Ohio State football ended the weekend with good news out of the transfer portal – and the new addition will start in 2026
The Buckeyes picked up an addition out of the transfer portal on Sunday.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have had an interesting start to the 2026 transfer portal with a lot going on.
Ohio State has lost over 25 players to the portal — and it doesn’t come as a real surprise because it’s the era of college football we’re in. There’s been just a couple of players who have been surprise departures. The Buckeyes ended the weekend by adding their fifth player from the portal on Sunday.
Ohio State lands a new starter in the secondary
Sunday afternoon, the Buckeyes landed former Florida State and Alabama S Earl Little Jr. Little was second-team All-ACC as a free safety for the Seminoles in 2025 and has spent two years each at Alabama and Florida State.
There are differing opinions out there on whether Little will play Caleb Downs’ role or if he will take over for Lorenzo Styles in the slot. Ohio State is landing an experienced defender with proven production either way. During the 2025 season, Little recorded 76 tackles and four interceptions in his first year as a starter.
Little was a four-star prospect out of Florida in 2022 and was teammates with Ohio State WR Brandon Inniss. The 6-foot-1, 199-pound safety played in 11 games over his first two seasons at Alabama with two tackles during that time. 2024 was a limited role for Little with his first season at Florida State — he recorded 15 tackles and a sack.
Buckeyes land a player who originally declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, then withdrew his name and found a new school via the portal. Little is the son of former NFL and Cleveland Browns safety Earl Little.
Ohio State will likely return Jermaine Mathews Jr. in 2026 to pair with sophomore Devin Sanchez as two returning cornerbacks. Little will either fill in as the nickel and give them their third cornerback, or he’ll start alongside Jaylen McClain at safety.
A welcome addition for the Buckeyes, and it fills a hole on its defense.
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