to be, and their depth at wide receiver is a major question mark.
The good news is that the Portal is loaded with solid players who are veteran players. One thing that the Buckeyes lacked in big games this year was veteran leadership on the offensive side of the football. The defense was full of leaders, but the offense lacked them, and it showed.
Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes need to approach this transfer portal window with aggression, and he needs the backing of the university to pony up the money. If Ohio State doesn't invest properly, it will be on the verge of falling behind some of the top programs in the country.
This year's College Football Playoff is case and point.