Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches from the sideline during the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 31, 2025. Now he must contend with massive change.

Massive 75 Player Turnover for Ohio State Football in 2026: 16 Transfers in, 31 Transfers out, 28 Incoming Freshmen

Kevin Sweeney

Massive roster turnover is going to affect every college football team in 2026. Ohio State has 75 players on their roster, turning over. Buckeye head coach Ryan Day will have to contend with this mind-numbing turnover. The landscape of college football is going to change as soon as next season. Just about every team has a massive change on its roster.

Summary of Ohio State’s Massive Roster Turnover

Carnell Tate declares for NFL Draft.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) runs after a catch during the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 31, 2025. Ohio State lost 24-14. © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State had a massive turnover in its football roster construction. Ohio State lost 31 players to the transfer portal, and five players who entered the draft early. In addition, 16 Buckeye seniors graduated. Ohio State added 16 players from the transfer portal and has a program-record 28 incoming freshmen.

Details on Ohio State’s Massive Roster Turnover

Here are the details on Ohio State’s roster for the 2026 season.

Quarterback (4)

Returners (2): Julian Sayin (Starter in 2025), Tavien St. Clair (No. 3 QB in 2025)

Additions (2): Justyn Martin (Transfer), Luke Fahey (Freshman)

Departures (2): Lincoln Kienholz (Transfer), Eli Brickhandler (Senior)

Running Back (6)

Returners (3): Bo Jackson (Starter in 2025), Isaiah West (No. 3 RB in 2025), Anthony “Turbo” Rogers (Redshirt in 2025)

Additions (3): Ja’Kobi Jackson (Transfer), Favour Akih (Freshman), Legend Bey (Freshman)

Departures (3): CJ Donaldson (Senior), James Peoples (Transfer), Sam Dixon (Transfer)

Wide Receiver (11)

Returners (5): Jeremiah Smith (Starter in 2025), Brandon Inniss (Starter in 2025), David Adolph (Second-String in 2025), Phillip Bell (Redshirt in 2025), De’Zie Jones (Redshirt in 2025)

Additions (6): Devin McCuin (Transfer), Kyle Parker (Transfer), Chris Henry Jr. (Freshman), Brock Boyd (Freshman), Jerquaden Guilford (Freshman), Jaeden Ricketts (Freshman)

Departures (6): Carnell Tate (NFL Draft), Mylan Graham (Transfer), Quincy Porter (Transfer), Bryson Rodgers (Transfer), Bodpegn Miller (Transfer), Damarion Witten (Transfer)

Tight End (7)

Returners (4): Bennett Christian (No. 3 TE in 2025), Nate Roberts (No. 4 TE in 2025), Max LeBlanc (No Snaps in 2025), Brody Lennon (Redshirt in 2025)

Additions (3): Hunter Welcing (Transfer), Mason Williams (Transfer), Nick Lautar (Freshman)

Departures (3): Will Kacmarek (Senior), Max Klare (NFL Draft), Jelani Thurman (Transfer)

Defensive End (8)

Returners (4): Kenyatta Jackson Jr. (Starter in 2025), Zion Grady (Second-String in 2025), Beau Atkinson (Second-String in 2025), Epi Sitanilei (Redshirt in 2025)

Additions (4): Qua Russaw (Transfer), Khary Wilder (Freshman), Dre Quinn (Freshman), Darryus McKinley (Freshman)

Departures (5): Caden Curry (Senior), C.J. Hicks (Transfer), Dominic Kirks (Transfer), Logan George (Transfer), Joshua Mickens (Transfer)

Defensive Tackle (8)

Returners (3): Eddrick Houston (Rotational Starter in 2025), Will Smith Jr. (Second-String in 2025), Jason Moore (Third-String in 2025)

Additions (5): James Smith (Transfer), John Walker (Transfer), Jamir Perez (Freshman), Emanuel Ruffin (Freshman), Damari Simeon (Freshman)

