The Ohio State Buckeyes are focused on summer workouts and recruiting at this moment. Fall camp won’t ramp up until August, but we’re inching closer and closer to the 2026 season. 

Ohio State has high expectations as always heading into this season, and they’re going to need a bunch of new faces to step up. Ohio State took 17 players in from the transfer portal, and a majority of them will be expected to play key roles. 

At this point in the summer, a couple of names are creating some buzz. 

Georgia and Florida transfers could be players to watch for Ohio State in 2026

According to Lettermen Row, there are a couple of Ohio State transfer-ins who are being talked about right now in June.  

“The buzz surrounding Georgia transfer Dominick Kelly hasn’t quelled since the end of spring ball, either,” Lettermen Row’s Spencer Holbrook wrote. “Mix in the chatter about Ja’Kobi Jackson’s progress and potential role in the offense, and the Buckeyes feel like they may have aced the transfer portal cycle on both sides of the football.”

Kelly comes from Georgia as a cornerback who will be in Ohio State’s two-deep this fall. The former blue-chip recruit played in 10 games as a true freshman at Georgia and was a player the Bulldogs wanted to keep. 247 Sports had Kelly rated as the No. 12 cornerback in the transfer portal, but I have a feeling we look back on that ranking being a bit low.

Found as many clips I could of Dominick Kelly in coverage. Really tight coverage for the most part, unfortunately the receivers made some fantastic catches. I like what I see though.

Ohio State has a really solid depth piece in Kelly. Continued development by the staff will be… pic.twitter.com/rWCK7arpTj

— THE Bunch of Nuts Podcast (@bunch_nuts) January 16, 2026

The Georgia transfer should be the third boundary comeback behind Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Devin Sanchez with Earl Little Jr. the favorite to be in the slot. Still, I think Kelly plays plenty this year and he’s a future starter in Columbus. 

Ohio State getting Ja’Kobi Jackson from Florida was a key addition 

The Buckeyes lost CJ Donaldson from last year’s team to graduation and they needed a veteran presence. Bo Jackson and Isaiah West will be the No. 1 and No. 2 running backs, but Jackson should still play plenty as the No. 3 running back at worst. 

Jackson gives the Buckeyes insurance in case there is an injury in the running back room, and he’s played plenty of football in the SEC. Ohio State needs multiple running backs for what should be an extended season with a hopefully College Football Playoff run.