Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr. walks onto the field before the game against Texas Aug. 30. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
The transfer portal launched Oct. 15, 2018, changing college football forever.
Teams have been forced to adapt new ways to build their rosters. Rules within the portal have changed numerous times, shifting the rate at which players can move to different schools and creating a level of mayhem in the college football landscape.
While the transfer portal has allowed coaches to add players with college football experience to their teams, it has not replaced the need to recruit.
According to Steve Wiltfong, president of recruiting at On3, “The teams competing for national titles are the ones that are using the transfer portal to bolster their roster, not to be the foundation of their roster.”
Ohio State’s 2024 national championship roster had 14 returning starters. The Buckeyes used the transfer portal to strengthen their roster with four new impact players: quarterback Will Howard, running back Quinshon Judkins, center Seth McLaughlin and safety Caleb Downs.
Wiltfong said the transfer portal is primarily used for three reasons.
“A: You didn’t recruit as well as you thought. B: Guys got hurt. Or C: Players left for the NFL draft,” he said.
This season, the Buckeyes had to replace 14 players who left for the 2025 NFL Draft, including eight starters on defense. Instead of aggressively using the portal to replace those losses, Ohio State relied on the development of its younger recruits.
Of the 25 Ohio State players to start a game this season on offense and defense, 17 were recruited out of high school and eight were transfers, including three from the 2025 portal: offensive tackle Phillip Daniels, tight end Max Klare and running back CJ Donaldson Jr.
The Buckeyes are ranked ninth in the 2026 recruiting class, according to Rivals, marking the first time since 2019 that Ohio State has been ranked outside the top five in recruiting. Head coach Ryan Day does not seem concerned.
“We feel like we have some really good guys committed right now and we’re going to make a hard push here over the next couple months to finish off the class and then figure out what’s next in the transfer portal for us,” Day said in a Sept. 9 press conference.
Wiltfong said that Ohio State’s upcoming class has the potential to again be among the best. The team has 21 commits, with an average ranking of fifth nationally per recruit, and he said it’s likely the Buckeyes will add some key players down the stretch.
“I take this [2026] Ohio State class as one that keeps them in the conversation to play for the national title year in and year out, and it’s one of the more talented classes in the country,” Wiltfong said.
Day said Ohio State is focused on recruiting high school players who fit its culture.
“We feel like it’s really important to make sure we have the right guys and the coaches are working hard to do that,” he said. “I have all the confidence in the world that we’re going to sign a great class.”
