Ryan Day breaks down Ohio State’s transfer portal usage

Ryan Day isn’t tackling the transfer portal this offseason unless he’s in need of a quick fix. He’s added five players out of the portal so far, and each player will fill a specific roll Ohio State was lacking before their arrival.

“There are two different windows. In the first window there we added five guys, and they’re in different areas,” Day said about the transfer portal “And I think you know, it’s been pretty clear that we bring guys in, from the transfer portal to fill needs. We’re not just bringing guys in to bring guys in. So all these guys fill a need for us.”

The five players include S Ja’Had Carter, LS John Ferlmann, OT Victor Cutler, QB Tristan Gebbia and CB Davison Igbinosun. Igbinosun had not signed his NLI before Day’s National Signing Day press conference, therefore Day could not speak on his behalf. Everyone else received high praise from the Buckeyes headman.

Carter will fill in nicely in Ohio State’s new three-safety system. Day said Carter had been solid since arriving on campus and is looking forward to seeing him during spring ball. Cutler is expected to fill in for Luke Wypler, who declared for the NFL Draft after last season. John Ferlmann comes in as the new starting long snapper after Brad Robinson graduated after a long, productive career here.

Gebbia, a member of the 2017 class, has a unique situation in the sense that he’s coming in from Oregon State to be the No. 4 QB on the depth chart. He’s told Day that he wants to be a graduate assistant after college, and felt like coming to Columbus was an opportunity to build his network while rounding out the Buckeyes’ QB room at the same time.

“He’s coming in with the mindset that if he gets on the field, he’s ready to go,” Day said of Gebbia. “But the thought he was really a great addition to the room and can help mentor some of those young guys in there.”

There might be two or three more additions to Ohio State’s 2023 transfer portal class before the offseason ends, but the Buckeyes are well off as it is. They’ll kick their 2023-24 season off with the hopes of winning their second College Football Playoff national title.