Will Ohio State be able to return to the College Football Playoff next season?
The Buckeyes finished their 2022-23 run with an 11-2 record, taking notable wins over Notre Dame and Penn State before falling to the Michigan Wolverines in November and the Georgia Bulldogs in the Peach Bowl. A missed Ohio State field goal from senior kicker Noah Ruggles lined up perfectly with the New Year, starting the transition into a new era under quarterback Kyle McCord.
“You don't beat the Team Up North, you don't win a national championship, you don't achieve any of your goals,” McCord said on Saturday. “It definitely speaks volumes that 11-2 at a lot of schools, that's great, but not here.”
Who will be players to look out for as the Buckeyes look to give McCord the cast he needs to fill the role once held by quarterback C.J. Stroud and bring the Buckeyes back into playoff contention?
Lyndell Hudson, FIU
A good offense is never complete without veteran talent in the trenches.
A former 2-star recruit out of Brooksville, Fla., Hudson originally committed to FIU over an offer from South Alabama in the team's 2018 class, according to 247Sports. He started in all 12 games for the Panthers and was the team's primary right tackle during the 2021 season, according to FIU's website.
Hudson announced his intent to transfer in a late-March tweet. He has since received offers from Texas Tech, USF, Kent State and the University of Houston, among others.
Hudson would bring veteran experience to an Ohio State football offensive line that features sophomore Tegra Tshabola and junior Zen Michalski at the right tackle spot. 3-star recruit Miles Walker from Greenwich, Conn., joined 10 other enrollees and nine prospects who signed their letters of intent in the Buckeyes' 2023 recruiting class.
Caleb Johnson, Notre Dame
Johnson, a former 4-star recruit out of Ocala, Fla., joined a Notre Dame 2021 class that ranked 10th in the country with 27 enrollees and two transfers. He did not see any snaps during his freshman season, but made his collegiate debut at USC in November, according to the team's website.
Johnson officially entered the transfer portal after leaving the Notre Dame football program before the start of spring practices. He stands at 6-feet-6-inches and weighs 295 pounds, making him a lighter option compared to Ohio State's current options at the tackle spots.
Like Hudson, Johnson can bring in an extra boost of veteran experience to the Ohio State football line on top of snaps at a historic program in Notre Dame. Ohio State will also acquire tackle Victor Cutler from Louisiana-Monroe, who announced his commitment to the Buckeye program after starting all 12 games at left tackle for ULM last season.
Derrick McLendon, Florida State
McLendon decided to enter the transfer portal as a graduate transfer in March, meaning he did not have to wait for the post-spring portal period to enter his name, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. The sophomore defensive end ended the 2022 season with 17 solo tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Seminoles, including an eight-tackle and one-sack performance in a 34-28 loss to the Clemson Tigers in October.
“Wish him all the best,” Florida State head coach Mike Norvell said, via NoleGameday. “There's choices to be made and as we go through college athletics, it's definitely a new age but Derrick did a lot of good things for this program. He's going to leave as a graduate so I'm very proud of him for that and he's going to explore situations that might be the best fit for him.
“We're going to be very competitive here. We've got a lot of great players that are going to push daily. Derek did all of that to be able to play for us and to be able to do the things that are necessary. I wish him all the best wherever he ends up here at his next stop.”
McLendon will have the chance to join an Ohio State football defensive line that features junior edge rusher JT Tuimoloau and sophomore
Caden Curry. The Buckeye line earned 32 sacks last season, good enough to tie with Wisconsin while taking spots over Michigan State, Illinois and Purdue, according to the Big Ten.
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