4 players the Ohio State Buckeyes could look to add from the LSU Tigers after the firing of Brian Kelly

The transfer portal is going to be wild with all of the changes around college football.

Brandon Little, Ian Valentino
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The state of things for the Ohio State Buckeyes has to have them feeling good as the coaching carousel heats up to what should be a wild offseason. Coming off a national championship and sitting at 7-0 on the season, the Buckeyes are in a much different position than programs like the Florida Gators and Penn State Nittany Lions, both of which have moved on from their head coaches.

On Sunday evening, the LSU Tigers became the latest program to make a change, parting ways with Brian Kelly. With so many coaching changes across the country, the transfer portal is expected to be very active once it opens after the season. So, why not take a look at four LSU players who could draw interest from Ohio State?

CB DJ Pickett

The headliner of this group is former five-star recruit D.J. Pickett, a highly talented defensive back with rare length at 6-foot-5. Ohio State could lose Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Mathews Jr. to the NFL, while slot cornerback Lorenzo Styles is in his final season. Devin Sanchez is a true freshman and is viewed as the team’s next star at corner, but pairing him with Pickett could create quite the duo.

Pickett would draw plenty of interest if he entered the portal, and Ohio State would be smart to be among the teams in pursuit. He projects as a Year 2 starter wherever he lands and has the potential to be a difference-maker right away. Aaron Scott and Bryce West are also viewed as future starters, but Pickett’s talent level is right up there with Sanchez’s.

RB Caden Durham

Ohio State went to the transfer portal last offseason to add experience in the backfield, landing West Virginia transfer CJ Donaldson. Donaldson has mostly served as a short-yardage back, but his experience was valuable after the Buckeyes lost TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. With the likelihood of multiple running backs departing again, taking a look at Durham wouldn’t be out of the question.

Ohio State didn’t offer Durham out of high school despite ranking as the No. 5 running back in the 2024 class. He made an immediate impact at LSU, rushing for 753 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman in 2024. So far this season, he’s totaled 378 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Ohio State has added a transfer running back in back-to-back offseasons, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if it made it three depending on how the depth chart shapes up.

RB Harlem Berry

The Buckeyes surely aren’t desperate for a young running back to come in and get the lion’s share of touches, and that might be the thing that crushes Ohio State’s pitch from the start. However, the Buckeyes could be losing at least three backs entering 2026. Donaldson graduates, and underclassmen James Peoples and Sam Dixon-Williams are barely playing behind freshman Bo Jackson. 

There’s a potential need for an RB1b to Bo Jackson’s RB1a status. With Judkins serving as the prototype tandem back for Ryan Day to pitch, Berry would need to be open for a 50/50 split. If he is, the top back in the 2025 class would be yet another explosive option next to Julian Sayin, and an ideal 190-pound complement for Jackson.

OL Carius Curne

The Buckeyes may need to overhaul their offensive line heading into next season if Austin Siereveld and Carson Hinzman head to the NFL. We should see the rest of the unit back, but that left tackle spot would then become a question mark. Ian Moore and Carter Lowe are more known quantities within the building, but adding a former high four-star in Caden Curne could solve a need for several years.

The No. 133 prospect in the 2025 class, Curne has only briefly seen the field this season. A great athlete who can theoretically play inside, the Buckeyes should explore adding him if offensive line coach Tyler Bowen feels uncomfortable in the slightest with his available long-term talent.

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