Ohio State has finally landed a transfer offensive lineman.
Victor Cutler, who made 21 starts on Louisiana-Monroe’s offensive line over the past three seasons, announced his commitment to Ohio State on Wednesday.
Dream come true pic.twitter.com/IBUVByamNz
— V!c (@CutlerVictor) January 18, 2023
Cutler was the Warhawks’ starting left tackle in 2022 and also has experience starting at center and right tackle. While Ohio State has a hole to fill at left tackle, Cutler likely projects to playing on the interior offensive line for the Buckeyes at 6-foot-3 and 302 pounds.
With a Pro Football Focus grade of just 42.8 for the 2022 season, Cutler won’t come to Ohio State as a sure bet to earn a starting spot. That said, he earned one of his highest grades of the year last season against Alabama, allowing zero pressures in pass protection. And he gives the Buckeyes another veteran offensive lineman with significant starting experience, which Ohio State lacked outside of returning starters Donovan Jackson and Matt Jones. His experience playing both tackle positions and center could allow him to provide depth at all five offensive line spots.
The Louisiana native, who was a two-star recruit in the 2019 class, brings two years of eligibility to Ohio State. He will arrive at Ohio State next week and will be eligible to participate in spring practices.
The Cutler File
- Year: Fifth-Year (2 years of eligibility)
- Size: 6-3/302
- Pos: OL
- School: Louisiana-Monroe (2019-22)
- Stats: 21 career starts (13 at LT, 4 at C, 4 at RT)
He becomes the fifth player to join Ohio State for the 2023 season via the transfer portal along with former Oregon State quarterback Tristan Gebbia, Syracuse safety Ja’Had Carter, Arizona State long snapper John Ferlmann and Kent State kicker Casey Magyar (walk-on). The Buckeyes have now added more scholarship transfers this offseason than they had in any previous offseason since the transfer portal opened in 2018.
The addition of Cutler comes on the final day that players can enter the transfer portal in the postseason transfer window. It’s the first addition but not necessarily the last addition for the Buckeyes at their most obvious position of transfer need. Should Ohio State exit the spring feeling as though it needs further reinforcements up front, the Buckeyes could add another offensive lineman during the post-spring transfer window, which runs from May 1-15.
Ohio State previously offered four other offensive tackles that it did not land in the current transfer window: Ajani Cornelius (who transferred from Rhode Island to Oregon), Jeremiah Byers (UTEP to Florida State), Dillon Wade (Tulsa to Auburn) and Jarrett Kingston (Washington State to USC).
