Transfer tracker: Breaking down Buckeyes additions, losses, offers in transfer portal

COLUMBUS — Ohio State brought in true difference-makers at major positions of need through the transfer portal last offseason.

After rarely ever dipping into the portal in the early transfer portal era, the Buckeyes made it a point to be very aggressive during last offseason’s portal window. They added an All-American safety in Caleb Downs, a cornerstone offensive lineman in Seth McLaughlin, a superstar tailback in Quinshon Judkins, a trusty tight end and a few depth pieces to help round out the roster.

But for the first time in the portal era, they also lost more than 15 players to the portal. Even as Ohio State is in College Football Playoff prep, some players are leaving the program through the portal already.

Expect to see a similar strategy this time around, as well. The Buckeyes will pick their spots, but they’ll be aggressive when they need to be in the portal during the coming few weeks — when the transfer portal is open and movement heats up. This roster is going to be losing a lot of its star power, but the national title expectations won’t change next year, so portal additions will be needed.

So while Ohio State is keeping its eye out for potential difference-makers that are also fits in the program, Lettermen Row and On3 will have you covered with every piece of news while the portal is open.

This story will be updated with transfer portal offers from Ohio State, the list of Buckeyes players in the portal, thoughts from Ryan Day and more.

To track all of the action in the portal for teams across college football, you can click the links below.

On3 Transfer Portal Homepage

The Transfer Portal Wire

The Transfer Portal News Feed

Ohio State players in the Transfer Portal

Below is a running list of Ohio State players in the Transfer Portal:

Fourth-year wide receiver Jayden Ballard: The Massillon native had 11 catches for 177 yards and one touchdown in his four seasons at Ohio State. He earned the starting kick-returning job for the Buckeyes to open the season before losing that job to various other skill players for Ohio State. Ballard will have one year of eligibility remaining wherever he chooses to go.

Third-year quarterback Devin Brown: Brown joined the program as a five-star prospect in 2022 and has played in 16 games for the Buckeyes, completing 26 of 46 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns. He will have three years of eligibility remaining wherever he chooses to go — but he is staying at Ohio State for the CFP run.

Third-year wide receiver Kojo Antwi: After three years and just one career catch, Antwi is leaving the Buckeyes for the transfer portal. Antwi will have two years of eligibility remaining wherever he chooses to go.

Third-year linebacker Gabe Powers: A Marysville native and former top-100 overall recruit, Powers had an interception return for a touchdown in the Buckeyes season-opening win over Akron on Aug. 31 and contributed heavily on special teams this season. He was, however, buried on the depth chart behind veterans this season, but he was slated to compete for playing time in his fourth year next offseason. Powers will have two years of eligibility wherever he chooses to go.

Second-year offensive tackle Miles Walker: The second-year offensive lineman did not appear in any games during his two-year career with the Buckeyes. Walker will have three years of eligibility remaining wherever he chooses to go.

Ohio State Transfer Portal Additions

Check back when Ohio State lands a commitment from the transfer portal.

Ohio State Transfer Portal Offers

Below is a running list of offers the Buckeyes have handed out in the Transfer Portal:

Cal Poly OT Brady Norton: After appearing in three games as a freshman in being able to redshirt, Norton appeared in 11 more this past fall for the Mustangs. He committed to Michigan on Dec. 16.

Nevada OT Isaiah World: The former Wolf Pack lineman trimmed his list down to Texas A&M, Nebraska and Oregon. Sources tell Lettermen Row that the Buckeyes had mixed feelings on World.

Northwestern IOL Josh Thompson: The All-Big Ten interior lineman visited the Buckeyes on Dec. 14 and has a list of visits lined up. He is viewed as one of the best linemen in the portal.

Rice OT Ethan Onianwa: The 6-foot-6, 345-pound junior is one of the most sought-after OTs. He allowed just one sack on 294 pass-blocking snaps at Rice. He has played both right tackle and left tackle. Onianwa visited the Buckeyes on Dec. 15.

Idaho State DL Logan George: The former FCS star is raking in offers, and Ohio State is among them. A visit could be in the works this week.

USC RB Quinten Joyner: Joyner has appeared in 18 games and has 603 rushing yards for four touchdowns. That’s on an average of 7.4 yards per carry. He also has 13 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. In 2024, Joyner averaged 7.6 yards per carry, which led the Big Ten in that category. He did that on 63 carries total and averaged 39.8 yards per game. Joyner has three years of eligibility. Lettermen Row sources indicated that the visit he was on with the Buckeyes over the weekend went really well.

The Transfer Portal Windows

The transfer portal officially opened on Dec. 9. The current window for athletes not participating in the College Football Playoff or later bowl games on the calendar ends on Dec. 28. Players on teams that are in the College Football Playoff will have a five-day window following the CFP to enter the transfer portal.

More than 2,800 FBS scholarship players entered their names into the NCAA’s transfer database during the 2023-24 school year. Removing those who withdrew or went pro, the final total sat at 2,707 transfers. That means roughly 25% of all FBS scholarship players hit free agency in one year.

A second window will be instituted from April 16-25, giving players an option to enter the transfer portal after spring practice concludes. 

Transfer Portal Guidelines

The NCAA transfer portal, which covers every NCAA sport at the Division I, II and III levels, is a private database with names of student-athletes who wish to transfer. It is not accessible to the public.

Once a player’s name shows up in the portal, other schools can contact the player. Players can change their minds at any point and withdraw from the portal. However, once a player enters the portal, the current scholarship no longer has to be honored. In other words, if a player enters the portal but decides to stay, the school is not obligated to provide a scholarship anymore.

The database is a normal database, sortable by a variety of topics, including (of course) sport and name. A player’s individual entry includes basic details such as contact info, whether the player was on scholarship and whether the player is transferring as a graduate student.

A player can ask that a “do not contact” tag be placed on the report. In those instances, the players don’t want to be contacted by schools unless they’ve initiated the communication.