The transfer portal window has closed, and Ohio State’s 2026 football roster is nearly complete.
Ohio State has signed 16 players from the portal, the most in program history, to replace the 31 scholarship players who have left. The Buckeyes could still add to their class, but remaining options are slim. For now, here’s a thought on every transfer after a busy two-week window:
Dominick Kelly, CB, Georgia (3 years of eligibility)
Kelly is one of my favorite Ohio State additions. He still needs to be developed, but the four-star prospect out of high school has a lot of potential and showcased it in limited snaps at Georgia.
He played 18 defensive snaps as a true freshman. He gave up three catches on seven targets, per PFF, with three deflections. Those aren’t extended snaps, but his 6-foot-1 frame is exciting for Ohio State. When the Buckeyes lost both Bryce West and Aaron Scott, cornerback became a point of emphasis in the portal, and this sophomore from IMG Academy checks a lot of boxes.
Connor Hawkins, K, Baylor (3)
Kicker isn’t often a pressing portal priority, but it definitely was here. With the inconsistent Jayden Fielding gone and backup Jackson Courville transferring, Ohio State was desperate for a kicker and hopes to have solved its issues.
Hawkins made 18 of his 22 field goal attempts, including three of four beyond 50 yards, showing off a leg that Ohio State hasn’t since Blake Haubeil made a 50-yarder in 2019.
Hunter Welcing, TE, Northwestern (1)
While not the flashy name that Max Klare was a year ago, Welcing is fresh off his best season at Northwestern (28 catches, 296 yards, 2 TDs).
He is an all-around tight end who has a good catch radius and comes to Ohio State as an established blocker, as well. The most important thing is his experience; he’ll be 23 years old when the season begins, which was an emphasis for Ohio State this offseason.
Earl Little Jr., S, Florida State (1)
Ohio State hit home runs with its safety additions. Little’s production and positional flexibility make him a great fit with All-American Caleb Downs gone to the NFL.
Little had his best season in 2025, tallying a team-high 76 tackles and four interceptions. He also moved around for the Seminoles, playing 376 snaps at free safety, while mixing in 226 snaps in the box and 65 in the slot, per PFF.
He had 14 missed tackles, something safeties coach Matt Guerrieri will look to refine, but the experience is there and the talent is evident on tape.
John Walker, DT, UCF (2)
If we’re talking about instant impact players, Walker is near the top of Ohio State’s transfer list.
Ohio State can’t replace Kayden McDonald’s production with one player, but Walker looks the part. The UCF transfer is 6-foot-4 and 324 pounds. He’s a massive tackle who can take up a lot of space in the middle, and he’s also productive.
He was a 2023 Freshman All-American, and after missing 2024 with an injury, he had a standout season in 2025 with 40 tackles, three tackles for a loss and one sack. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins a starting job.
James Smith, DT, Alabama (1)
Smith is another important addition to the interior of the defensive line. The Alabama transfer had 11 pressures on 198 pass rush snaps last season, per PFF. He also had a career-high 6.5 tackles for a loss.
Ohio State prioritized nose tackle in the portal and should feel good about the combination of Smith and Walker stepping in.
Qua Russaw, DE, Alabama (2)
Russaw fills a massive need on the edge. He had six pressures in 2025 on just 50 pass rush snaps, appearing in just nine games because of injuries.
He’s an athletic edge rusher who has active hands to impact throws at the line of scrimmage, he can chase down quarterbacks and he sheds blocks against the run.
With Caden Curry gone, Ohio State had to find options alongside Kenyatta Jackson Jr., so expect Russaw to battle with Beau Atkinson and talented sophomore Zion Grady for a starting job.
Cam Calhoun, CB, Alabama (2)
Calhoun has bounced around since committing to Michigan as a member of the 2023 class. He began at Michigan, transferred to Utah and then landed at Alabama last offseason. He played 51 defensive snaps last season, giving up two receptions on three targets.
The Cincinnati native won’t be the immediate impact player Davison Igbinosun was when he transferred from Ole Miss, but he will provide depth Ohio State needs at the position.
