The offseason isn’t here yet for the Ohio State football team as they are in the College Football Playoff, but the Buckeyes need to juggle an important part of the offseason with their playoff preparation. That important aspect is the transfer portal. The portal is always crucial as it allows teams to bring in experienced talent, and Ohio State was one of the biggest winners last offseason. It’s safe to assume that they will be looking to hit the portal hard again this offseason.

This year has been an interesting one for the Ohio State football team who built a loaded roster during the offseason. The Buckeyes were expected to be one of the best teams in college football this year, and they do still have a shot at winning it all. However, they have already missed out on two out of their three goals this year as two big ons were to beat Michigan and win the Big Ten. They accomplished neither.

Ohio State will be losing some elite talent this offseason to the NFL. They were expected to lose a lot of these guys last year, but a lot of guys came back after having a sour taste in their mouth after the 2023 season. The Buckeyes will need to reload in some areas, so here are a few guys they should be looking at.

Braelin Moore, IOL, Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech Hokies offensive lineman Braelin Moore (61) blocks Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor (90) during the second half at Lane Stadium.
© Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Braelin Moore is one of the top IOL in the transfer portal, and that is definitely an area that will need to be strong next season. Right now, Ohio State’s biggest issue is beating Michigan, and the winner of that game has been the winner of the rushing battle for the past 23 years. The Buckeyes clearly want to be elite up front, so they need to put a lot of emphasis on their offensive line. Moore is currently predicted to go to LSU, but nothing is set in stone quite yet.

Justice Haynes, RB, Alabama

Right now, the top running back in the transfer portal is Alabama transfer Justice Haynes. The Ohio State football team almost landed Haynes out of high school as they finished second in his recruitment. Now, Haynes is reportedly showing the Buckeyes some interest in the transfer portal. Haynes ran the ball 79 times this season and he racked up 448 yards and seven touchdowns. The Buckeyes have two elite backs this year, but they are both good enough to go pro.

Josh Thompson, IOL, Northwestern

Another elite IOL transfer that the Ohio State football team should be looking at is Northwestern transfer Josh Thompson. Thompson is one of the best IOL in the transfer portal, and we have already noted that is a position of interest for the Buckeyes. Thompson is from the state of Michigan and he is getting attention from other Big Ten schools. It would be big if the Buckeyes can steal a transfer out of their rivals’ backyard.

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The transfer portal is open until December 28th, and Ohio State is definitely a big team to watch. It will be tough for the Buckeyes as they are preparing for the College Football Playoff, but this is just the way it goes in college football now.

Transfer portal overview

One of the biggest parts of the college football offseason is the transfer portal, and the festivities begin before the offseason actually starts. Teams that didn’t qualify for the postseason have entered their offseason, but there are a lot of teams that still have bowl games to play. The transfer portal opened up on December 9th, so it creates some issues for players that want to transfer but still have a season going.

The transfer portal is a massive part of college football now, and there are definitely positives and negatives to it. One of the biggest issues that people have with it is the timing of the first window. It is open in early December so players can pick a new school and start the next semester there when January rolls around. However, it does create issues as we have already seen players this year on College Football Playoff teams have to miss out on the opportunity to participate in the CFP because of their transfer.

On the flip side, the transfer portal gives teams a chance to completely rebuild their squad in just one offseason. New head coaches can come in and bring in a lot of experienced players from the jump, and it can make for a quick turnaround. Any team has hope in the offseason because of the transfer portal.

The transfer portal opened up for the first time this season on December 9th and it will stay open until December 28th. This window is the main window where a lot of the action takes place, but the transfer portal will open again in the spring.

From April 16th until April 25th, the transfer portal will be back open. That way, players can go through spring ball and have a better idea of what their upcoming season will look like. If they aren’t satisfied, they can leave. We even sometimes see players that transferred in the first window transfer again in the second window, sometimes back to their original school.

The transfer portal is a crucial part of the offseason, and we will be hearing a lot about it from now until the end of the spring.