Big Ten Daily: Indiana Running Back Sampson James Enters Transfer Portal

Indiana running back Sampson James has entered the transfer portal, four-star tight end Theodor Ohrstrom from Sweden will announce college decision on Aug. 18, and Ohio State safety Jaylen Johnson will miss 2021 season with ACL injury. Here's the latest from around the Big Ten.

Author:
D.J. Fezler
Publish date:
Aug 12, 2021 4:12 PM EDT

For the second time in a year, Indiana running back Sampson James has entered the transfer portal.

James, who decommitted from Ohio State in 2018 to sign with Indiana, was a standout four-star running back at Avon High School just west of Indianapolis.

During his two years at Indiana, there's been just one shining moment – he rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown to help beat Purdue in double-overtime in 2019 – and very little else. He took a back seat to Stevie Scott both seasons, and never really made the impact that was expected of him when he signed as the third-highest ranked recruit in school history.

James has entered the transfer portal before, in early March 2020 before spring practice started, but four days later he changed his mind and stayed with the Hoosiers. This time, it's unlikely that James will be returning to Indiana. He may look for a fresh start elsewhere, and since he's leaving before classes start, he will still have three years of eligibility remaining because of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the season.

James has rushed for 371 yards on 113 carries during his career at Indiana. Outside of that Purdue game, he had just 253 yards on 95 carries, a meager 2.66 yards per carry.

James rushed for 1,782 yards as a junior at Avon, and another 1,043 during his senior year. He's 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, and all those tackles he broke in high school hadn't really translated to the college game.

For more from our Sports Illustrated Indiana website, HoosiersNow, CLICK HERE.

4-Star TE Recruit From Sweden to Announce College Decision

Theodor Ohrstrom, a four-star tight end from RIG Academy in Sweden, is set to announce his college destination at 9:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 18. His top-four programs include Ohio State, Texas A&M and LSU.

Ohrstrom and is considered the No. 14 tight end in the class of 2023, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He is also considered the top prospect in Sweden and the 180th recruit overall.

The 6-foot-6, 245-pound prospect has already garnered 12 total offered and took official visits to each of his final three programs. Other scholarship offers included Alabama, Arizona State, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Minnesota, Oklahoma and UCF.

Here's what the 2023 recruit had to say about the Buckeyes:

"Obviously it's one of the best programs in the country," Ohrstrom told 247Sports. "They have good developments and I’ve created a really good relationship with Coach (Kevin) Wilson too and Coach (Ryan) Day and I like the Columbus area, the area that they're in and their facilities are great I think."

Ohio State DB Jaylen Johnson to Miss 2021 Season

When Ohio State takes the field this season, it will likely be without freshman defensive back Jaylen Johnson. According to reports, Johnson tore his ACL during practice and will miss the entire 2021 season.

Johnson was a three-star safety from La Salle High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. While he wasn't guaranteed to see playing time outside of special teams for the Buckeyes this season, coaches noted his work ethic during the offseason.

“[Linebackers coach Al] Washington told me one thing,” Johnson told Lettermen Row after committing early last year. “He said that I’m one of the hardest workers he’s ever seen. [Jeff] Hafley told me that too. I knew coming into that camp I was going to have to work hard, to show coaches I can run, jump and move my hips, to just play football.”

Ohio State opens its season on Sept. 2 against Minnesota.