Episode

Ohio State football defensive transfer portal moves, biggest additions, position grades

Podcast: Lettermen Live: Ohio State Football Podcast
Published: Jan 23, 2026
Duration seconds: 2211
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Summary

An evaluation of Ohio State's defensive transfer portal moves and their impact on roster depth. The discussion grades recent acquisitions and analyzes how losing NFL-bound talent affects the long-term stability of the secondary.

Topics

Ohio State Football
College Football Transfer Portal
Buckeyes Defense
College Football Recruiting
NCAA Football
Ohio State Buckeyes
Defensive Line
Secondary Depth

Highlights

Main idea: The defensive transfer class is viewed as a strategic upgrade in depth, specifically at cornerback
Practical takeaway: The acquisition of Dominic Kelly provides long-term stability and multi-year eligibility for the secondary
Failure mode: Losing high-end talent like Bryce West and Aaron Scott creates immediate pressure to rebuild the depth chart via recruiting
Main idea: The defensive line's future depends on maintaining high-level talent despite significant NFL departures
Practical takeaway: Successful roster reconstruction relies on 'parlaying' available resources into experienced players with remaining eligibility

Chapters

4:00 Impact of NFL Departures: Assessing the challenge of replacing multiple first-round defensive talents leaving for the NFL draft.
6:00 The Tennessee Negotiation: A look at how competition from Tennessee impacted specific recruiting and transfer negotiations.
12:00 Defensive Line Stability: Evaluating the coaching impact and the current state of the defensive line unit.
14:00 Cornerback Room Rebuilding: Analyzing the trade-offs between losing established players like Bryce West and adding new talent.
17:00 The Dominic Kelly Coup: Discussing the strategic importance of landing Dominic Kelly from Georgia to bolster secondary depth.
23:00 Safety and Secondary Grades: Grading the safety room and evaluating the talent level of incoming transfers.
25:00 Special Teams Additions: Reviewing the impact of new long snapper additions on the special teams unit.