The Nine Ohio State Transfers To Commit to Another Big Ten School

Ohio State ended the spring transfer portal period with some great pickups, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. A side where we will see at least three to four Buckeyes taken in the NFL Draft in April.

Six of the Buckeyes' 17 transfers came from the SEC, with Alabama providing some big names like James Smith and Qua Russaw.

OSU also lost a good amount of talent to the portal, with nine players opting to play for other Big Ten programs. Let’s go over those nine guys in no particular order.

(All rankings via 247 Sports)

Cornerback Bryce West to Wisconsin

West was a four-star in the 2024 high school recruiting class, ranked as the 16th best corner in the country, along with being the fifth best player in Ohio. Redshirting in 2024, West’s sophomore year consisted of being a backup as he totaled nine tackles along with a forced fumble against Purdue.

West was ranked as the 72nd-best cornerback in the portal, as a three-star transfer.

Defensive End Dominic Kirks to Northwestern

Kirks was another four-star in that 2024 recruiting class from Painesville, Ohio; he was a top 25 defensive lineman in the nation, and the eighth-best player in Ohio. Kirks was another guy buried behind NFL talent, Jack Sawyer, and J.T. Tuimoloau, leading to him not getting much playing time.

Kirks had just two total tackles in his OSU career; he was ranked as the 110th edge rusher in the portal, along with being a three-star.

Defensive End Logan George to Washington

George committed to play for Utah State coming out of high school.

He did not play for the Aggies, then transferred down to the FCS level, where he stood out for the Idaho State Bengals, racking up 18.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. George committed to play for the Buckeyes in December of 2024.

George played just 19 snaps for the Bucks; now he lands with the Huskies as a three-star transfer.

Running Back James Peoples to Penn State

Peoples was a highly ranked four-star coming out of high school, and the seventh-best running back in the nation. Peoples expected him to be one of OSU’s top backs coming into the season, but he was passed up by phenomenal freshman Bo Jackson and Isaiah West. He rushed for 344 yards and three touchdowns in 2025.

He lands with the Nittany Lions as the 15th-best running back in the portal.

Cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. to Oregon

Scott was a highly ranked four-star recruit like Peoples coming out of high school. Along with being the fifth-best corner in America, he was a top 60 recruit and the number one player in Ohio in 2024. Scott did not stand out with the Buckeyes, primarily being a backup, totaling 11 tackles and two pass breakups.

As a top 20 cornerback in the portal, he joins other Ohio natives, Trey McNutt and Dorian Brew, on the Ducks.

Defensive Tackle Maxwell Roy to UCLA

Roy was a four-star in the 2025 recruiting class and a top 35 defensive lineman in the nation. Roy did not play in his true freshman year for the Bucks. He joined the Bruins as the 96th-ranked defensive lineman in the portal.

Safety Malik Hartford to UCLA

Another Buckeye to commit to the Bruins, Hartford was part of the 2023 recruiting class, where he was a top-five safety. His biggest role was in 2023, where he started multiple games before taking a back seat to Caleb Downs in 2024 and redshirting in 2025.

Wide Receiver Bodpegn Miller to Washington

As the other Buck to commit to Washington, Miller was a top-ten player in Ohio in 2025. He sat behind NFL talent like Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate in a development year his freshman season, redshirting to maintain four years of eligibility for the Huskies.

Safety Cody Haddad to Iowa

The final player from OSU to transfer to another Big Ten school was Haddad, another member of that 2025 class. Haddad did not play any snaps in his true freshman season, opting for more playing time in Iowa City.

The Buckeyes take on Scott's Ducks on Nov. 7th, and Haddad's Hawkeyes on Oct. 3rd.