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Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) warm ups before the start of the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
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Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) warm ups before the start of the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
Ohio State’s WR room absorbed a blow when news broke that a former top-40 recruit plans to enter the transfer portal. It looks like a roster move but for the Buckeyes, it is the loss of a player many believed was next in line. Mylan Graham, who rocked the No. 5, is leaving Columbus with three years of eligibility. And the emotional center of the story came from Jeremiah Smith.
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“Nooo 5💔,” Jeremiah Smith posted on X on January 4 in response to the news.
According to On3, Graham will enter the transfer portal, ending a two-year stint in Columbus with limited production but substantial remaining upside. The announcement mattered because Smith and Mylan Graham came up together, developed side by side, and were viewed internally as future partners.
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Nooo 5💔
— Jeremiah Smith (@Jermiah_Smith1) January 4, 2026
Which Prospects should OSU target next?
Let Tony do the scouting, you just make the pick.
Mylan Graham arrived as the No. 33 overall prospect and the No. 7 WR in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2024 class. He enrolled early, redshirted, and spent a full year developing behind veteran receivers while learning the system alongside Jeremiah Smith, who exploded onto the national stage.
The path appeared to clear entering the 2026 cycle. With Carnell Tate widely expected to head to the NFL, Graham was positioned to compete for a larger role. Instead, he opted for a reset. It hurts the Buckeyes because the departing receiver possesses upside. His breakout moment came in the 2025 spring game, where he caught four passes for 104 yards and a touchdown, sparking optimism about his redshirt freshman season. That performance turned out to be the high point.
During the 2025 regular season, Graham finished with six receptions for 93 yards, averaging 15.5 yards per catch, and did not score. This could be manageable for Ohio State but for Jeremiah Smith and fellow WRs, it is personal. The locker-room response revealed that human side. Tate posted “Damn 5💔” while Brandon Inniss followed with “Damm 5💔💔.”
From a roster perspective, the loss tightens Ohio State’s margin. Mylan Graham’s departure, combined with Bryson Rodgers entering the portal in December, thins the depth behind Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss. Quincy Porter and incoming 5-star Chris Henry Jr. now sit at the front of the internal competition.
At the same time, OSU is actively exploring portal options, with names like Texas’ DeAndre Moore, Old Dominion’s Tre Brown, and Georgia Tech’s Isiah Canion already circulating. The Buckeyes are not standing still, but the room is in flux. And that flux extends well beyond the wide receivers.
Ohio State navigates a growing transfer portal reality
Ohio State continues to sort through the transfer portal after it officially opened Friday. Following the loss to Miami, the Buckeyes shifted focus toward roster management, and this cycle has been louder than most. Compared to a year ago, Ohio State has already lost more players, even if many exits were initially considered manageable.
Offensive guard Tegra Tshabola became the first true starter to enter the portal. He was heavily criticized during Ohio State’s 2025 run and was rotated at guard as the season progressed. An injury later forced further changes. He has one year of eligibility remaining, and the Buckeyes must now replace experience with projection. Josh Padilla flashed promise before his own injury and is widely expected to get the first look.
QB Lincoln Kienholz and DE C.J. Hicks have also signaled their intention to transfer. In total, 17 Buckeyes have entered the portal, including QB Mason Maggs and RB Sam Dixon. On the incoming side, Ohio State landed its first portal addition for the 2026 season by adding Ohio TE Mason Williams who caught 26 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns last season. It is a modest start but it reinforces the reality.
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Edited by
Nourin Parvin