Ohio State will have to settle for landing just one of the top two players in the transfer portal.
While Ohio State had hoped to land two five-star sophomores from Alabama after Caleb Downs and Kadyn Proctor entered the transfer portal, the Buckeyes were unable to pull off the double dip as Proctor announced his commitment to Iowa on Saturday.
The return https://t.co/j5A8lLNbfo
— Kadyn Proctor (@KadynProctor1) January 20, 2024
Proctor’s decision to become a Hawkeye comes as no surprise. The Hawkeyes finished as the runner-up to Alabama in the high school recruitment of Proctor, a native of Des Moines, Iowa.
That said, he would have been a great addition for an Ohio State offensive line that struggled throughout the 2023 season. The No. 1-ranked offensive tackle in the 2023 recruiting class, Proctor started all 14 games at left tackle for Alabama as a true freshman and could have been a potential upgrade at either left or right tackle for the Buckeyes. He was ranked as the No. 2 player to enter the portal this offseason behind only Downs, who committed to Ohio State on Friday.
Ohio State still has plenty to celebrate with its transfer portal over the past three weeks, as the Buckeyes have added five players including two other starters from Alabama in Downs and center Seth McLaughlin. The Buckeyes could still potentially add another five-star transfer from Tuscaloosa as they are reportedly the frontrunner to land freshman quarterback Julian Sayin if they decide to take him after he entered the transfer portal Friday.
The Buckeyes should still be in the market to add another transfer offensive lineman or two, even if that means waiting until the post-spring transfer window with Proctor now off the board. Offensive linemen who are still available that could potentially be upgrades for the Buckeyes include former Washington starters Nate Kalepo and Parker Brailsford, who both entered the portal after Kalen DeBoer became the head coach at Alabama.
