Three Ohio State Buckeyes who may end up in the transfer portal

The Ohio State Buckeyes are just games away from potentially repeating as national champions.

After taking home the title back in 2024, they were slotted as the No. 2 seed in the 2025 bracket, paving a way to make a trip back to the grandest stage of them all. They are currently preparing to get back onto the field on Dec. 31, against the winner of No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 10 Miami (Fla.) in the second round of the CFP.

But, through the success and glory, some players will be disgruntled, mainly due to playing time or internal issues.

As January approaches, some athletes may decide to take their talents elsewhere and restart their college career with a new program. The transfer window opens on Jan. 2, 2026, and runs through Jan. 16, 2026.

Here are three Buckeyes who could end up entering the portal:

1. Bryson Rodgers (Junior) - Wide Receiver

Rodgers was a four-star prospect coming out of high school, dropping down to a three-star transfer heading into his senior season.

He was electrifying coming out of high school, showing quick bursts of speed and the ability to create chunk plays after the catch. But, with players like Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate taking the headlines, Rodgers has been hidden in the shadows.

Across three seasons with the Buckeyes, Rodgers has hauled in 11 catches for 125 yards and one score on an average of 11.4 yards per reception.

In any other program he can be a very effective target, but with Ohio State, he may be overshadowed by the various highly-touted prospects and contributors. A new beginning might give him a chance to boost his stock heading into an opportunity to play ball at the next level.

2. Sam Williams-Dixon (Sophomore) - Running Back

The sophomore running back already entered the transfer portal once, before rescinding his decision and deciding to remain a Buckeye.

However, he fell down the depth chart significantly in 2025. With freshmen Bo Jackson and Isaiah West breaking out, they will have the two top spots locked down at least for the spring season and moving into the summer. Jackson is still amidst one of the best freshman seasons for a running back in program history, with over 1,000 yards and five touchdowns.

In two seasons, Williams-Dixon has just 10 attempts for 62 yards and one touchdown. He's a talented, speedy and athletic back, but his role with the Buckeyes will be lackluster for the foreseeable future.

Entering the portal might make sense for him, especially if he wants to bet on himself and take a top role in an offense elsewhere.

3. Lincoln Kienholz (Junior) - Quarterback

Kienholz was widely regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation coming out of high school. In the 2023 season, he played in three games, threw 22 passes, and completed just 45.5% of his passes for 111 yards. Fast forward a season, and he sat behind Will Howard for the Buckeyes' national-championship-winning campaign, throwing zero passes.

Heading into 2025, it looked like the Buckeyes were going to lean the way of Kienholz and give the junior signal caller the reins of the offense.

However, they opted to move forward with sophomore Julian Sayin as the starter. Unfortunately for Kienholz, Sayin has the job locked down moving into next season, meaning that if Kienholz wants to play in his senior season, he's going to have to enter the portal.

That decision also makes sense due to the fact that the team also has freshman quarterback Tavien St. Clair on the roster, who's incredibly promising as well.

One thing's for sure: if Kienholz does leave, the Buckeyes better hope that they don't have to match up against the 6-foot-2, dual-threat quarterback.