Ohio State currently has 80 players on scholarship for the 2024 season, and it now knows that none of those players will transfer elsewhere this year.
The Buckeyes lost six players during the post-spring transfer portal entry window – running back Dallan Hayden, wide receiver Kyion Grayes, guard Enokk Vimahi, linebacker Nigel Glover and safeties Ja’Had Carter and Cedrick Hawkins – but kept the core intact of what they expect to be a championship-caliber roster.
Now five scholarships under the 85-man limit, Ohio State could still add a few players to its 2024 roster to bolster its depth. While the deadline to enter the portal has now passed, players already in the portal can still transfer to new schools. The Buckeyes have reportedly been in contact with Michigan State defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (per On3) as well as a trio of safeties: Michigan State’s Jaden Mangham and Sacramento State’s Cameron Broussard, per 247Sports, as well as Texas A&M transfer Jacoby Mathews. Offensive line has been seen as the top-priority position for a post-spring transfer addition, though there doesn’t appear to be a wealth of Ohio State-caliber linemen in the portal.
With that in mind, we take a look at how Ohio State’s roster stacks up following the year’s final portal entry deadline to assess the Buckeyes’ depth at each position and where they could potentially look to fill out the roster with another transfer addition.
The counts below only include scholarship players, though notable walk-ons who could potentially be candidates for any leftover scholarships are mentioned in the analysis below each position group.
Quarterbacks (5): Will Howard (R-Sr.), Devin Brown (R-So.), Lincoln Kienholz (R-Fr.), Julian Sayin (Fr.), Air Noland (Fr.)
While a starting quarterback still needs to emerge from this group, Ohio State has the luxury of tremendous quarterback depth. Ryan Day would be happy to have four scholarship quarterbacks, and it’s exceedingly rare for a team to have five scholarship quarterbacks in the transfer portal age.
There’s no shortage of talent throughout this group. Howard earned second-team All-Big 12 honors last year at Kansas State. Sayin, Brown and Noland were all top-60 overall prospects in their recruiting classes. Kienholz was USA TODAY’s boys’ high school athlete of the year in 2023. Howard remains the frontrunner to start this season, but they all have enough upside to start at Ohio State after choosing to stick around for at least this year.
Running Backs (4): TreVeyon Henderson (Sr.), Quinshon Judkins (Jr.), James Peoples (Fr.), Sam Williams-Dixon (Fr.)
Ohio State would probably like to have one more non-freshman running back on scholarship, but the top of the depth chart is loaded with Henderson and Judkins, who will split the vast majority of carries as long as both stay healthy. Peoples and Williams-Dixon both performed well this spring as early enrollees, and Day has expressed confidence that those two freshmen, as well as walk-on TC Caffey, can provide the depth the Buckeyes need at running back if they don’t add a transfer at the position.
“We're looking for five, and I think we're in a situation where we'll be at five,” Day said in April after Hayden informed the coaching staff he would enter the portal. “If we need to add a sixth, then we'll look into that. But right now, I think we'll be in a situation where we feel comfortable with five guys.”
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Wide Receivers (8): Emeka Egbuka (Sr.), Jayden Ballard (R-Jr.), Kojo Antwi (R-So.), Brandon Inniss (So.), Carnell Tate (So.), Bryson Rodgers (R-Fr.), Jeremiah Smith (Fr.), Mylan Graham (Fr.)
With Egbuka back to lead the way and Smith, Tate and Inniss all seen as being on the precipice of stardom, Ohio State’s wide receiver unit remains in great shape despite the departures of Marvin Harrison Jr., Julian Fleming and Xavier Johnson from last season.
The total number here is lower than Ohio State would like it to be – Day said a few years ago that 11 was the Buckeyes’ target number of scholarship receivers –but Brian Hartline has never been inclined to chase portal receivers. The Buckeyes have just enough depth that they don’t have to, with walk-ons David Adolph and Brennen Schramm looking the part of capable third-stringers with their performances in the spring game.
Tight Ends (6): Gee Scott Jr. (R-Sr.), Will Kacmarek (R-Jr.), Bennett Christian (R-So.), Jelani Thurman (R-Fr.), Max LeBlanc (Fr.), Damarion Witten (Fr.)
Like at quarterback, Ohio State doesn’t have a clear-cut starter at tight end – though Scott is the leader in the clubhouse –but has more than enough depth with Kacmarek, Thurman and Christian also candidates to be a part of the tight end rotation. In addition to the six tight ends on scholarship, Patrick Gurd returns to the unit after playing the most snaps of any walk-on last season (not including Johnson, who started his career as a walk-on but was placed on scholarship in 2021).
Given the surplus of depth at tight end, Witten could be a candidate to play wide receiver – at least temporarily –to balance out the numbers at the positions, as Witten has enough athleticism to play outside and will need to bulk up from his high school weight to play tight end collegiately.
Offensive Linemen (16): Josh Fryar (R-Sr.), Seth McLaughlin (R-Sr.), Donovan Jackson (Sr.), Josh Simmons (R-Jr.), Zen Michalski (R-Jr.), George Fitzpatrick (R-So.), Carson Hinzman (R-So.), Tegra Tshabola (R-So.), Luke Montgomery (So.), Joshua Padilla (R-Fr.), Austin Siereveld (R-Fr.), Miles Walker (R-Fr.), Deontae Armstrong (Fr.), Devontae Armstrong (Fr.), Ian Moore (Fr.), Gabe VanSickle (Fr.)
If the Buckeyes are going to add another starter via a post-spring transfer addition, it would be on the offensive line. Simmons (left tackle), Jackson (left guard), McLaughlin (center) and Fryar (right tackle) are all expected to be starters, but the right guard position remains wide open entering the summer.
