A roster decision is already on the table in Columbus for the Ohio State football team, with wide receiver Bryson Rodgers entering the transfer portal, per On3. Rodgers previously tested the portal after his freshman year before returning, but he never carved out a major role, finishing 2024 with five catches for 46 yards and posting six receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown this season.

That portal movement now extends beyond the receiver room. According to Dan Hope, quarterback Lincoln Kienholz said he still hasn’t made a final call on whether he’ll enter the transfer portal, but he’s talked it through with Ryan Day and Billy Fessler.

Kienholz framed the decision around a straightforward NFL goal, noting that getting to the league requires getting on the field.

Kienholz’s comments matter because they put the quarterback depth chart under a brighter light at the exact moment Ohio State is trying to keep its postseason focus clean.

He didn’t announce an exit, but he also didn’t pretend the conversations were hypothetical, describing them as real and ongoing while he weighs what comes next.

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For Ohio State, the timing is delicate. The Buckeyes have a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff and will play the winner of Miami vs. Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl Classic, and any roster uncertainty tends to get louder when the stakes rise.

The portal chatter also touches the defensive side. On3 indicated Ohio State is among the early schools to watch for Penn State Chaz Coleman, listed as the top-ranked player in the transfer portal in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Ranking.

Coleman is a Warren, Ohio native and former four-star recruit, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound pass rusher who recorded one sack as a true freshman.

With CFP prep ongoing and portal decisions looming, Ohio State is managing two tracks at once: winning now, and keeping enough clarity in the building to avoid offseason questions turning into January distractions.