Departures (6): Kayden McDonald (NFL Draft), Tywone Malone Jr. (Senior), Jarquez Carter (Transfer), Eric Mensah (Transfer), Trajen Odom (Transfer), Maxwell Roy (Transfer)

Linebacker (9)

Returners (5): Payton Pierce (No. 3 LB in 2025), Riley Pettijohn (No. 4 LB in 2025), TJ Alford (Third-String in 2025), Garrett Stover (Third-String in 2025), Eli Lee (Redshirt in 2025)

Additions (4): Christian Alliegro (Transfer), Cincere Johnson (Freshman), Braxton Rembert (Freshman), CJ Sanna (Freshman)

Departures (3): Arvell Reese (NFL Draft), Sonny Styles (Senior), Ty Howard (Transfer)

Cornerback (8)

Returners (4): Jermaine Mathews Jr. (Starter in 2025), Devin Sanchez (No. 3 CB in 2025), Miles Lockhart (Third-String in 2025), Jordyn Woods (Redshirt in 2025)

Additions (4): Cam Calhoun (Transfer), Dominick Kelly (Transfer), Jay Timmons (Freshman), Jordan Thomas (Freshman)

Departures (4): Davison Igbinosun (Senior), Lorenzo Styles Jr. (Senior), Aaron Scott Jr. (Transfer), Bryce West (Transfer)

Safety (9)

Returners (3): Jaylen McClain (Starter in 2025), Leroy Roker III (Second-String in 2025), DeShawn Stewart (Redshirt in 2025)

Additions (6): Earl Little Jr. (Transfer), Terry Moore (Transfer), Blaine Bradford (Freshman), Khmari Bing (Freshman), Simeon Caldwell (Freshman), Kaden Gebhardt (Freshman)

Departures (5): Caleb Downs (NFL Draft), Faheem Delane (Transfer), Cody Haddad (Transfer), Malik Hartford (Transfer), Keenan Nelson Jr. (Transfer)

Kicker (1)


Returners (0): None

Additions (1): Connor Hawkins (Transfer)

Departures (2): Jayden Fielding (Senior), Jackson Courville (Transfer)

Punter (1)

Returners (1): Joe McGuire (Starter in 2025)

Additions (0): None

Departures (1): Nick McLarty (Transfer)

Long Snapper (1)

Returners (0): None

Additions (1): Dalton Riggs (UCF)

Departures (1): John Ferlmann (Senior)

Key Additions and Subtractions for Ohio State

The key recruiting additions for the Buckeyes are Chris Henry. Jr., Legend Bey, James Smith, and tight end Mason Williams. There were a few key losses for Ohio State, though it would have been good to keep former five-star wide receiver Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter. Most of the departures from the Buckeyes were second-string players who did not expect much playing time with all the highly rated incoming freshmen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ohio State will have massive turnover on its football roster in 2025. They last 31 transfers out, 16 transfers in, and a record 28-man recruiting class incoming in 2026. This is not counting the 5 Buckeye early enrollees in the National Football League draft

Parting Thoughts

Get used to massive roster turnover in college football due to the sure-to-grow transfer portal. The transfer portal had over 4,000 players in it this year and is sure to grow next year. Do not get used to 28-man high school recruiting classes, like Ohio State has incoming in 2026. The fact of the matter is, if college football teams can get experienced players in the transfer portal, why would they take a chance on all but the most highly rated high school recruits?

Kevin Sweeney is a published author. He has written 5 books to date: Trapped (an autobiography), Back to School (a guide to stroke recovery), One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State (Presidential elections), Coaching Baseball (all about baseball), and an associated workbook. Kevin has a Ph.D. in political science; he has published 12 scholarly articles. He lives in Purcellville, VA, with his 3 sons and wife, Kelly. They were married in 2000.

You can get his books here:
https://amazon.com/author/drkevinjsweeney

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