Ohio State’s defense takes a loss to the transfer portal following the National Championship win
Following the National Championship win, Ohio State immediately had to begin figuring out their roster and staff for next year. This included players who needed to make a decision on the NFL, as well as the transfer portal. LB Sonny Styles and CB Davison Igbinosun have decided to return to Columbus, while RB Quinshon Judkins […]
Following the National Championship win, Ohio State immediately had to begin figuring out their roster and staff for next year. This included players who needed to make a decision on the NFL, as well as the transfer portal.
LB Sonny Styles and CB Davison Igbinosun have decided to return to Columbus, while RB Quinshon Judkins has opted to enter the draft.
Multiple players have hit the transfer portal since the end of the season and it is a hit on defense for the Buckeyes.
DT Hero Kanu has opted to hit the transfer portal and that takes away a player that was expected to be on the two-deep in 2025.
Kanu spent the last three seasons with the Buckeyes after being a four-star prospect out of California in the class of 2022. The talented defensive tackle played in three games as a freshman then appeared in 11 games with 10 tackles and a sack as a sophomore.
During this National Championship season, Kanu appeared in 15 tackles and made a sack. Ohio State is set to lose both interior starters Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton to the draft. Eddrick Houston and Kayden McDonald are penciled in to be the starters next year and Kanu was expected to be a key backup for the Buckeyes.
Tywone Malone, Jason Moore, and Will Smith Jr. are other defensive tackles that can step up for the Buckeyes. In the 2025 recruiting class, Ohio State is bringing in Maxwell Roy, Jarquez Carter, and Trajen Odom.
Following the end of the season for the Buckeyes, an extended five days were given for players to decide to hop in the portal. After three seasons at Ohio State, Kanu was unable to become a starter and was not expected to be next season. Moving on to find somewhere with a bigger role made sense for the former Buckeye.
The spring portal window in a couple of months is another time the Buckeyes could get hit with transfers. The current window was not harsh at all to Ohio State with just depth being lost.
