Ohio State has missed out on its top transfer target.
Former Tennessee linebacker Henry To'o To'o will not be joining the Buckeyes, after all, as the team's top transfer portal target committed to Alabama on Saturday afternoon.
God THANK YOU pic.twitter.com/r9DCEWhkjK
— 11 (@HenryTootoo1) May 8, 2021
The No. 3 outside linebacker and No. 44 overall prospect in the recruiting class of 2019, To'o To'o became an immediate star in Knoxville. He started 12 of Tennessee's 13 games as a true freshman and recorded 72 total tackles, five tackles for loss and two pass breakups, which earned him Freshman All-American honors from both The Athletic and 247Sports.
To'o To'o opted to enter the transfer portal after Tennessee fired former head coach Jeremy Pruitt. He still has three remaining seasons of collegiate eligibility with the NCAA giving all players a free year of eligibility in 2020.
After missing out on To'o To'o, Ohio State will enter the fall with little experience at linebacker – unless it purses another transfer addition – after the team lost its top four players at the position to the NFL following the season.
The Buckeyes' linebacker depth chart is likely to consist of some combination of Teradja Mitchell, Dallas Gant, Cody Simon, Tommy Eichenberg, K'Vaughan Pope and Reid Carrico. And To'o To'o's decision to go to Alabama increases the likelihood that Ohio State will stick with a 4-2-5 base defense, replacing the Sam linebacker with a bullet, as it practiced with this spring.
