Ohio State lands two former five-star recruits from Alabama in transfer portal

The Ohio State Buckeyes have added two players in the transfer portal who could really pack a punch for their defense in 2026.

They're going to have to reload, of course. Several star defenders are off to the NFL, led by All-American safety Caleb Downs, and the transfer portal is a great way to do that.

The portal has allowed teams to rebuild on the fly by bringing in players who already have experience at the college level. The recruiting trail and landing elite high schoolers is still vital, but the portal can really help a program like Ohio State stay at the top for a long time.

Speaking of players with experience, the transfer players the Buckeyes added on Monday are both from the Alabama Crimson Tide, and they have accumulated playing time since coming into Tuscaloosa as recruits.

That would be defensive lineman James Smith and EDGE Qua Russaw.

Ohio State Buckeyes land two former Alabama players in transfer portal

Smith is a 6-foot-3, 310-pounder from Montgomery, Alabama. He spent the past three seasons in Tuscaloosa, but he hit the portal on Jan. 6.

Less than a week later, he's a Buckeye.

His teammate, Russaw, followed the same path. 

Literally.

Both players went to Carver High School. Both played for the Tide, and now both are going to Ohio State in 2026.