Ohio State's College Football Transfer Portal Plans Revealed

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dave Holcomb | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 8:34 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes landed the fourth-best recruiting class in the 2025 cycle according to 247 Sports. But the Buckeyes weren't able to restock their defensive line with as much talent as they had when they won the national championship last season.

For that reason, On3's Pete Nakos predicted Sunday that head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes will focus on defensive line in the college football transfer portal this spring.

"The Buckeyes are only months removed from the national title, however, they are expected to be buyers in the defensive line market in April," Nakos wrote. "Ohio State lost defensive tackle Hero Kanu and EDGE Mitchell Melton to the portal, plus roster attrition with the NFL draft and graduation.

"Ryan Day was not able to restock the talent pool following the national championship, and he is expected to heavily prioritize the defensive line, specifically the tackle position, in the coming weeks."

In addition to Kanu and Melton, the Buckeyes lost defensive linemen Tyleik Williams, Jack Sawyer and Ty Hamilton to the NFL Draft this offseason.

The 2025 NFL Draft big board from ESPN ranked all three players in the top 130 prospects in the class.

There is one area on the roster that the Buckeyes need to address when the Spring transfer portal window opens.https://t.co/basN7geUe0
— Scarlet & Game (@ScarletAndGame) April 14, 2025

Scarlet & Game's Ryan Stano agreed that the biggest need for Ohio State in the transfer portal is the defensive line.

"One area of concern following the Spring Game was the defensive line," Stano wrote. "The starting defensive line was not able to get pressure at all on the starting offensive line. The Buckeyes have to replace their entire starting defensive line, and that might be more of an issue than they thought."

According to 247 Sports, Ohio State signed three defensive linemen, one of which was a four-star recruit, in the 2025 recruiting class. The program also signed two four-star edge rushers.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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