Every year is pivotal in the wild west of the college basketball transfer portal, which turns over even more production by percentage than football does. But this year is especially critical for Jake Diebler's Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have to replace roughly half of their roster this offseason, a share that would be larger were it not for the pending arrival of five-star prospect Anthony Thompson, expected to replace Devin Royal at small forward after he entered the transfer portal. Ohio State has several needs, including a new starting guard, a starting-caliber center and myriad depth pieces.
Meanwhile, its rival to the north, Michigan, won the national championship. The Big Ten sent six teams to the Sweet 16 as Illinois joined the Wolverines in the Final Four before losing to UConn, adding to the stakes of this portal class for Diebler as the conference builds up around him.
The Buckeyes made their first two transfer portal additions of the offseason on April 10 as former Cal and Michigan guard Justin Pippen and former Kentucky forward Andrija Jelavić committed to Ohio State. Then, on Saturday, OSU added another quality piece at guard from Duquesne in third-team All-Atlantic 10 performer Jimmie Williams.
| POS | PLAYER | YEAR | 2025-26 STATS | STARS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | JUSTIN PIPPEN | JR | 14.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.9 SPG | ★★★★ |
| F | ANDRIJA JELAVIĆ | SO | 5.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.3 BPG | ★★★★ |
| G | JIMMIE WILLIAMS | SR (RS) | 15.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.6 SPG | ★★★ |
On the other end of the spectrum, five players from last year’s roster have left the team via the transfer portal: Taison Chatman, Gabe Cupps, Mathieu Grujicic, Devin Royal and Colin White.
| POS | PLAYER | YEAR | 2025-26 STATS | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | TAISON CHATMAN | R-JR | 4.3 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.8 APG | UTAH |
| G | GABE CUPPS | R-JR | 1.7 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 1.1 APG | UIC |
| G | MATHIEU GRUJICIC | SO | 1.0 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 0.3 APG | |
| F | DEVIN ROYAL | SR | 13.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.6 APG | VILLANOVA |
| F | COLIN WHITE | JR | 0.9 PPG, 1 RPG, 0.4 APG |
Given the importance of this offseason, we're tracking all of Ohio State's portal movement here in one place, with analysis linked within. Get the full rundown on everything that's happened so far:
April 19, 2026
Former LSU Guard Visiting Ohio State
Former LSU guard Jalen Reece is scheduled to visit Ohio State this week, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.
Reece averaged 5.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game for LSU last season, making 10 starts in 32 games. The 10th-ranked point guard and No. 76 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, Reece will also visit Texas A&M and Missouri this week, per Tipton.
April 18, 2026
Former Duquesne Guard Jimmie Williams Commits to Ohio State
Ohio State added a major piece to bolster its backcourt depth in Duquesne transfer guard Jimmie Williams, a third-team All-Atlantic 10 selection who posted 15.1 points with 2.6 assists per game and shot 46.3% from the field last season. He's also an excellent defender, recording 1.6 steals per game in 2025-26.
April 17, 2026
Chatman Transfers to Utah
Former Ohio State guard Taison Chatman, the highest-rated prospect in the Buckeyes' 2023 class, has signed with Utah.
April 15, 2026
Jalen Haralson Picks Tennessee Over Ohio State
Ohio State missed out on one of its top transfer portal targets on Wednesday as former Notre Dame wing Jalen Haralson committed to Tennessee.
NEWS: Notre Dame transfer wing Jalen Haralson has committed to Tennessee, source told @On3.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 15, 2026
The 6-7 freshman averaged 16.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game this season. Former McDonalds All-American.https://t.co/NxMsV3XpT4 pic.twitter.com/lUMN6SDRKH
Ohio State made Haralson’s top three along with Tennessee and North Carolina and attempted to bring Haralson to campus for a visit. With Haralson’s commitment to Tennessee, Ohio State must find another wing – ideally two – to pair with Anthony Thompson following the departures of Devin Royal, Colin White, Puff Johnson and Mathieu Grujicic from last year.
Potential candidates to fill those spots on the roster include former Duquesne guard Jimmie Williams, who’s scheduled to visit Ohio State on Thursday, and former Kansas State guard Abdi Bashir Jr., who has a Zoom call scheduled with the Buckeyes on Thursday. Another transfer target, former Florida Atlantic guard Devin Vanterpool, committed to Providence on Tuesday.
April 14, 2026
Duquesne Guard Jimmie Williams to Visit Ohio State Thursday
Former Duquesne guard Jimmie Williams will take a visit to Ohio State on Thursday.
VISIT NEWS: Duquesne transfer Jimmie Williams plans to visit Ohio State on Thursday, source told @LeagurRDY.
— Sam Kayser (@KayserHoops) April 14, 2026
Williams also has Zooms lined up Virginia Tech, Ole Miss and SMU tomorrow. Has taken Zooms with Ohio State, DePaul and Seton Hall.
Repped by Tom Droney of WeShall https://t.co/plGVbuH3tX pic.twitter.com/X9iiZlft6M
At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Williams is an excellent perimeter defender, averaging 1.6 steals per game. He's a major threat on the offensive end, too, averaging 15.1 points per game and shooting 46.3% from the field while tacking on 4.5 rebounds per game. A Solon, Ohio native, he earned third-team All-AAC honors in 2025-26.
April 14, 2026
Cupps Transfers to the University of Illinois Chicago
Guard Gabe Cupps has found his new home after a lone disappointing season at Ohio State, transferring to UIC.
April 13, 2026
Royal Transfers to Villanova
After three years at Ohio State, Devin Royal is transferring to Villanova for his final year of college basketball.
