Ohio State is no longer Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood.
The Buckeyes lost their second wide receiver of the day when Noah Rogers entered the transfer portal on Sunday night, joining Bryson Rodgers, who also announced he would enter the portal Sunday after just one year with the Buckeyes.
A four-star recruit ranked as the No. 53 overall prospect in the 2023 class, Rogers played just 14 snaps in four games as a true freshman, catching no passes. While he certainly had the upside to become an impact player for Ohio State in the future, it was unclear whether that would happen in 2024, as fellow second-year receivers Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss are considered more likely candidates to step into starting roles next season while five-star incoming freshmen Jeremiah Smith and Mylan Graham are also candidates for immediate playing time.
With Rogers’ departure, Tate and Inniss are now the only two of the four wide receivers Ohio State signed in the 2023 recruiting class that are still on the Buckeyes’ roster. It’s the second year in a row in a four-receiver recruiting class has shrunk down to just two players in one year, as four-star 2022 signees Kaleb Brown and Caleb Burton both transferred from Ohio State after just one season with the Buckeyes last offseason.
Those collective departures make Ohio State’s wide receiver depth a question mark entering 2024. Even if Emeka Egbuka stays at OSU for his senior season, the Buckeyes would be down to only eight scholarship receivers.
Rogers becomes the 18th Ohio State player to enter the transfer portal since the end of the regular season. He joins Rodgers, fellow wide receiver Julian Fleming, punter Jesse Mirco, defensive tackle Jaden McKenzie, tight end Joe Royer, cornerback Jyaire Brown and kicker Parker Lewis as outgoing Buckeyes who are currently in the portal.
Former Buckeyes who have transferred to new teams since the end of the regular season include quarterback Kyle McCord (Syracuse), running backs Evan Pryor (Cincinnati) and Chip Trayanum (Kentucky), centers Victor Cutler Jr. (Louisville) and Jakob James (Toledo), defensive end Omari Abor (SMU), linebacker Reid Carrico (West Virginia), cornerback Ryan Turner (Boston College) and safeties Kye Stokes (Cincinnati) and Cameron Martinez (Boston College).
