Ohio State Buckeyes should act on bringing a potential defensive star in that just made it clear he’s entering the NCAA Transfer Portal
It could be a clear transfer portal move for Ryan Day and Ohio State to make.
We are less than a month away from the NCAA transfer portal opening for two weeks, and it’s expected to be as busy as ever.
The Ohio State Buckeyes hope to be preparing for the College Football Playoff semifinal when the portal opens. With the way the college football calendar is set up, it does no favors to teams competing in the CFP. When the portal opens on Jan. 2, the Buckeyes will lose several players while adding to the program.
A potential transfer portal target is now out there for Ohio State
One of the top pass rushers expected to be in the transfer portal is Miami University DE Adam Trick, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Trick is coming off a breakout year with Miami (OH), where he recorded 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and an interception. It is expected that Trick will have a competitive market.
Trick wouldn’t have to go far from Miami, OH, to Columbus if there is indeed interest from the Buckeyes. The 6-4, 249-pound pass rusher played his high school ball at Wayne in Dayton, Ohio. Trick first broke onto the scene as a junior in 2024, recording 4.5 sacks and 37 tackles in 13 games for the Redhawks.
Buckeyes set to rely on some new names next season for their pass rush
Ohio State is expected to lose current starters Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson to the NFL Draft after this season. That comes just a year after the Buckeyes lost Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau to the NFL following the national championship. Curry has been Ohio State’s top pass rusher this season with 11 sacks, and Jackson is having a breakout year with 6.5 sacks in 13 games. Both players are in their fourth season with the Buckeyes.
Ohio State grabbed DE Beau Atkinson out of the portal last spring, and he should return next year. Atkinson has one sack this season after having 7.5 last season at North Carolina. Atkinson and freshman Zion Grady are the next two up after Curry and Jackson on the depth chart. CJ Hicks made the switch from linebacker to full-time EDGE before the season and decided to redshirt. Hicks will have to decide if his fifth season will be played in Columbus.
The Buckeyes have Eli Sitanilei, Logan George, and Joshua Mickens on the roster and are set to bring in four-star pass rushers Khary Wilder and Dre Quinn from the 2026 class. Still, it could make a lot of sense for Ohio State to explore bringing in a player like Trick.