Ohio State is in the thick of College Football Transfer Portal season. Ohio State has been heavily involved in transfer portal recruiting this offseason, both by addition and subtraction. The Buckeyes have currently lost nearly 30 players to the portal following the loss to Miami in the Cotton Bowl, ending Ohio State’s 2025-6 season early. […]
Ohio State is in the thick of College Football Transfer Portal season. Ohio State has been heavily involved in transfer portal recruiting this offseason, both by addition and subtraction. The Buckeyes have currently lost nearly 30 players to the portal following the loss to Miami in the Cotton Bowl, ending Ohio State’s 2025-6 season early.
At first, it felt like there was a mass exodus occurring for Ryan Day and Ohio State. Rightfully so, it caused the Buckeye Faithful to panic and lose faith. However, in the last few days, coach Day and the Ohio State coaching staff have been on a roll, earning multiple commitments from proven commodities at positions of importance. It appears there may have been a shift in thought for the Ohio State coaching staff when it comes to building a roster. The Buckeyes let many highly-rated recruits leave the program to search for greater NIL opportunities, instead prioritizing its NIL money going towards retaining guys that have proven their abilities on the field and bringing in already proven talents from the transfer portal.
Monday was more of the same as the commitments kept coming. The Buckeyes added a handful of players to their roster for next season, some who will look to contribute right away and some who will provide necessary depth. Below are some of the recruits who committed to the Buckeyes on Monday.
Alabama defensive lineman James Smith and Edge Qua Russaw
The former Alabama defensive linemen entered the transfer portal as a package deal and are the most recent additions to Ohio State’s roster for the 2026-27 season. Upon entering their names in the portal, both Smith and Russaw became some of the best players available in the portal. Smith is the No. 7 overall transfer prospect and the No. 1 DL prospect, according to 247Sports, while Russaw is the No. 58 overall transfer prospect and is the No. 10 edge. Both Smith and Russaw were both five-star recruits coming out of high school as well.
The Buckeyes quickly made it known they were interested in both, and the elite duo visited with Ohio State last Thursday. The visit went well, according to all reports; all that was left was whether the three parties could reach a fair NIL deal. That came through on Monday as both Smith and Russaw announced their commitments to Ohio State.
Smith comes in as a junior, playing in all 15 games for the Crimson Tide this past season, starting for 12 of them. He was one of the Tide’s top defensive linemen, racking up 6.5 tackles for loss. Russaw was also a crucial piece of Alabama’s defensive front last season. He comes to Ohio State as a redshirt-sophomore and played in nine of Alabama’s games last season, starting three times. Russaw’s season was interrupted by a foot injury, but he was able to return; however, he was unable to contribute as much as he had prior to the injury.
The duo instantly provides a boost to Ohio State’s defensive line for next season, and Ryan Day, Matt Patricia, and Larry Johnson all have to feel relieved adding them to the roster.
Duke Safety Terry Moore
Just one day after securing a commitment in the transfer portal from former Florida State safety Earl Little Jr., Ohio State went back to the transfer portal to add to its secondary Monday when former Duke safety Terry Moore committed to Ohio State. Moore comes to Ohio State as one of the top defenders in the ACC. He is also the No. 100 overall transfer prospect and the No. 7 safety.
Moore started his career off as a running back but decided to switch to the defensive side of the ball ahead of the 2024-25 season. It was this switch that made him a big name across the ACC as he finished the season with second-team All-ACC honors after starting all 13 games for the Blue Devils.
However, his breakout season came to a disappointing end, as Moore tore his ACL returning an interception in the Gator Bowl. This injury caused him to miss the 2025-26 season, and he will come to Ohio State with a chip on his shoulder, trying to prove he has completely recovered from the injury without losing a step.
Northwestern TE Hunter Welcing
While most of the additions Ohio State has brought in through the transfer portal have been in an effort to shore up the defensive side of the ball, Ohio State added another offensive piece to its 2026-27 roster on Monday when former Northwestern tight end committed to the Buckeyes. Welcing comes to Ohio State following a breakout campaign last season for the Wildcats.
Welcing’s college career has been full of its ups and downs, and he was injured during his freshman season and redshirted his sophomore season after playing in only four games. Welcing once again was injured in his third season for the Wildcat,s but started seeing more action in the 2023 season, playing in eight games. However, Welcing’s patience paid off in his 2025 season, finishing the year with 28 receptions for 296 yards and two touchdowns.
Ohio State has now added two tight ends through the portal this offseason, signaling that current Ohio State star at the position, Max Klare, is likely to head to the NFL Draft this April. Klare, who Ohio State also brought in through the portal, played a key role on the Buckeyes’ offense last season, and Welcing and fellow transfer portal addition, Mason Williams, will help the Buckeyes make up for losing Klare and Will Kacmarek, who graduated from Ohio State this year.
Welcing is not rated in the 247Sports Transfer Portal ratings, but he is viewed as a four-star transfer prospect.
Maryland QB Justyn Martin
Sticking to the offensive side of the ball, Ohio State added some necessary depth at the quarterback position Monday when former Maryland QB Justyn Martin announced he would be joining Ohio State’s roster for the 2026-27 season. Ohio State had been looking to add a fourth QB to its roster after losing former QB Lincoln Kienholtz to Louisville in the transfer portal.
Martin comes to Ohio State with at least one year of eligibility, but could earn a medical hardship waiver after only playing in one game for Maryland in 2025. Ohio State will also be his third collegiate team, as he was on UCLA’s roster for three seasons before joining the Terrapins this season. In his one game for Maryland, Martin recorded only a single rushing attempt and did not attempt a pass.
Julian Sayin will obviously be Ohio State’s starting QB next season, barring an injury, and Martin will simply be a depth piece. He will be allowed to compete with Tavien St. Clair and Luke Fahey for the primary backup duties, though. He is the No. 510 overall transfer portal prospect and is the No. 36 QB transfer prospect.
Make sure to follow Land-Grant Holy Land for updates on all things Ohio State, and for live updates on the Buckeyes’ transfer portal dealings, follow our live Ohio State Transfer Portal tracker.
Category: General Sports
