Tracking where former Buckeyes who entered transfer portal have landed

COLUMBUS — Ohio State has one of the most talented rosters in the country, so it’s no shock when players decide to depart from the program.

The Buckeyes recruit every player with the goal of developing them into championship-level players, but plans can change, especially in today’s college football landscape.

Ohio State has lost six players to the transfer portal, five on defense and one on special teams. Lettermen Row is keeping track of the landing spots for former Ohio State players who decided to enter the transfer portal. Let’s dive in.

Second-year cornerback JK Johnson: JK Johnson was the No. 69 player in the country in the class of 2021, according to On3. That ranking put him as the No. 6 cornerback in his class and the No. 1 player in the state of Missouri. The DeSmet (St. Louis) product finishes his Ohio State career with 22 total tackles and no interceptions. He played in 15 career games, starting five games for the Buckeyes in 2022. He has three years of eligibility remaining after redshirting one year and playing one year for the Buckeyes.

Johnson committed to LSU earlier this month, and he’ll join forces with his former high school football coach, who is on the Tigers staff. Johnson will compete in a talented cornerback room at LSU.

Fifth-year defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste: Javontae Jean-Baptiste accumulated more than 900 defensive snaps across four seasons and five years at Ohio State, according to PFF. He registered a career-high 19 total tackles in 2022, including nine solos. The 6-foot-5, 249-pound Bergen Catholic product was third on the team this year with four sacks. His most valuable performance this past fall might have come against Iowa, as he tallied 1.5 sacks against a Hawkeyes team that was hanging around in the first half. Jean-Baptiste has one season of eligibility remaining.

Ohio State shouldn’t forget about Jean-Baptiste. The Buckeyes will be preparing to face him in September; he committed to Notre Dame last week. Ohio State will play the Fighting Irish in South Bend on Sept. 23, a big showdown. Jean-Baptiste’s transfer decision — to link back up with former Ohio State assistant Al Washington – adds another layer of intrigue to the game.

Second-year defensive back Jantzen Dunn: A former four-star prospect from Bowling Green, Kentucky, Dunn was ranked the No. 157 overall player in the country in the 2021 recruiting class. He was rated as the No. 8 safety and was the No. 2 player in the state of Kentucky. Dunn showed promise during his first year with the Buckeyes before suffering a season-ending injury last October. Dunn returned for the 2022 season, but he went through injuries in training camp this fall — and struggled to catch up in the following months. Dunn has announced that he will play next season at Kentucky, the school in his home state that consistently punches above its weight in the SEC.

Second-year defensive back Jaylen Johnson: Johnson, a Cincinnati native and La Salle High School product, was a former four-star recruit from the Buckeyes 2021 class. He was one of three safeties the Buckeyes brought on board in the class, along with Dunn and Andre Turrentine. Johnson was one of the first players to commit to the Ohio State class of 2021. He joined the Buckeyes class on Jan. 7, 2020. But he struggled with injuries throughout his career at Ohio State, most notably tearing his ACL during spring practice in his first few practices on campus — his first spring with the Buckeyes. He finishes his Buckeyes career with one career tackle.

Jaylen Johnson committed to Memphis on Jan. 8, finding a new home a month after leaving Ohio State. Now he has a chance to link back up with former Ohio State defensive backs coach Matt Barnes, now the defensive coordinator for the Tigers.

Fifth-year linebacker Teradja Mitchell: A former Buckeyes captain, Teradja Mitchell was recruited to Ohio State as a top-50 overall player in the country out of Virginia Beach, Virginia. He waited patiently to get on the field after years of sitting behind future NFL linebackers. But he struggled during his time on the field for the Buckeyes. Mitchell ends his Ohio State career with 63 career total tackles and seven tackles for loss. Mitchell played for three different linebackers coaches in five years at Ohio State. Most of his playing time came in 2020 and 2021 under Washington.

Mitchell announced that he will play next season at Florida, committing to the Gators on Jan. 2, just two days after the Buckeyes lost to Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal. He’ll have one year left at Florida.

Second-year long snapper Mason Arnold: Arnold was a former preferred walk-on who was thrust into a starting role on the road versus Penn State this season after seventh-year veteran Bradley Robinson went down with a season-ending injury against Iowa. Arnold ended up starting the final six games of the season. His stint came with some ups and downs, most notably him being part of a called fake punt in the third quarter of the Michigan game that never happened. But Arnold stepped in when Ohio State needed help, and now he has three years of eligibility remaining to continue his college career in the Big Ten. Arnold committed to Mel Tucker and Michigan State earlier this week.