When it comes to producing difference-making talent in the transfer portal, few programs are churning out departing players in terms of quality like Ohio State. First pointed out by Eleven Warriors, more than three-dozen former Buckeyes players are expected to have a role within respective two-deeps across Power 4 rosters this season, which is believed to be more than any program nationally in the transfer portal era.
That's a testament to how well Ryan Day and his coaching staff have recruited in recent years given the wealth of the talent stack in Columbus. In other words, there's not enough footballs and playing time to go around at Ohio State, which has five consecutive top-10 finishes under its current regime.
That said, it should come as no surprise that the Buckeyes hold the most-talented roster nationally this season, per Bud Elliott's Blue-Chip Ratio, which grades teams who can win the national championship based on roster strength. With a staggering 90% Blue-Chip Ratio, Ohio State has one of the highest roster ratings of all-time, anchored by an elite 2024 signing class headlined by No. 1 overall player Jeremiah Smith, and a transfer haul featuring numerous All-American candidates.
By comparison, Michigan's BCR last season was 54%, while Georgia managed BCRs of 77% and 80% during its two-year national championship run recently under Kirby Smart.
"Recruiting rankings are not perfect, but they are damn good, especially in the aggregate," Elliott writes. "Four- and five-star recruits are about 10 times more likely to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft than their two- and three-star counterparts. And five-stars are about 33 times more likely to be All-Americans as two-stars. For every two-star who becomes a big success, there are multiples who will be going pro in something other than sports. And they are getting better annually due to advancements in technology and data."
Ohio State returns eight starters on defense this season and should have one of the nation's most high-powered units on that side of the football with 2023 freshman All-American safety Caleb Downs joining the ranks from Alabama. Day has the deepest quarterback room in America and a backfield with two ballcarriers capable of having a major impact — former Ole Miss star Quinshon Judkins and returning multi-year starter TreVeyon Henderson.
As for the players who have left the program this cycle or previously in the portal era and landed elsewhere, here's a look at where the most notable former Buckeyes will play within the Power 4 ranks:
Quinn Ewers, QB (Texas)
Kyle McCord, QB (Syracuse)
Noah Rogers, WR (NC State)
Julian Fleming, WR (Penn State)
Noah Potter, EDGE (NC State)
Evan Pryor, RB (Cincinnati)
Nigel Glover, LB (Northwestern)
Bryson Shaw, S (USC)
Mookie Cooper, WR (Mizzou)
Jacolbe Cowan, EDGE (North Carolina)
Andre Turrentine, S (Tennessee)
Cedrick Hawkins, S (UCF)
Dallan Hayden, RB (Colorado)
Chip Trayanum, RB (Kentucky)
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The Buckeyes took seven transfers of their own in the 2024 cycle including three from Alabama, headlined by Downs. Kansas State transfer quarterback Will Howard is the Buckeyes' projected starter there and South Carolina's Keenan Nelson Jr., who was going to be leaned on this fall in the Gamecocks' secondary, left the SEC for the Big Ten knowing he'll likely be a developmental player with the Buckeyes.
