Ohio State will be replacing its starting shooting guard in 2024-25, even if it already acquired a transfer to fill the void.
Roddy Gayle Jr. is in the transfer portal after two seasons as a Buckeye.
In his first year as a starter this season, Gayle finished third on the Buckeyes in scoring and second in passing, posting 13.5 points and 3.1 assists per game. He also collected 4.6 rebounds per game, third-most on the team. Ball security was a problem at times, however, as he also had 2.4 turnovers per contest.
His decision to transfer comes one day after Ohio State landed former South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson from the transfer portal. The addition of Johnson had little to do with Gayle's decision, though, according to Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch.
Gayle entered Columbus as a four-star prospect in the 247Sports composite rankings, considered the No. 49 recruit nationally and No. 2 shooting guard. Ohio State's class ranked No. 8 in the team rankings for that class.
With Gayle's departure, only two of the four signees from that group remain after Brice Sensabaugh went pro following his freshman year last year. Felix Okpara and Bruce Thornton, the two who joined Gayle and Sensabaugh, have both already confirmed they will play for the Buckeyes in 2024-25.
Most of Gayle's freshman season saw him play sparingly, only scoring double-figures one time before the Big Ten Tournament. That tournament served as his breakout stretch. Gayle scored nine, 15 and 20 points in the final three games of Ohio State's run to the semifinals, and he quickly climbed to be the team's starting shooting guard in 2023-24.
Johnson is now likely to replace Gayle as the Buckeyes' starting shooting guard, pairing with point guard Bruce Thornton in the backcourt. Current options off the bench include freshman Taison Chatman and incoming recruit Juni Mobley, while the Buckeyes remain likely to add another transfer guard. Princeton's Matt Allocco and Kent State's Jalen Sullinger have emerged as top names to watch there.
Gayle becomes the third Buckeye to enter the transfer portal, joining Scotty Middleton and Bowen Hardman.