From an overall numbers standpoint, the Buckeyes have as many scholarship offensive linemen as they need. If they can find a transfer offensive lineman who could either be an upgrade for the fifth starting spot or provide more reliability as a top backup, they shouldn’t hesitate to make an addition. If they’re unable to find such a player, three potential candidates to round out the starting lineup are Hinzman, Tshabola and Montgomery while Fitzpatrick, Michalski, Siereveld and Padilla will be the main contenders to round out the two-deep.
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Defensive Ends (8): Jack Sawyer (Sr.), JT Tuimoloau (Sr.), Mitchell Melton (R-Sr.), Caden Curry (Jr.), Kenyatta Jackson (R-So.), Joshua Mickens (R-Fr.), Eddrick Houston (Fr.), Dominic Kirks (Fr.)
Led by a standout pair of returning starters in Sawyer and Tuimoloau, Ohio State’s defensive end depth chart is strong from top to bottom.
Curry, Jackson and Melton give the Buckeyes a deep rotation of veteran edge defenders with playing experience. Houston, Mickens and Kirks give Ohio State promising developmental rushers for the future, with the five-star Houston being the most likely candidate among those three to push for playing time alongside the veterans in 2024.
Defensive Tackles (8): Ty Hamilton (R-Sr.), Tyleik Williams (Sr.), Tywone Malone (R-Jr.), Hero Kanu (R-So.), Kayden McDonald (So.), Jason Moore (R-Fr.), Will Smith Jr. (R-Fr.), Eric Mensah (Fr.)
Just like at defensive end, Ohio State sits at its target number of eight scholarship players at defensive tackle with a healthy mix of veterans and youth.
Williams and Hamilton form a strong starting tandem, while Kanu, McDonald and Moore are among the younger defensive tackles who have flashed between limited action last season and this spring. Hamilton and Williams are the only returning defensive tackles who have seen considerable playing time, which gives the Buckeyes reason to consider adding another veteran like Harmon, but Ohio State will still have a well-built roster of interior defensive linemen if it doesn’t add anyone.
Linebackers (8): Cody Simon (R-Sr.), Kourt Williams (R-Sr.), C.J. Hicks (Jr.), Sonny Styles (Jr.), Gabe Powers (R-So.), Arvell Reese (So.), Payton Pierce (Fr.), Garrett Stover (Fr.)
Ohio State courted a couple of linebackers during the first transfer window of the offseason, but the Buckeyes have less need for one now that Styles is a full-time linebacker. At a position where only two to three players have seen regular playing time in Jim Knowles’ first two years as defensive coordinator, eight scholarship linebackers is enough for the Buckeyes to have healthy depth.
That’s contingent on the availability of Pierce and Williams, who were both sidelined this spring by injuries, but it’s likely that most if not all of the snaps this year will be played by some combination of Simon, Hicks, Styles, Reese and Powers. Walk-on Joey Velazquez is also a legitimate depth option and candidate to play special teams as a former scholarship player at Michigan.
Cornerbacks (9): Denzel Burke (Sr.), Jordan Hanco*ck (Sr.), Lorenzo Styles Jr. (R-Jr.), Davison Igbinosun (Jr.), Jermaine Mathews Jr. (So.), Calvin Simpson-Hunt (R-Fr.), Aaron Scott Jr. (Fr.), Bryce West (Fr.), Miles Lockhart (Fr.)
You won’t find many better depth charts at any position in college football than Ohio State’s cornerback depth chart. The Buckeyes couldn’t have drawn it up much better than it’s currently constructed.
Burke, Igbinosun and Hanco*ck give the Buckeyes an excellent trio of returning starters. Mathews might be the best backup cornerback in the country, and the Buckeyes are high on Simpson-Hunt and Styles’ ability to contribute off the bench, too. Scott, West and Lockhart give Ohio State a talented trio of freshmen to provide third-team depth this year while developing for the future.
Jordan Hanco*ck, Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun lead the nation’s best cornerback depth chart.
Safeties (6): Lathan Ransom (Sr.), Caleb Downs (So.), Malik Hartford (So.), Jayden Bonsu (R-Fr.), Jaylen McClain (Fr.), Leroy Roker (Fr.)
Ohio State already added the best player in the transfer portal in Downs, who will team with Ransom to form an excellent tandem of starting safeties. In terms of sheer numbers, however, safety is the position where Ohio State most needs to add another transfer – and could even add two transfers –for depth purposes. Ideally, the Buckeyes would like to have at least eight safeties on scholarship; with only six, they’re an injury or two away from being in a precarious spot.
As things currently stand, the Buckeyes have just three safeties with any playing experience at the collegiate level in Downs, Ransom and Hartford. That said, Bonsu and McClain both performed well in extended reps this spring, while walk-on Inky Jones has also demonstrated the potential to be a quality depth player despite his lack of a scholarship.
Specialists (2): LS John Ferlmann (R-Jr.), P Nick McLarty (Fr.)
Ohio State addressed its lack of punting depth with the late addition to the 2024 recruiting class of McLarty, who will compete with fellow Australian Joe McGuire – a walk-on –for the starting punting job when he enrolls at OSU this summer. Ohio State will also supplement its long-snapping depth this summer with the arrival of incoming freshman walk-on Morrow Evans, the top-ranked long snapper in the 2024 class, though he’ll start out his career backing up Ferlmann.
Assuming the Buckeyes don’t add five more transfers, Jayden Fielding would be a logical candidate to receive one of Ohio State’s five open scholarships as he enters his second season as the Buckeyes’ starting kicker.
