Minnesota offensive lineman Phillip Daniels commits to transfer to Ohio State

Minnesota Golden Gophers offensive lineman Phillip Daniels has committed to transfer to the Ohio State Buckeyes, On3 has learned.

Daniels redshirted in 2023, his first season with the program. Then, in 2024, he ended up playing 300 snaps for the Golden Gophers. That included starting in the final four games of the season. That leaves him with three seasons of eligibility remaining.

As a team, Minnesota went 7-5 and earned a trip to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. That came on the back of a season where Minnesota was just 117th in the country in rushing offense, averaging just 111.33 yards per game. They were also just 68th in sacks allowed, giving up 2.08 sacks per game. Both of those marks reflect poorly on the Golden Gophers offensive line.

After playing his high school football at Princeton in Cincinnati, Ohio, Daniels was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2023, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the 56th-ranked offensive tackle and the 855th-ranked player overall in that recruiting cycle.

Ohio State, for its part, is coming off a frustrating 10-2 season where the Buckeyes lost to Michigan and missed out on the Big Ten Championship Game. Despite that, they were still able to make it to the College Football Playoff. It’s also been a season where the Buckeyes have been tested along the offensive line as injuries have become a major concern. For head coach Ryan Day, it highlighted the importance of depth.

“Certainly, nobody cares,” Day said. “So we’ll make adjustments. You wake up the next day, and you move on. But, yeah, it’s tough. But that’s why you recruit depth, and that’s why you work to get those guys in the game. That’s why you work in the offseason to build depth.”

The Transfer Portal opened for its Winter Window on December 9th. Since then, the Ohio State transfer class has seen six players transfer out of the program, a difficult decision to make with the Playoff on the horizon. However, Phillip Daniels is the first transfer into the Ohio State program. There will, presumably, be more to come.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.