Former Ohio State football player in the transfer portal set to visit Big Ten rival days after the season finished
The Buckeyes could be going up against their former running back in the future.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have stayed very busy since their season ended last week in the Cotton Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes.
Ohio State has had north of a dozen players hit the transfer portal, and that number could grow. From the running back room alone, Ohio State has lost two players, with James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon entering the portal. Ohio State has lost both of its 2024 running back commitments.
James Peoples may end up landing with a Big Ten rival
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Peoples is set to visit the Penn State Nittany Lions on Monday. Peoples entered the transfer portal after two seasons at Ohio State and is in search of a clearer role. Penn State has a new coaching staff with former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell in charge.
Peoples entered the 2025 season as who many thought would be the starter. Just a couple of games into the year, Bo Jackson became the guy as a freshman. Peoples finished the 2025 season with 344 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. As a true freshman in 2024, Peoples played in eight games and had 197 rushing yards to go along with two touchdowns.
Ohio State is likely to add a transfer portal running back to add to its room, along with Jackson and current freshman Isaiah West. Peoples landing with Penn State would be quite the development, but that’s college football in 2026 with the transfer portal.
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