The chain reaction after the Miami Hurricanes’ loss was inevitable for Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes. This has left Ohio State navigating a turbulent transfer portal, where the number of players heading for the exit is forcing Ryan Day to reassess the balance of his roster. Therefore, it’s busy days ahead for Ryan and the Buckeyes.

Outgoing Buckeyes stars

To be honest, the list seems a bit longer than usual. Ohio State saw nearly 20 players hit the portal.

Some of the most notable departures include running back James Peoples, who is heading to rival Penn State, and backup quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, who is off to Louisville.

We also saw some highly rated recruits from recent years, such as corners Bryce West (who transferred to Wisconsin) and Aaron Scott Jr., and wide receivers Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter, decide to leave to find more playing time elsewhere.

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A huge loss on the offensive line is Tegra Tshabola, who had started 28 games at right guard over the last two seasons. On defense, former top recruit C.J. Hicks is off to USF. Players like Isaiah Kema (IOL) are already heading to the Utah Utes.

Other players who have entered the portal:

• Keenan Nelson Jr. (S)
• Maxwell Roy (DL)
• Justin Terry (OL)
• Nick McLarty (Punter – ASU)
• Devontae Armstrong (IOL)
• Jackson Courville (K)
• Damarion Witten (WR)
• Logan George (EDGE)
• Sam Williams-Dixon (RB)
• Dominic Kirks (DL)
• Jelani Thurman (TE)

A significant number of talented players are leaving, particularly among younger players seeking an immediate, impactful role that they may not have secured at OSU this year.

Balancing Buckeyes’ new additions and key returns

Ryan Day and the Buckeyes have added a single-digit number of confirmed transfers as of today.

So far, their biggest catch is probably defensive tackle John Walker from UCF. Walker was a top recruit coming out of high school and excelled at UCF, earning Freshman All-American honors.

They also grabbed wide receiver Devin McCuin from UTSA, who was a seriously productive pass catcher in his time there. The team also added tight end Mason Williams from Ohio University and long snapper Dalton Riggs from UCF to handle snapping duties.

As for who’s sticking around, the 2026 roster is still being finalized as some older players weigh their NFL Draft options.

The good news is that stars like running back Bo Jackson, wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss, and quarterback Julian Sayin are all expected back as key starters. However, wide receiver Carnell Tate has officially decided to enter the 2026 NFL Draft. Key defensive players, such as safety Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, and linebacker Sonny Styles, are likely to declare for the draft soon.

So, the 2026 Ohio State Buckeyes team will look pretty different from the 2025 squad. There’s a mix of retaining core talent and bringing in portal players to fill gaps, while also losing some depth and future stars.

With significant talent departing and a handful of transfers arriving, the 2026 Buckeyes will look quite different as Ryan Day faces the challenge of filling the gaps left by the recent wave of departures.

The transfer portal giveth and the transfer portal taketh away!