Ryan Day has just sent a message across the Big Ten, and it landed right in Ann Arbor’s backyard. Ohio State dipped into the portal once again, locking in another veteran piece for their defense. As cornerback Cam Calhoun joins the fold, he brings with him a well-traveled résumé. It even includes a stop with the Buckeye’s archrival Michigan.

“#BOOM Ohio State adds to the depth of its secondary with the transfer of former Alabama, Utah, and Michigan cornerback Cam Calhoun,” Buckeye Sports Bulletin analyst, Chase Brown, reported on January 15.

Calhoun’s résumé includes a backup role and special teams snaps with the Crimson Tide last season. His journey to Columbus has been a winding one, with brief stops in Michigan in 2023 and Utah in 2024. During his time at Michigan, he played in two games but did not record any stats.

Most of Calhoun’s real game reps came with the Utes, where he logged nearly 400 snaps in the rotation. He had nine pass breakups, and even snagged a pick in a win over Utah State. At Alabama, he came up with six total tackles and one pass breakup. 

Calhoun is an native of Ohio, specifically from Cincinnati. He arrived on the scene as a four-star in the 2023 cycle, checking in at No. 397 overall and No. 41 at corner out of Cincinnati’s Winton Woods. It’s a familiar pipeline for Day’s program, as he previously lined up alongside Buckeyes starting corner Jermaine Mathews Jr., who returns for his senior season.

Calhoun’s recruitment never included an offer from Ryan Day though. But interestingly, one of Calhoun’s defining moments came in Columbus. While on an unofficial visit for The Game in 2022, he committed to Michigan after he saw the Buckeyes being handed a 45-23 defeat.

According to Pro Football Focus, throwing at Calhoun was a low-percentage play. Quarterbacks connected on fewer than half their attempts against him when playing man, totaling only 21 receptions on 43 targets for 231 yards and two touchdowns, an ultra-efficient 5.4 yards per target.

Ohio State’s first-team picture in the DB unit features senior Jermaine Mathews Jr. and sophomore Devin Sanchez on the outside, with Earl Little Jr. slotting the nickel.

The concern, however, lies in their depth, as the portal losses of Aaron Scott Jr. and Bryce West, who were once scheduled as top backups, depleted the roster. It has forced Day to turn to freshmen Jordan Thomas and Jay Timmons, and to also use redshirt freshman Jordyn Woods and redshirt sophomore Miles Lockhart as the primary depth options.

Amid all of this, Calhoun comes off as the veteran insurance. He is capable of handling dimeback snaps, filling in during emergencies, or giving the starters occasional relief. Ohio State now has made 14 additions to its roster through the transfer portal.

While Calhoun shores up the secondary, his addition is just one piece of Ryan Day’s larger, and still unfinished, puzzle in the transfer portal.

Ryan Day’s transfer portal targets

Syracuse standout Johntay Cook II has hit the portal, and his stock jumped immediately. Playing through an ankle issue and a quarterback shakeup, the Orange wide receiver still posted 549 yards, making him a hot target for Day’s staff.

The Buckeyes’ wide receiver room faced back-to-back blows when both Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter transferred to Notre Dame. Now there are rumors that Day has made a significant seven-figure NIL offer to Cook, allegedly. 

“I was talking to an NIL agent, this weekend, and one of those 10 Northern schools I talked about, who already has two really good receivers that’ll play on Sundays, is bidding on another receiver, seven figures out of Syracuse,” said Colin Cowherd.

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With Ohio State reportedly among the schools in that bidding war, Day is also eyeing Colorado Buffaloes transfer quarterback Ryan Staub. Lincoln Kienholz’s departure to Louisville depleted Ohio State’s quarterback depth. If Saying ever gets injured, the Buckeye could be in trouble.

Current backups Tavien St. Clair and freshman Luke Fahey have no meaningful experience. There are two other freshman in Trey
Robinette and Kolton Stover who are also new and untested. Currently only Senior Eli Brickhandler has any meaningful snaps, that too from 2024. He threw for 557 yards, where he scored 4 touchdowns, but also gave away 2 interceptions.

For now though, any quarterback addition at Ohio State would be somewhere in the middle of the depth chart. Whether Day can land another key transfer at quarterback remains to be seen.