April 13, 2026
Grujicic Enters Transfer Portal
Mathieu Grujicic is the fifth member of Ohio State’s 2025-26 roster to enter the transfer portal, leaving the Buckeyes after just one season. He appeared in just six games after arriving from Germany, with all of his game appearances coming in the first two months of the season.
April 13, 2026
Buckeyes Schedule Call with Kansas State Guard
Ohio State has scheduled a Zoom call with former Kansas State guard Abdi Bashir Jr. for Thursday, according to 247Sports’ Dushawn London.
Kansas State transfer Abdi Bashir will have a zoom with Ohio State on Thursday, source tells @247SportsPortal
— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) April 13, 2026
Bashir averaged 13.2 points this season and shot 44.4% from three.https://t.co/TiodE3H0VZ pic.twitter.com/xBYIufZjlS
A 6-foot-7, 175-pound guard from Omaha, Nebraska, Bashir averaged 13.2 points per game for Kansas State last season. A senior with one remaining year of eligibility, Bashir played his first two years of college basketball at Monmouth, where he averaged 20.1 points per game as a sophomore.
April 12, 2026
Drexel Guard Visiting Ohio State
On3’s Jamie Shaw reported Sunday that former Drexel guard Shane Blakeney has scheduled a visit to Ohio State.
Blakeney averaged 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game for Drexel last season, earning All-CAA second-team and CAA All-Defensive team honors.
April 11, 2026
Buckeyes Make Final Three for Jalen Haralson
According to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, Ohio State is one of three schools still in the running for Notre Dame transfer Jalen Haralson, along with North Carolina and Tennessee.
Source: Notre Dame transfer Jalen Haralson has cut his list to the following programs.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 11, 2026
Tennessee
Ohio State
North Carolina
Averaged 16.2 PPG and 4.0 RPG last season.
A 6-foot-7, 220-pound wing who can play both forward and guard, Haralson averaged 16.2 points per game as a freshman for Notre Dame last season.
April 10, 2026
Kentucky Forward Transfers to Ohio State
Ohio State’s second transfer commitment of the offseason came from former Kentucky forward Andrija Jelavić, a 6-foot-11, 225-pound forward from Croatia who brings three years of eligibility to Columbus. Jelavić averaged 5.5 points and four rebounds per game as a freshman for the Wildcats.
April 10, 2026
Buckeyes Add Son of NBA Legend
Former Cal and Michigan guard Justin Pippen, the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, is Ohio State’s first transfer addition of the offseason. He averaged 14.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game for the Golden Bears in 2025-26.
April 8, 2026
Ohio State Recruiting Former Duquesne Guard Jimmie Williams
Lettermen Row reported Wednesday that Ohio State had a Zoom call with former Duquesne guard Jimmie Williams, a Solon, Ohio, native. Williams, who previously played at Wallace State and USF, scored 15.1 points per game last season and earned third-team All-Atlantic-10 honors. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound guard has one remaining season of eligibility.
April 7, 2026
Ohio State Set to Host Columbus Native, Former Davidson Guard
Ohio State athletics could soon add another Devin Brown. Sources told Eleven Warriors on Tuesday that Devin Brown – an Olentangy Orange graduate and former Davidson Wildcat, not the former Buckeye quarterback – will take an official visit to Ohio State.
Brown averaged 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game during his freshman season at Davidson. He shot 40.8% from the field and 31% from three-point range across 34 appearances. Brown would likely be a depth addition after Ohio State lost reserve guards Gabe Cupps and Taison Chatman to the transfer portal this offseason.
April 7, 2026
Ohio State Set to Meet with Former Florida Atlantic Guard
According to Lettermen Row’s Mick Walker, Ohio State is set to meet with former Florida Atlantic guard Devin Vanterpool this week.
The 6-foot-4, 175-pound Vanterpool appeared in 54 games over two seasons with the Owls. He started 24 games this past season, averaging 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and 35.1% from three-point range. Vanterpool is the first reported player to schedule a meeting with Ohio State since the transfer portal opened Tuesday.
April 7, 2026
Ohio State's Transfer Portal Needs Include Starting Guard, Starting-Caliber Center and Multiple Depth Pieces
We run through Ohio State's transfer portal needs as the window opens, with a starting guard and starting-caliber center topping the list as obvious current holes in next year's lineup.
April 6, 2026
Michigan's Excellence Adds Pressure on Jake Diebler, Ohio State to Compete for Championships
As Ohio State is still hunting for its first NCAA Tournament win under Jake Diebler, Michigan is playing for national championships under Dusty May, who was in the running for the Buckeyes' head coaching job before they hired Diebler. The success of Ohio State's rival to the north and the Big Ten at large adds further pressure to what is already a critical offseason.
April 5, 2026
Guard Taison Chatman to Enter Transfer Portal
Ohio State's No. 3 guard in 2025-26, Taison Chatman, is set to enter the transfer portal after three seasons with the Buckeyes.
April 5, 2026
Guard Gabe Cupps to Enter Transfer Portal
After one lackluster season with Ohio State, former Ohio Mr. Basketball Gabe Cupps will be searching for his third destination in his college career. He also spent two years at Indiana.
April 4, 2026
Small Forward Colin White to Enter Transfer Portal
Small forward Colin White will search for a new home after two seasons coming off the end of Ohio State's bench.
March 29, 2026
Forward Devin Royal to Enter Transfer Portal
Royal spent three seasons at Ohio State, two as a starter, but likely would have had to come off the bench behind sophomore Amare Bynum and Thompson in 2026-27. As such, he entered the transfer portal for his fourth and final year of college basketball.
March 23, 2026
Where Ohio State Must Improve in 2026-27
To begin the offseason, we dove into where Ohio State must grow in 2026-27 as a program – and the transfer portal was a major area discussed. Staff discussions and X's and O's are delved into, too.
