Ohio State looks like it may have avoided a costly mistake when Quincy Porter left for Notre Dame.
Porter, a former Buckeye receiver, will miss the entire season after Marcus Freeman said he needs surgery on his knee. The injury has kept him out of games this year, and he will not get a single snap for the Irish.
Porter’s situation brings Ohio State’s portal decision back into focus. Last offseason, the Buckeyes lost nearly 30 players to the transfer portal, and the receiver room took a heavy hit with five departures. Porter was one of two former five-star wideouts who ended up at Notre Dame, while Carnell Tate went on to become the fourth overall pick.
As a true freshman a year ago, Porter barely saw the field because of an injury. He finished with just four catches for 59 yards. That limited production also tied into the rumors that he wanted more money in the portal, something Ohio State was not willing to meet.
From the Buckeyes’ side, letting him walk now looks like the safer call. Porter hurt the same knee at Ohio State, and the latest news raises the possibility that the problem may be more than a short-term setback. Even with Ohio State dealing with depth issues at receiver, keeping him around could have created more problems than answers.
The Buckeyes already have one receiver dealing with his own injury situation in Kyle Parker. Parker has yet to play this season, even though he was finally healthy last weekend against Illinois. He still hasn’t appeared in a game since transferring from LSU.
Overall, Ohio State’s portal work has mostly held up. The players the Buckeyes moved on from generally look like the right choices, and several of the additions have at least given the program something back. Parker remains the outlier, while Qua Russaw has struggled at defensive end and has had to take on more with Zion Grady injured.
On the other side, Earl Little Jr. has been excellent at safety, and Devin McCuin has been useful as well. Christian Alliegro, John Walker, and Little have also done their part as productive pieces on defense.
Ryan Day would probably like a little more from the portal overall. But on the Porter front, Ohio State seems to have come out ahead.
In Other News...
Ohio State Freshman Legend Bey May Have A Bigger Problem Than Playing Time
Legend Beys first season at Ohio State has already been shaped by interruption, and not just because of the usual freshman learning curve. After an earlier suspension and an ankle injury, the running back has been working from behind for playing time, and his role has stayed limited as the Buckeyes have moved through the season. Even in areas where young players can sometimes find a foothold, his path has been narrow.
The latest sign came against Illinois, when Bey did not play and another player handled his kick-return work instead. For a freshman trying to earn more than a spot in the rotation, that kind of move can say plenty about where he stands with the staff. If the concerns run deeper than health or depth-chart traffic, it could become a bigger issue for Bey as he looks to settle his future in Columbus. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Future Talent Pipeline Is Starting To Look Different
Ohio States recruiting machine is still humming, but the shape of the pipeline is starting to change. The Buckeyes already hold 19 verbal commitments in the 2027 class, a group that includes six national top 100 players and the countrys No. 1 overall prospect, DJ Jacobs, giving the staff another chance to load up early with high-end talent.
The next wave looks just as promising, if a little different in how it is forming. Ohio State has five commitments in the 2028 class, four of them top 100 prospects, led by quarterback Christopher Vargas at No. 4 nationally, and even the 2029 class already has a foothold with wide receiver Austin Miller, ranked No. 50. For a program that has long built its roster on blue-chip talent, the real question is how this early momentum will translate when the class rankings and the pressure both start to rise. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Growing Running Back Problem Behind Ja'Kobi Jackson
Ohio State got the win over Illinois in Week 4, but the running back room left Ryan Day with a lot to sort through. The group finished with 122 rushing yards, and Ja'Kobi Jackson accounted for the best of it with 56 yards and a touchdown, giving the Buckeyes a steadier presence than they got from the rest of the rotation.
What followed was more revealing than the box score. Day publicly singled out sophomores Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, questioning their effort when compared with Ja'Kobi Jackson, and the backdrop here is not just one uneven afternoon but a position group dealing with injuries and inconsistent play. For Ohio State, the bigger concern is whether there is a reliable answer behind Ja'Kobi Jackson, because right now the depth chart looks far less settled than a contender would prefer. [Read more 🡒]