Ohio State has hired veteran NFL scout Andy Howell, a move that shows how seriously the Buckeyes are treating roster building in the transfer-portal era. With college football changing so fast, the program is clearly adding another layer of evaluation to stay ahead.

Pete Thamel confirmed this earlier today. This hiring shows how much college football is turning into a mini-NFL competition. Programs can no longer survive with just a head coach and a few assistants running the show. Howell is actually the 12th full-time front-office employee Ohio State has brought on just to handle roster management and recruiting. The Buckeyes are building a literal corporate front office, splitting staff into teams that hunt for high school stars and others who analyze older players.

Ohio State has been building this side of the program piece by piece, and Howell fits that pattern. The Buckeyes are not just adding names to a list; they are adding people with different scouting backgrounds so the staff can cover more ground in a faster market.

Howell brings 14 years of pro-level experience from teams like the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Miami Dolphins. His 14 years evaluating NFL talent gives Ohio State an edge in identifying college prospects. He’s a Cleveland native and graduated with a sports management degree from Ohio University, where he was a student defensive assistant.

Apparently, he spent the 2015 season as the Director of Player Personnel and Recruiting Coordinator at Western Michigan University. Howell’s background positions him to evaluate transfer-portal targets quickly, which is a critical advantage in college football’s free-agency window. Ohio State has felt that churn firsthand, losing a heavy wave of players to the portal this offseason and making roster management a real weekly job instead of a background task.

Roster turnover is completely out of control these days, with Ohio State having to manage over 50 new players coming and going in a single season. When a great player suddenly decides to leave their current school, teams only have a few hours to decide if they want them. Howell’s job is to scout other college teams ahead of time so the Buckeyes are always ready to strike.

The man leading all of this is Mark Pantoni, Ohio State’s General Manager of Player Personnel. He is one of the most respected people in college football and has helped build Ohio State’s strong teams for many years. Hiring someone like Howell should take away a lot of the guesswork when it comes to finding the right players. Under Pantoni’s player-personnel setup, Howell’s job is to help identify and vet transfer targets before the Buckeyes move in.

Howell’s hiring signals Ohio State’s commitment to staying ahead in the transfer-portal era. They know that winning games in November and January starts with making smart moves in the offseason. So yeah, this looks like a really smart hire.

3 Ohio State players have been named to the prestigious Walter Camp Preseason All-American teams

The Walter Camp Football Foundation unveiled its rosters for the upcoming season, recognizing the country’s elite talent. The Buckeyes made a strong impression with selections split across the first- and second-team squads.

Junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and redshirt junior offensive lineman Austin Siereveld both locked down first-team honors. Smith enters the year as one of college football’s premier playmakers, having racked up 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns over his first two spectacular seasons in Columbus.

Siereveld might even go first lineman in next year’s draft. The 6’6 OL was actually the Buckeyes’ top offensive lineman after leading the unit last season with an impressive 83.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Julian Sayin has earned a second-team selection.

The SEC has the most players on Walter Camp’s 2026 preseason All-American teams, with 21 players from 12 schools. The Big Ten is next with 16 players from seven schools. And the Big 12 has four players.