Scarlet Sunrise: ESPN grades Ohio State transfer portal activity this offseason

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ESPN grades Ohio State transfer portal activity this offseason

As of Wednesday, the transfer portal closed until the spring window. That means that, from this point forward, there can’t be any new entrants until May. But the players who already entered the portal and haven’t chosen a school can still commit to a new program at any time.

With a good bit of transfer chaos in the rear view mirror, ESPN college football reporters broke down and graded the portal activity of every way-too-early top-25 team, including Ohio State.

First, an overview.

DEPARTURES: Ohio State didn’t lose an offensive player to the transfer portal, however, it did lose a few key defenders, namely fifth-year linebacker Teradja Mitchell (Florida) — a former Buckeyes captain — fifth-year defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste (Notre Dame) and second-year cornerback JK Johnson (LSU). The departure of Johnson was perhaps the biggest surprise, given he played 15 games across two seasons for the Buckeyes.

NEWCOMERS: Ohio State entered the offseason having grabbed just eight players from the transfer portal since it opened in early 2019. The Buckeyes have already accounted for half that total over the last month with four incoming transfers. This week, they’ve added Oregon State quarterback Tristan Gebbia, a seventh-year grad transfer, and Louisiana-Monroe offensive lineman Victor Cutler. Those two join Kent State kicker Casey Magyar and Syracuse safety Ja’Had Carter as incoming Ohio State transfers.

Here’s what ESPN writer Adam Rittenberg had to say about the Buckeyes “remaining holes”:

“Ohio State’s defense can’t get enough help after struggling against Michigan and Georgia. The Buckeyes could add another defensive back and perhaps a lineman to complement J.T. Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Ty Hamilton and others. Running back largely was a mess in 2022 because of injuries, but Ohio State likely will push forward with its remaining group and hope for better health.”

Here’s how ESPN writer Tom VanHaaren graded the Buckeyes’ transfer portal activity so far this offseason: C

“The Buckeyes lost some role and depth players to the portal, but it wasn’t an enormous amount that will impact the two deep. Carter should be able to help the secondary immediately, and the staff added kicker Casey Magyar from Kent State. It’s not great, but not bad either.”

Buckeyes officially set date for annual spring game

Mark your calendars. The date is set for Ohio State’s annual spring game: April 15. Get ready for a noon kick in Ohio Stadium for the first Buckeyes “game” of 2023.

Tickets will go on sale Feb. 10 for fans. It will be the first time Ohio State kicks off at the Horseshoe since its lopsided loss to Michigan on Nov. 26.

The spring game will offer a peak at what the 2023 Buckeyes will look like. Most notably, fans will likely see quarterbacks Kyle McCord and Devin Brown competing for the starting job now that two-time Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud has declared for this year’s NFL Draft.

Breaking down Ohio State’s loss at Nebraska: a story of missed free throws, layups and opportunity

The unraveling of the Buckeyes’ offense hasn’t been pretty. After shooting what was a season-low 40.0% against Minnesota last week, Ohio State has dipped below that mark two games in a row: first at Rutgers and then again Wednesday night at Nebraska.

Head coach Chris Holtmann’s team started 5-of-25 from the floor and finished with a meager 35.7% clip while falling, 63-60, to a Cornhuskers squad that just matched its win total (10) from last year. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes have lost five straight, tying the longest skid of the Holtmann era. It was a chance for Ohio State to right the ship on the road against another Big Ten opponent in the back half of the league standings. Instead, it dug itself a deeper hole.

What went wrong for the Buckeyes in Lincoln? A lot — starting with missed free throws and layups. Despite attempting their second-most free throws (23) in a game this season, they missed eight. And Ohio State missed three of its first four layups after converting just 17-of-45 layups in its previous two games combined.

That’s the focus of Lettermen Row’s latest hoops notebook, but there’s more in there about untimely turnovers and Holtmann’s late-game management. Check it out here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 225 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 309 days

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