37 Ohio State Transfers Will Play for Power 4 Teams in 2024

Twenty-four scholarship players from last year’s Ohio State football team entered the transfer portal this offseason, and 22 of them found homes with other Power 4 schools. All 24 of them landed with FBS programs.

Those transfers join 15 other former Ohio State players who left the Buckeyes in previous offseasons that will still be playing for Power 4 programs this season, as well as eight other Buckeye transfers from past years who will be playing for Group of 5 teams or smaller schools in 2024.

With Nigel Glover becoming the final member of this year’s Ohio State transfer class to officially land with a new team when he reenrolled at Northwestern, the school he transferred out of to Ohio State last summer, we took a look at all 47 of the former Ohio State players who will be playing for other college football teams this year and what roles they could play for their current teams in 2024.

Players who were walk-ons at Ohio State are denoted with an asterisk.

Power 4 Transfers

Texas QB Quinn Ewers

The one player on this list who would almost certainly be a starter if he was still at Ohio State, Ewers is entering his third season as Texas’ starting quarterback. Fresh off of leading Texas to a College Football Playoff berth in 2023, Ewers enters 2024 as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy after completing 69% of his passes for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns with only six interceptions last season.

Syracuse QB Kyle McCord

Ohio State’s starting quarterback from last season is now the starting quarterback at Syracuse. While McCord would have been a candidate to keep his starting job if he stayed at Ohio State, he chose to go elsewhere for a guaranteed starting opportunity rather than compete for the job at OSU. While McCord’s lone season as OSU’s starter fell short of expectations, the third-team All-Big Ten honoree will be an upgrade behind center for Syracuse, which averaged only 171 passing yards per game last season compared to 264.2 per game for McCord at Ohio State.

Penn State WR Julian Fleming

Despite starting for each of the last two seasons at Ohio State, Fleming left the Buckeyes for his hometown school this offseason. Like McCord, the Central Pennsylvania native wouldn’t have been guaranteed to keep his starting job if he stayed in Ohio State’s loaded wide receiver room, but he’s a likely No. 1 wide receiver for a Penn State team that doesn’t return a single wideout who had more than 19 catches in 2023.

After averaging only 215 passing yards per game last season, Penn State will be hoping Fleming – who was the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2020 recruiting class but never became the star he was expected to be in Columbus – can give its aerial attack a much-needed spark. Fleming will face off against his former team when Penn State hosts Ohio State at Beaver Stadium on Nov. 2.

Kentucky RB Chip Trayanum, OL Ben Christman, CB Jantzen Dunn and DL Darrion Henry-Young

Considering Mark Stoops’ program has consistently recruited the state of Ohio aggressively, it’s no surprise Kentucky leads all schools with four Ohio State transfers on its roster.

Trayanum is expected to start for the Wildcats after serving as Ohio State’s No. 2 running back last year. Dunn, who played in six games in his first year at Kentucky after transferring to his home-state school, is expected to be the Wildcats’ third or fourth cornerback this year.

Henry-Young has seen only occasional playing time in two seasons at Kentucky and is expected to remain a backup for the Wildcats as a fifth-year senior. Christman is also in line to be a backup after missing his entire first season at Kentucky with a knee injury.

Cincinnati RB Evan Pryor, TE Joe Royer and S Kye Stokes

Also unsurprisingly, Cincinnati is tied for the second-most Ohio State transfers with three on its roster. Pryor, Royer and Stokes all made the two-hour drive down I-71 this offseason after playing only sparingly for the Buckeyes in 2023.

Pryor is projected to be Cincinnati’s No. 2 running back this season behind returning 1,000-yard rusher Corey Kiner. Royer, a Cincinnati native, is a candidate to start at tight end following the departure of the Bearcats’ top tight ends from last season. Stokes is one of five transfer additions in Cincinnati’s secondary who are now competing for starting jobs on a defense looking to bounce back after allowing 30 points per game in 2023.

N.C. State DE Noah Potter, WR Noah Rogers and S Ja’Had Carter

A more unexpected team to have three Ohio State transfers on its roster, N.C. State is also tied for the second-most former Buckeyes of any team after adding Rogers (a Raleigh native) and Carter following its addition of Potter last offseason.

After one quiet season at Ohio State, Rogers is expected to be an immediate impact player in N.C. State’s offense after catching seven passes for 133 yards in the Wolfpack’s spring game. Carter, a three-year starter at Syracuse before he transferred to Ohio State, looks to reemerge as a starter in the Wolfpack’s secondary for his final year of collegiate eligibility. Potter had a quiet first year at N.C. State, recording only two tackles, but is expected to be a second-team defensive end for the Wolfpack as a fifth-year senior.

Colorado RB Dallan Hayden and TE Sam Hart

Coach Prime shipped in some Louis from Columbus this offseason as Hayden and Hart both chose to join Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes. Hayden is likely to be the Buffaloes’ starting running back this season after they lost all of their top four running backs from last season. Hart, a Colorado native, is also projected to start for the Buffaloes as they don’t return a single tight end who played an offensive snap last year.

