Buried on the depth chart at a national powerhouse, one Ohio State defensive back is wasting no time finding a new home. Less than 24 hours after entering the portal, Cody Haddad is drawing interest from SEC and Big Ten schools. Matt Rhule’s Nebraska has also made the cut.

As per ESPN’s Max Olsen, DB Cody Haddad is setting up a visit to Lincoln. The 5’11, 186-pound player is seeking new opportunities after he spent his entire freshman season on the sidelines. As a former three-star commit hailing from Cleveland, he played different positions on his high school varsity. Besides playing safety, he saw action as a wide receiver, kick returner, and punt returner, while excelling in track and basketball.

During his college recruitment, Haddad was praised for his ability to affect the game in numerous way. “Versatile player who has played all over the field in high school but figures to be a college safety. Shows good instincts and will come into the box and support the run, but also shows he can match-up on receivers and play some man,” 247Sports’ Allen Trieu said.

As a prized safety commit in his class, Haddad chose the Buckeyes over Wisconsin, citing the program’s elite competitiveness. “Ohio State has just blown every school out of the water,” he said at the time, with the team’s recent national championship only adding to the appeal.

At the time, Haddad was a huge win for OSU safeties coach Matt Guerrieri. However, a stacked locker room featuring Caleb Downs and Davison Igbinosun saw him struggle to see playing time. During his freshman year, he did not see any action on the field. Neither in the defensive backfield nor on the special teams did he see any action.

Although both Downs and Igbinosun are headed towards the draft, it remains highly unlikely that Haddad would have found more opportunities in the 2026 season. With Jaylen McClain expected to start and Leroy Roker III also vying for snaps, the Buckeyes further solidified their depth by adding transfers Terry Moore and Earl Little Jr., not to mention an incoming class with four more safeties.

Since Haddad did not see any action in his freshman year, he lacked the leverage to overcome a stacked defensive unit. After losing the Cotton Bowl to Miami, Haddad becomes the 31st Buckeye to leave the program.

Nebraska makes sense

So far, the dates of Cody Haddad’s visits have not been reported. But he can expect more opportunities at Lincoln if he chooses to commit there. After a disappointing 2025 season, the Cornhuskers posted a 7-6 record and lost at least 25 athletes to the transfer portal. The defense was hit the worst.

Safety Malcolm Hartzog Jr. and Caden VerMass transferred to Arizona and Rice University, respectively. On the other hand, Marques Buford Jr. exhausted his eligibility and has graduated. This has created a vacuum, and Rhule is working to rebuild the lineup. While Dwayne McDougle, Victor Ewans III, and Jasin Shiggs are the latest additions, a change in leadership has also prompted Rhule to seek fresh new talent.

In December, Rhule fired Ohn Butler and hired Rob Aurich as the new defensive coordinator. The defensive unit will now shift from a 3-3-5 playbook to a 4-2-5 scheme.

Rhule hasn’t shied away from using the portal to build his roster, and with the portal churn that college football is witnessing right now, he is planning for a “one-year plan.”

“I’m comfortable with it because I did it in the NFL,” he said recently. “Instead of thinking of a three- (or) four-year plan, which I’ve always done, I now have to adapt to a one-year plan.”

Now, armed with four years of eligibility, he is also visiting Tennessee, Iowa, and Texas A&M.