The Ohio State football fell short of earning a spot in the College Football Playoff, and now Ryan Day must look ahead to build a championship-caliber roster for the 2024 season. The team has already lost several players to the transfer portal, most notably 2023 starting quarterback Kyle McCord. There is good news, though: The portal features several intriguing players who could be a good fit on the 2024 Buckeyes roster.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at three players Day and his staff should aim to bring into the Buckeyes program next year, along with one star player to keep an eye on in case he becomes available.
Trevor Etienne
With Chip Trayanum entering the portal to leave Columbus, the Buckeyes should look into acquiring a running back as well, regardless of what happens with TreVeyon Henderson. There is a chance that Henderson will return to Ohio State, but the team must have a contingency plan if he does not.
If Henderson leaves for the NFL and Ohio State finds themselves needing to replace the explosive playmaker, Trevor Etienne is about as good as you can get.
The younger brother of former Clemson superstar Travis Etienne, Trevor is an athletic and explosive running back. The former Florida Gator averaged 5.7 yards per carry in 2023 to go along with eight touchdowns.
Derrick Harmon
The Buckeyes need to get better in the trenches and Derrick Harmon could go a long way towards making that a reality. The need to upgrade their defense became even more pressing after they lost Justin Scott, a former five-star recruit who decommitted and flipped to Miami. They are also likely losing J.T. Tuimoloau and Michael Hall Jr. to the NFL. Ohio State will need to replace the production of these players if they want to maintain an elite defense going into the 2024 season.
Perhaps this year more than ever, it will be important to maintain a defense that can keep other teams off of the scoreboard. This is because Ohio State’s offense will look significantly different, and potentially less effective than it has been in recent seasons. The Buckeyes are in a sort of transition period offensively, with no clear frontrunner to be the starting quarterback in 2024. They will also likely be losing superstar receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and standout slot receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Carnell Tate showed flashes this season, and the Buckeyes will also be bringing in the number one overall player in the nation in Jeremiah Smith to keep their receiving corps among the best in the nation. However, even great receivers need an adequate quarterback to get them the ball. We'll discuss the quarterback situation in more depth next, but unless a major change is made, the offense will likely be similar to what it was this year. It may even be slightly worse without Harrison Jr. and Egbuka.
Cam Ward
The most crucial decision the Buckeyes will need to make going into the 2024 season is what to do about their quarterback position.
After years of elite quarterback play from the likes of Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields and CJ Stroud, Ohio State football came back down to earth a bit this season with Kyle McCord under center. McCord is not a bad quarterback by any means, but he wasn’t a gamechanger and that is the standard that has been set within the Buckeyes program.
As of now, the leading candidates to start under center for Ohio State next season are Lincoln Kienholz and Air Noland. Kienholz should get extensive run in the bowl game, and that will give the coaching staff a better understanding of what he brings to the table and whether he could be the starter going into next year for a team that intends to compete for a championship.
Air Noland is considered to have the higher ceiling of the two, but he will be a true freshman, and that can lead to growing pains and unpredictable struggles.
This may lead the Buckeyes to look for a solution outside of the program. After losing Quinn Ewers to the transfer portal in a move that disrupted their plans for the quarterback position, the Buckeyes may look to the portal to bring in a veteran quarterback who can start for at least one year as a potential stopgap, until Noland is ready to take the reins.
A mobile quarterback with experience and a strong arm, Cam Ward would fit perfectly into Ryan Day's system.
Arch Manning is another player to keep an eye on
It is unlikely that Arch Manning will enter the transfer portal, but the Buckeyes need to do their diligence. With Quinn Ewers deciding to return for another season at Texas, it is always possible that Manning decides he wants playing time sooner rather than later and transfers to somewhere that will allow him the opportunity to start.
So far, Manning has indicated that he is content at Texas, that he wants to play for Steve Sarkisian and is willing to wait the extra year in order to do so.
However, things can always change and the Buckeyes should monitor the situation closely. When there is even a remote possibility of a player as talented as Manning considering a transfer, the Buckeyes should stay up-to-date with any new developments.
If Manning were to transfer, Ohio State would be a prime destination. It would allow Manning to play with arguably the best receiving corps in the country. It would also give him the opportunity to play in big games, and he would likely be penciled in as the starter immediately. Not to mention that with CJ Stroud shedding the reputation of Ohio State quarterbacks struggling at the next level, it could be a good opportunity for the next generation of Manning.
If he considers leaving Texas, the opportunity to play for Ryan Day and throw to the best receivers in the country while building his résumé for the NFL may be too much for Manning to ignore.
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