Ja’kobi Jackson, RB, Florida (1)
With James Peoples and CJ Donaldson gone, Ohio State needed to add a veteran presence at running back to pair with Bo Jackson and Isaiah West. It found that in Jackson, a former junior college transfer who is hoping to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2025.
He was last healthy for a full season in 2024, when he ran for 509 yards and seven touchdowns on 95 carries, averaging 5.4 yards per rush. His longest run of the 2024 season was a 20-yard run against LSU, so he doesn’t give Ohio State a ton of downfield explosiveness, but he looks like a physical and consistent runner who has good vision.
Ja’kobi Jackson rushed for 607 yards over the past two seasons at Florida. (James Gilbert / Getty Images for ONIT)
Dalton Riggs, LS, UCF (1)
Long-snapper is an often forgotten position, but Ohio State didn’t have one on its roster after John Ferlmann and Colin Johnson graduated, so it went to the portal and added Riggs, who began his career at BYU and played in all 12 games for UCF last season.
Kyle Parker, WR, LSU (2)
Ohio State had to make moves to replace five-star recruits Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham, who both landed at Notre Dame. Parker caught 31 passes for 330 yards and had four touchdowns last season. His 5.5 yards after catch average, while middle of the road nationally, was actually higher than Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss, per TruMedia.
He’s a speedy receiver who Ohio State will likely utilize in a variety of ways.
Terry Moore, S, Duke (1)
Moore is my favorite portal addition. Ohio State is banking on him to return to his 2024 form, when he was considered one of the best safeties in college football before tearing his ACL in the Gator Bowl and missing 2025.
He had 71 tackles, four interceptions and six pass deflections that season. He played all over the field for Duke, seeing 379 snaps at free safety, 174 in the box and 155 in the slot, per PFF.
Ohio State can do a lot with the trio of Moore, Little and Jaylen McClain.
Devin McCuin, WR, UTSA (1)
McCuin is a proven playmaker with the ball in his hands, catching 65 passes for 726 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025. He was just behind Parker in averaging 5.4 yards after the catch last season, and his speed is evident on tape.
The question with both McCuin and Parker is how they fit in the scheme with Inniss back for one more year. Neither is above 6 feet, and while they aren’t confined to the slot, there is expected to be a battle in the spring for a starting job alongside Smith and five-star freshman Chris Henry.
Mason Williams, TE, Ohio (2)
Williams is the second Ohio tight end to transfer to Ohio State, doing so two years after Will Kacmarek joined the Buckeyes in 2023.
Williams caught a career-high 26 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns this past fall, though his strength is blocking. Expect Williams to be heavily involved in the red zone with his 6-foot-5 frame, as well.
Justyn Martin, QB, Maryland (1 or 2)
Martin is not coming in to be the starting quarterback. He does bring limited experience, playing in six games in three years, and rounds out a quarterback group that doesn’t have much of that beyond Julian Sayin.
This is a mutually beneficial addition, because Day needed a fourth quarterback and Martin wanted to be developed at a higher level. It’s not going to change the season outlook, but it’s a move that needed to be made.
Christian Alliegro, LB, Wisconsin (1)
The Wisconsin transfer was a bright spot on a defense that was better than people give it credit for. He had 53 tackles and eight tackles for a loss and had a good game against Ohio State in October, while playing through a reported broken arm.
The spring battle between Alliegro, Payton Pierce and Riley Pettijohn will be interesting. Alliegro gives Ohio State an experienced linebacker who can cover in space and has some pass rushing upside.
Final portal thoughts
Ohio State started slow but finished strong without seeming to spend a lot of money on flashy names like edge rushers Chaz Coleman and Damon Wilson. It did a nice job addressing needs.
The Buckeyes are betting on players like Moore and Jackson to return to full health, and it’s evident that Ryan Day’s program is making a fundamental shift in its recruiting philosophy.
Ohio State will always recruit high-end high school players — at Day’s core, he is a developer — but signing 28 recruits and trying to keep blue-chippers on the bench for multiple years is over. Classes will likely shrink, and Ohio State will use the portal to add experience to its roster, much like it did this year.
