Ohio State is a Big Winner In the Transfer Portal Sweepstakes

Ohio State may be losing many players to the transfer portal, but the Buckeyes are experiencing a net gain in talent with a highly-rated transfer class. Early on, with many uncertainties surrounding efforts to revamp their offense, the Buckeyes hemorrhaged players, having 22 departures in all. But with their offensive staff now solidified under new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, they have turned their fortunes around have garnered the number one spot in the Big 10 in the transfer portal ratings according to The Athletic.

Ohio State Had Early Concerns

At times, the Buckeyes had an anemic offense, and many knew that head coach Ryan Day was going to make some changes. This led to a mass exodus of some talented players on the offensive side of the ball. One of the first to go was talented wide receiver Noah Rogers, who left for North Carolina State. Former number nine-ranked running back Chip Trayanum left the Buckeyes for Kentucky. Another talented rusher, Evan Pryor, also exited the program heading to new Big 12 member Cincinnati.

In addition, the Buckeyes also got a little thinner at the quarterback position as Kyle McCord headed east to Syracuse. With these exits, many were beginning to wonder what was in store for Ohio State, and what players they could acquire to replace them in the new Chip Kelly system.

Defense Had Losses As Well

Though Ohio State lost a great deal on offense, their defense took some major hits as well. Three-star edge rusher Omari Abor took his talents to SMU as well as three-star linebacker Reid Carrico who will be joining West Virginia. However, it may have been their pass coverage that experienced the most significant losses as former three-star cornerback Jyaire Brown headed to LSU, three-star safety Cameron Martinez left to put on the gold helmet of Boston College, as well as three-star safety Kye Stokes who will be joining teammate Evan Pryor in Cincinnati.

The Buckeyes Reload Quickly

Though those losses were tough, Ohio State wasted little time filling the holes in their defensive backfield by acquiring former five-star safety Caleb Downs as Sports Illustrated reported. The pass coverage expert made his way from Alabama to join the Buckeye fold.

On the offensive side of the ball, their acquisitions were every bit as impressive as they were able to nab the number one transfer portal prospect in former five-star quarterback Julian Sayin, who also made his way to Columbus via the Crimson Tide. He was not the only field general they added, as Will Howard, the number seven-ranked quarterback in the portal left Kansas State to join the Buckeyes. In addition, to shore up their offensive backfield, they added Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss.

Where They Stack Up Nationally

In all, the Buckeyes’ collection of five and four-star additions was good enough to rank them tops in the Big 10 with 247Sports placing them eighth nationally. However, as well as Ohio State did in meeting its needs, other Big 10 programs also did quite well.

Other Teams Lay Claim to Transfer Portal Gold

One team that made it a close contest in the transfer portal ranking was Big 10 newcomer Oregon. The Ducks wasted no time in finding a replacement for outgoing quarterback Bo Nix by grabbing Oklahoma star Dillon Gabriel. Last season, Gabriel threw for over 3600 yards and 30 touchdowns. In addition, five-star quarterback Dante Moore left UCLA to head up north and join the Ducks as well. Oregon also bolstered their protection by adding four-star offensive lineman Ja’Maree Caldwell from Houston, as well as enhanced their passing offense by adding receiver Evan Stewart.

USC also dipped its foot into the transfer portal and did quite well. Defensive backs Kamari Ramsey and John Humphrey followed their defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn across town, leaving the Bruins to join the Trojans. They also picked up All-Pac-12 linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold as well as former Vanderbilt star, and defensive end Nate Clifton as was reported by Grid Iron Heroics’ Matthew Brown. In addition, to most likely create some depth behind quarterback Miller Moss, they added UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava, after his father quashed rumors on ESPN that he was headed to Georgia.

With the season just four months away, Ohio State and their Big 10 competition will quickly try to acclimate their new talent to their systems. With the Buckeyes completely revamping their offense, it could bode well or be a bigger hill to climb for transfer talent who have already become accustomed to college-level strategies.