Every Ohio State player who has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal

Here's every single Ohio State player that has entered the transfer portal after the team's Cotton Bowl loss to the Miami Hurricanes.

Ohio State fans cheer during Script Ohio prior to the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 26, 2016. | Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This article breaks down all the offseason transfer portal activity for The Ohio State University college football program, covering every departure, position-by-position impact, and what it means for the team's future.

All Departures from Ohio State via the Transfer Portal

The listed order is from newest to oldest entries. All star rankings are from 247Sports.

Player	Position	Height	Weight	Star Rating	Status	New School
Grant Miss	LS	5-foot-10	223 pounds	0	Entered	N/A
Logan George	EDGE	6-foot-4	260 pounds	2	Entered	N/A
Dominic Kirks	EDGE	6-foot-4	267 pounds	4	Entered	N/A
C.J. Hicks	EDGE	6-foot-3	243 pounds	5	Entered	N/A
Bryce West	CB	5-foot-11	197 pounds	4	Entered	N/A
Lincoln Kienholz	QB	6-foot-2	214 pounds	3	Entered	N/A
Mason Maggs	QB	6-foot-3	205 pounds	0	Entered	N/A
Jelani Thurman	TE	6-foot-6	250 pounds	3	Entered	N/A
Bryson Rodgers	WR	6-foot-2	192 pounds	3	Entered	N/A

Grant Mills — LS
5'10” • 223 lbs • Rating: N/A
Status: Entered
Destination: TBD

Seeing a long snapper enter the portal is not something you'd expect when you wake up in the morning. However, on the opening day of the transfer window, Mills has done it.

Coming out of high school, he was ranked as the No. 1 snapper in North Carolina and earned Specialist of the Year by the South Charlotte Sports Report.

He started his collegiate journey with the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he played for the 2024 season. After not getting much time on the gridiron, he then transferred to Ohio State, where he was invited as a walk-on, but he yet again wasn't able to get on the field.

He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Logan George — EDGE
6’4” • 260 lbs • Rating: ⭐⭐ 0.7800
Status: Entered
Destination: TBD

George came out of high school as a fairly low ranked recruit. He committed to being a Utah State Aggie back in 2021, staying there until Dec. 1, 2022, when he entered the transfer portal and committed to joining the Idaho State Bengals on Jan. 1, 2023. However, like the last, it didn't take very long for him to leave as he eventually entered the portal again, transferring to the Buckeyes on Dec. 16, 2024.

The only notable season for him in his collegiate career so far was with the Bengals, where he recorded 56 tackles and six sacks. With the Buckeyes, he played in just two games in 2025 and made two tackles.

This will be his third time in the portal and potentially, if he signs somewhere else, his fourth team since he started playing at the next level.

Dominic Kirks — EDGE
6’4” • 267 lbs • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 0.9100
Status: Entered
Destination: TBD

The loss of Kirks hurts the Buckeyes a bit defensively. They're already slated to lose a bunch of critical pieces to graduation, and with Kirks entering the portal they will be even thinner.

He's an Ohio native, playing high school ball at Riverside High School in Northeast Ohio. While he was a late addition to the 2024 cycle for the Buckeyes, he was a big one. He came in as a four-star prospect and No. 32 defensive lineman. Unfortunately for both parties, he never really got a chance to show what he was worth in Columbus. He spent his true freshman season trying to improve, develop and adapt to the Buckeyes' system.

He eventually lost his black stripe in the Spring of 2025 following the national championship, giving him a chance to become a regular contributor moving forward. However, that opportunity never came as he played just 17 snaps this past season.

He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining for whichever school he decides to attend next.

C.J. Hicks — EDGE
6’3” • 243 lbs • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 0.9900
Status: Entered
Destination: TBD

The native of Dayton, Ohio, attended Archbishop Alter High School, where he stormed onto the high school football scene. He was simply dominant and drew eyes from programs all across the nation, stealing a five-star ranking and being listed as the 10th best player in the nation, second best linebacker and second best player from Ohio in the Class of 2022.

When he committed to become a Buckeye back on May 1, 2020, the expectation was that he would become one of the program's all-time greats. Unfortunately, he never really panned out the way many expected he would.

Over the course of four seasons, he registered 44 games of action but made just 42 tackles, four for a loss and two sacks. He also tacked on one pass deflection. The least amount of time on the field came this past season, where he played in four games, made six tackles and recorded one for a loss.