LSU CB JK Johnson and CB Jyaire Brown

LSU has added an Ohio State cornerback transfer to its roster three offseasons in a row. Brown, a Louisiana native, became the latest Buckeye corner to leave for LSU this offseason after Johnson did so in 2023 and Sevyn Banks did so in 2022.

Neither of them is projected to be a starter at LSU this season, but both of them have a better chance at playing a significant role in the Tigers’ secondary than they would have if they stayed in Ohio State’s loaded cornerback unit. Johnson was sidelined by a leg injury for his entire first season at LSU.

Boston College CB Ryan Turner and S Cameron Martinez

Boston College also added two Ohio State transfers this offseason, which made sense at the time as former Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley was the Eagles’ head coach. Hafley left BC to become the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator in January, but short-lived Ohio State offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will still have two former Buckeyes in his secondary in Chestnut Hill.

Martinez and Turner are both expected to be either starters or top backups in BC’s defensive backfield after playing only 28 defensive snaps each for Ohio State in 2023.

Michigan State CB Lejond Cavazos

Ohio State will face a former Buckeye in its Big Ten opener as Cavazos transferred to Michigan State after two seasons at North Carolina. He missed all but one game in his final season at UNC due to injury but is expected to compete for a starting job in East Lansing after joining the team this summer.

Cavazos and the Spartans host Ohio State on Sept. 28.

Iowa WR Kaleb Brown

Ohio State will face another former Buckeye in its second Big Ten game of the season when it hosts Iowa in its first conference home game.

Brown is the Hawkeyes’ leading returning receiver after he caught 22 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown last season – all in Iowa’s final six games of the year. The Hawkeyes will be counting on Brown to build on his strong finish to his first season at Iowa if they’re going to bounce back from having the nation’s worst offense last year, though Brown faces the likelihood of being suspended for the start of Iowa’s 2024 season after he was arrested on Sunday for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Northwestern LB Nigel Glover

The Buckeyes will have another meeting with a transfer on Nov. 16 when Ohio State faces Northwestern at Wrigley Field. Glover probably won’t play a major role for the Wildcats this year after playing zero snaps in his only season as a Buckeye. That said, the four-star recruit has a much more likely path to a significant role over the next two to four years with Northwestern, the school he originally signed with out of high school, than he would have had if he stayed at OSU.

USC S Bryson Shaw

Shaw is entering his third year at USC and sixth overall season of college football after starting his career at Ohio State for three years. The Buckeyes’ starting free safety in 2021, Shaw has seen regular playing time for the Trojans over the past two years, recording 109 total tackles. He’s likely to be a backup safety as a sixth-year senior, however, following the Trojans’ transfer additions of former UCLA safety Kamari Ramsey and former Oregon State safety Akili Arnold.

Washington G Enokk Vimahi

Vimahi will complete his college career at Washington as a sixth-year senior after five years with the Buckeyes. While he wasn’t a contender to fill Ohio State’s right guard vacancy after struggling in the Cotton Bowl, he is the frontrunner to start at right guard for the defending national runners-up, which is replacing its entire starting offensive line from last season.

Auburn WR Caleb Burton

Burton caught 16 passes for 226 yards in his first year at Auburn, all in the Tigers’ final eight games of last season, capping off his redshirt freshman season with a five-catch, 78-yard performance against Maryland. He’s the Tigers’ leading returning receiver but will likely come off the bench following their offseason additions of Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Georgia State transfer Robert Lewis and five-star freshman Cam Coleman.

Missouri WR Mookie Cooper

Cooper is entering his fourth season at Missouri after one redshirt year at Ohio State in 2020. The St. Louis native has gradually gotten more productive each year he’s been in Columbia, catching 36 passes for 447 yards in 2023, his first season as a consistent starter for the Tigers.

Cal WR Kyion Grayes

Grayes transferred to Cal this summer after catching only one pass in two years at Ohio State. He likely won’t be an immediate starter in Berkeley but will have a better opportunity to contend for a spot in the rotation than he would have had if he stayed in OSU’s loaded wide receiver room.

Louisville C Victor Cutler Jr.

A backup center for the Buckeyes last season after transferring in from Louisiana-Monroe, Cutler transferred again this offseason with his sights set on reemerging as a starter in his final year of collegiate eligibility. As of now, however, Cutler is projected to be a backup center again as the Cardinals also brought in Northern Illinois transfer Pete Nygra to be their potential starter at the position.

Pittsburgh G Ryan Jacoby

After playing as a sixth offensive lineman for the Panthers in 2022, Jacoby was in line to be Pittsburgh’s starting left guard last season until he suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason camp. The fifth-year senior from Mentor is expected to return to the top of the depth chart at LG now that he’s healthy again.

SMU DE Omari Abor

Abor returned to his home state of Texas this offseason after playing just 38 defensive snaps in two seasons at Ohio State. He’ll have a better shot at earning playing time at SMU, where he’s projected to be a top backup defensive end this season for the Mustangs’ first year in the ACC.

