Buckeyes cornerback Lejond Cavazos enters transfer portal

COLUMBUS — Lejond Cavazos was beginning to turn heads in spring practice at Ohio State.

But a large role in the secondary seemed like it would be an uphill climb with the Buckeyes. Now he’s finding a new home to carve out a spot.

Cavazos entered his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal on Monday, Lettermen Row confirmed, most likely ending his career with the Buckeyes. He will have multiple years of eligibility remaining wherever he lands, more than likely a place where he can find a bigger role than the backup duty he was projected for at Ohio State.

The former four-star recruit didn’t play a big part during the shortened freshman season, but he appeared in multiple games for the Buckeyes last season. He totaled seven tackles and had two pass deflections in those five games.

Through two seasons, Cavazos didn’t have a big impact on the field for the Buckeyes. That all seemed to be changing this spring under new defensive coaches Jim Knowles, Perry Eliano and Tim Walton. Cavazos was working at cornerback and a safety spot this spring, and he was being mentioned in the mix for some kind of role in the secondary.

But there certainly is a logjam ahead of him at cornerback with Denzel Burke and Cameron Brown as the likely starters. Jordan Hancock and J.K. Johnson are emerging as legitimate options behind them, as well. And with safety depth as a strong suit for the Buckeyes, Cavazos’ path to becoming a star contributor in Year Three at Ohio State seemed to be dwindling down.

Cavazos may not have found a role with the Buckeyes, but he will certainly be a commodity in the transfer portal. A former four-star recruit from Florida, Cavazos was one of the key commits in the Ohio State recruiting class from the 2020 haul, one of the best classes in program history.

But he wasn’t able to overcome the obstacles in front of him this spring. Lejond Cavazos is entering the transfer portal, and he’ll look for a new home to make an instant impact this fall.