Playing in just four games gives him a chance to play one more year of ball.

Bryce West — CB
5’11” • 197 lbs • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 0.9300
Status: Entered
Destination: TBD

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound cornerback West is a part of the 2024 class, where he was listed as a four-star, Top 20 cornerback recruit. Being from Cleveland, it seemed that playing for his home-state school would have been a great opportunity. However, in two seasons as a Buckeye, he never really got a chance to make an impact, recording a measly seven tackles, one pass deflection and one forced fumble.

During his time with the program, there have been numerous cornerbacks who have remained above him on the depth chart, including ones who just joined the program. He's got a chance to be a starting cornerback at the next school he attends, especially if he learned enough about the college game in his time in Columbus.

West has three years of eligibility remaining.

Lincoln Kienholz — QB
6’2” • 214 lbs • Rating: ⭐ ⭐⭐ 0.8900
Status: Entered
Destination: TBD

The redshirt sophomore Kienholz was given the opportunity to take the starting job heading into the 2025 season. However, he wasn't able to come away with it as he was beaten out by redshirt freshman Julian Sayin, who ended up being a Heisman candidate.

While the Buckeyes seemingly made the right decision, it hurts to see someone with the talent that Kienholz has leave the program.

He signed with Ohio State back in 2023, flipping from Washington just a week before his decision was made. Over the course of three seasons, he's appeared in just 12 games, completing 21-of-36 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown. He's also shown the ability to extend plays and move with his legs, something any program would welcome in the current state of the game.

He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Now, Ohio State's backup behind Sayin looks to be true freshman Tavien St. Clair, who's just as talented.

Mason Maggs — QB
6’3” • 205 lbs • Rating: N/A
Status: Entered
Destination: TBD

Maggs marks the second quarterback who's entered the transfer portal so far for the Buckeyes. While he's not going to draw the eyes that Kienholz will, he's a talented arm that will likely see lower FBS or FCS offers.

In 2022, he was invited as a walk-on and spent the last four seasons with the program. He is a quarterback, but last season, he did play running back, taking one carry for three yards. He's never gotten a chance to really show what he's made of, but entering the portal is a chance for him to do just that.

Pending the approval of a redshirt, he will have two years of eligibility.

Jelani Thurman — TE
6’6” • 250 lbs • Rating: ⭐ ⭐⭐ 0.8900
Status: Entered
Destination: TBD

Thurman was beat to the jump as the first Buckeye to enter the transfer portal, coming just hours after the team fell to the Miami Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder is a freak of nature down the field for opposing teams to try to take down or avoid a block from. Across the past three campaigns with the Buckeyes, he's grabbed 13 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns, with most of his production coming this season.

While he could have had a chance to take the starting job next season with starter Max Klare potentially entering the 2026 NFL Draft, he has decided to take his talents elsewhere. Just due to his size alone, he'll certainly have a handful of high-profile programs across the country looking to sign him.

He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Bryson Rodgers — WR
6’2” • 192 lbs • Rating: ⭐ ⭐⭐ 0.8600
Status: Entered
Destination: TBD

The junior entered the transfer portal prior to the College Football Playoffs, on Thursday, Dec. 18, for the second time in his career. He initially entered the portal last offseason, before deciding to return to Ohio State.

While Rodgers hasn't been utilized much during his time in Columbus, he did take on a bigger role for the offense after injuries were suffered by wideouts Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith. Against the Purdue Boilermakers back on Nov. 8, he caught two passes for 30 yards, followed by two catches for 27 yards and a touchdown on Nov. 15 against the UCLA Bruins.

This season, he's played a total of 129 snaps off the bench for the team, behind Smith, Tate, Brandon Inniss and Mylan Graham.

Rodgers will probably receive looks from other Big Ten programs that'll lose wide receivers to graduation, and more than likely, from head coach Brian Hartline at the University of South Florida, as he looks to build up the program he took over just weeks ago. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

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Ohio State will continue to monitor the Transfer Portal with hopes of making up for the lost faces in the locker room. There are a key positions that the coaching staff needs to address, but fortunately, there are a good group of players that they can build around.

The portal window remains open from Jan. 2 through Jan. 16, for a total of 15 days.

This article will remain updated if more Buckeyes decide they want to leave Columbus.