Major CFB firing may have just opened the door for Ohio State to make a couple of moves in the transfer portal
Ohio State was previously connected to a couple of Florida State players last transfer portal cycle. Following the firing of Mike Novell, that could soon be a thing again.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a loss to a three-loss USC team. From here on out, Ohio State is going to have to play nearly perfect football to make the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes can’t afford a third loss and still have a real shot at the playoff with QB Julian Sayin out for the season.
If Ohio State does reach the College Football Playoff, the program will have to manage the transfer portal while preparing for a big-time playoff game once again. That means handling players leaving and players coming in at the same time.
The Buckeyes have to be active in the transfer portal again this offseason. The portal opens Jan. 2 and runs through Jan. 16, and a couple of names already stand out as potential fits for Ohio State.
Florida State’s coaching change opens the door
Florida State fired head coach Mike Norvell over the weekend, and a mass exodus from the Seminoles’ roster is likely. That could bring back a storyline from the last transfer portal period.
Ohio State was connected to a pair of brothers at Florida State during last year’s portal cycle. Defensive linemen Mandrell Desir and Darryll Desir were both linked to the Buckeyes before they opted to return to Tallahassee for another season.
Both brothers are 6-foot-4, 261-pound defensive linemen in their second seasons of college football. Neither player was highly recruited out of high school. Still, both put together productive freshman seasons that caught the eyes of programs around the country once there was a chance they might leave Florida State.
Mandrell Desir is the more productive of the 2 brothers
Mandrell is the more productive player of the pair. He posted 6.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 30 total tackles as a freshman in 2025. He has followed that up with 18 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks so far.
Darryll has two combined sacks and 29 tackles over the last two seasons. He would likely fill more of a depth role at Ohio State, while Mandrell could potentially compete to start for the Buckeyes next season if they decide to pursue him.
If the Desir brothers leave Florida State, there’s a good chance they’re a package deal wherever they go. That isn’t new territory for Ohio State. The Buckeyes landed a package deal from Alabama in the transfer portal last cycle, with Qua Russaw and James Smith both coming to Columbus.
Ohio State needs defensive line depth next season
The Buckeyes need more depth on the defensive line after this season. Kenyatta Jackson Jr. is heading to the NFL, and he’s the only lock to leave as a fifth-year senior. However, Beau Atkinson is a senior, and other departures through the transfer portal are likely from the back end of the room.
Ideally, players like Zion Grady, Epi Sitanieli, and incoming freshman DJ Jacobs step into bigger roles for Ohio State next season. That young group has upside, but adding proven production from the portal would give Matt Patricia’s defense a safer floor up front.
Ohio State has more pressing concerns right now, starting with winning out to keep its playoff hopes alive. Even so, the Desir brothers are two players worth keeping an eye on if they decide to enter the portal in January.
