Ohio State's College Football Transfer Portal Plans Revealed
The Ohio State Buckeyes landed the fourth-best recruiting class in the 2025 cycle according to 247 Sports. But the Buckeyes weren't able to restock their defensive line with as much talent as they had when they won the national championship last season.
For that reason, On3's Pete Nakos predicted Sunday that head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes will focus on defensive line in the college football transfer portal this spring.
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"The Buckeyes are only months removed from the national title, however, they are expected to be buyers in the defensive line market in April," Nakos wrote. "Ohio State lost defensive tackle Hero Kanu and EDGE Mitchell Melton to the portal, plus roster attrition with the NFL draft and graduation.
"Ryan Day was not able to restock the talent pool following the national championship, and he is expected to heavily prioritize the defensive line, specifically the tackle position, in the coming weeks."
Ohio State Buckeyes football head coach Ryan Day© Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In addition to Kanu and Melton, the Buckeyes lost defensive linemen Tyleik Williams, Jack Sawyer and Ty Hamilton to the NFL Draft this offseason.
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The 2025 NFL Draft big board from ESPN ranked all three players in the top 130 prospects in the class.
Scarlet & Game's Ryan Stano agreed that the biggest need for Ohio State in the transfer portal is the defensive line.
"One area of concern following the Spring Game was the defensive line," Stano wrote. "The starting defensive line was not able to get pressure at all on the starting offensive line. The Buckeyes have to replace their entire starting defensive line, and that might be more of an issue than they thought."
According to 247 Sports, Ohio State signed three defensive linemen, one of which was a four-star recruit, in the 2025 recruiting class. The program also signed two four-star edge rushers.
Related: Coveted Star Sends Message on Ohio State Football
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Get more Michigan coverage on Wolverines Wire No. 1 - Ohio State Buckeyes APR Score: 1000 2024 APR: 1000 (No. 1) The college football world was probably shocked to see Ohio State leading the country in APR. It's not that Ohio State is a low-level institution, and it continues to up academic standards and perceptions, but it's not exactly a Northwestern, Duke, or Stanford. Ryan Day and his staff really need to be getting more credit for winning on the field while still graduating all of their players. It's truly remarkable for the football factory that Ohio State is. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
