The Ohio State football team is continuing its rebuild for the 2026 season. The Buckeyes are getting the commitment of defensive tackle John Walker, per On3. Walker was a star for UCF these last few college football seasons.
“He’s totaled 59 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF, and 2 PD in 2 seasons with the Knights,” Hayes Fawcett posted to X, formerly Twitter.
A recent On3 report predicted that Walker would join Ohio State. The Buckeyes were not the only school interested in Walker, who will likely earn a lot of snaps in the 2026 season.
“Walker started in all 12 games in 2025 for UCF, totaling 40 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Florida State and Ohio State have been the top contenders in this recruitment, landing visits,” the On3 report stated before the defensive tackle's commitment.
Ohio State just lost in the College Football Playoff, to Miami in the Cotton Bowl.
Ohio State is busy in the transfer portal
The Buckeyes are in the mix for several top players, heading into 2026. Ohio State is likely having to replace several wide receivers, and the squad is also adding to its defense.
Walker is currently one of three Ohio State incoming transfers, at time of writing. The other two are tight end Mason Williams and long snapper Dalton Riggs. Riggs is also a UCF transfer.
Ohio State is working to improve after losing in the quarterfinals of the CFP. The Buckeyes had spent most of the 2025 season as the no. 1 ranked team in the country.
“I’ve got to look at it all and figure out what that was and what that is because it’s not good enough,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said after losing in the Cotton Bowl, per The Athletic. “So we’ll look at it all. We’ve got to do better. We’ve got to do better.”
A number of key players could return for Ohio State in 2026, including quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Time will tell how the roster shapes up for the Buckeyes.
