Ohio State Could Make Major Transfer Portal Splash With All-American Defender

The Ohio State Buckeyes definitely have some holes to fill this offseason after losing a plethora of players to the NFL Draft, and perhaps there is no bigger area of concern for Ohio State than its offensive line.

Most notably, the Buckeyes have a major issue at defensive tackle, and head coach Ryan Day himself even said that the team would have to consider addressing the need in the transfer portal.

Well, that is evidently exactly what Ohio State is attempting to do, as it has been named one of four schools in the mix for Syracuse Orange star Maraad Watson.

The Buckeyes are battling with Texas, Tennessee and Georgia to land Watson's services, and while none of those are Big Ten schools, Ohio State saw the former two in the College Football Playoff this past winter.

NEWS: Four schools are heavily in the mix for Syracuse standout transfer DL Maraad Watson, a source tells @on3sports

Texas, Georgia, Ohio State, & Tennessee are the schools to watch for the Freshman All-American

Totaled 31 Tackles and 1 Sack last seasonhttps://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/Ev9RNCvQhj
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 19, 2025

Watson registered 31 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack during his debut campaign with Syracuse in 2024, earning Freshman All-American honors.

The Irvington, N.J. native is a former three-star recruit who was considered the 96th-ranked defensive line prospect in the class of 2024 by 247 Sports' composite rankings.

The fact that Watson was able to take on such a prominent role for the Orange right off the bat is beyond impressive, and it definitely makes sense that the youngster is aiming to play for a more prestigious school (of course, a more prosperous NIL deal would help, too).

The Buckeyes have lost both Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton to the draft this spring, so being able to land Watson would help soften the blow.

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