North Carolina DE Jacolbe Cowan

Cowan played in only six games as a backup defensive end for North Carolina last season, recording three tackles with one sack, before his year was cut short by injury. Now a fifth-year senior in his third year at UNC, Cowan will remain a backup for the Tar Heels this season as starting defensive ends Desmond Evans and Kaimon Rucker are both back for another year.

West Virginia LB Reid Carrico

Having grown up on the West Virginia border in Ironton, Ohio, Carrico became a Mountaineer this offseason after playing zero defensive snaps in his final two seasons at Ohio State. He isn’t projected to start for WVU this season but is likely to be one of the Mountaineers’ top backup linebackers behind returning starters Trey Lathan and Ben Cutter.

Tennessee S Andre Turrentine

Turrentine started the final three games of Tennessee’s 2023 season, recording his first career interception in the Volunteers’ 35-0 Citrus Bowl win over Iowa, and he’s expected to remain in the starting lineup this year. The Tennessee native is entering his third season at his home-state school after playing at Ohio State for just one year.

UCF S Cedrick Hawkins

Hawkins isn’t expected to play a major role in his first season at UCF after making zero game appearances in his only season at Ohio State. The Central Florida native has plenty of time to work his way up the depth chart as he still has all four years of his collegiate eligibility remaining.

Arizona State K Parker Lewis

After watching from the sidelines for two years at Ohio State, Lewis is expected to be the primary kicker on both field goals and kickoffs for the Sun Devils this season as he returns to his home state.

Vanderbilt P Jesse Mirco

Although he was Ohio State’s starting punter for the entirety of his three seasons in Columbus, Mirco chose to transfer to Vanderbilt for his final year of college football. He replaces one of last year’s top punters in college football, Matthew Hayball, who earned second-team All-American honors for the Commodores in 2023 and was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.

Florida State LS Mason Arnold*

Arnold transferred twice last offseason, ending up at Florida State after initially transferring from Ohio State to Michigan State. He’s in line to be the Seminoles’ primary long snapper this year after appearing in six games last season.

Group of 5 Transfers

East Carolina DT Jaden McKenzie

McKenzie returned to his home state of North Carolina for his final year of collegiate eligibility after a quiet five years at Ohio State in which he never earned consistent playing time. He’ll likely have a better chance to earn a regular role in the rotation at East Carolina, though the Pirates have two returning starters at defensive tackle in D’Anta Johnson and Elijah Morris.

Memphis DE Cormontae Hamilton

After starting his college career as an Ohio State tight end, Hamilton has become an impactful defensive lineman for his hometown school, starting 23 games and tallying 81 tackles with nine tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks over the past two seasons. He enters 2024 as a fifth-year senior with two more years of eligibility.

Northern Illinois K Jake Seibert

Seibert began last season as Northern Illinois’ top kicker but lost the job after making only two of five field goal attempts in the Huskies’ first four games. He took over kickoff duties from Kanon Woodill for the remainder of the season after Woodill – who is expected to remain NIU’s field goal kicker this season – replaced Seibert on field-goal kicking duties.

Toledo OL Jakob James

A backup throughout his four years at Ohio State, James is projected to start at either center or guard on Toledo’s offensive line, which is replacing its entire starting unit from last season.

Akron K Garrison Smith*

After two years at the FCS level at McNeese State, Smith’s first game back in the FBS will be at the school where he started his college career as a walk-on in 2021. After making 18 of 21 field goal attempts in two years at McNeese, Smith is expected to be the starting kicker at Akron, which faces Ohio State in its season opener at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 31.

Charlotte P Michael O’Shaughnessy*

O’Shaughnessy hit the transfer portal for the second year in a row to finish his college career at  Charlotte after one year at Michigan State. O’Shaughnessy is expected to be the 49ers’ starting punter after averaging 40.1 yards per punt on 14 punts as the Spartans’ No. 2 punter in 2023.

Miami (Ohio) LB Jackson Kuwatch*

Kuwatch recorded five tackles with one tackle for loss in 10 game appearances in his first season at Miami (Ohio). The former Ohio State walk-on will look to earn more playing time as a backup linebacker in his second year with the RedHawks.

Small-School Transfers

Southern Illinois RB Willtrell Hartson*

Hartson turned down several FBS scholarship offers to walk on at Ohio State in 2023 but chose to transfer to the FCS level after just one year with the Buckeyes for a better shot at earning playing time. He’ll have that chance at Southern Illinois as the Salukis replace their top two running backs from last season.

Youngstown State WR Blaize Exline*

Exline enters his second year at Youngstown State after one year as a walk-on wide receiver at Ohio State. He played in two games but did not record any catches in his first year as a Penguin.

New Haven DT Brett Novick*

Novick is in his second year at New Haven, a Division II school, where he’ll finish his college career as a sixth-year senior in 2024 after one year as an Ohio State walk-on and three years at Delaware. He recorded five tackles in five games in his first year at New Haven.