Transfer portal window opens as potential OL options for Ohio State slowly emerge: Buckeye Breakfast

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The transfer portal period doesn’t begin until Dec. 4, but players can announce their intention to enter the portal well before that. And, after a few days of the regular season being concluded for some teams, many players have taken that choice.

One player for Ohio State has already announced that he intends to enter the transfer portal when the window opens, though in today’s college football landscape, he’s certainly not the only player that will depart Columbus in the next few weeks.

With Ohio State’s postseason future still uncertain, it’s safe to assume that most players will not announce their intentions for a few more days or weeks, leaving open to interpretation how many spots the Buckeyes will have to fill. Still, there are some intriguing options that are slowly emerging for what the 2024 Ohio State team could look like.

After Indiana fired coach Tom Allen, four of its five starting offensive linemen entered the portal . Matthew Bedford and Zach Carpenter are interior players, while Carter Smith and Khalil Benson are tackles. Smith, who attended Olentangy Liberty in Powell, figures to be a target for Ohio State considering the positional need, and his roots in Ohio.

Former Notre Dame center Zeke Correll also will enter the transfer portal as a graduate player, and would serve as a veteran presence with some notable experience in big matchups. Correll is also from Ohio, and went to high school at Anderson.

Cade Stover a Mackey Award finalist

Ohio State tight end Cade Stover is a finalist for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end. He was named a finalist alongside Colorado State’s Dallin Holker and Georgia’s Brock Bowers — who is the reigning winner.

Stover had 41 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns this season in 11 games played. His catches and yards are a career-best, and his five touchdowns tied a career-best.

No Ohio State player has won the Mackey Award since it was established in 2000.

Former Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry has strong words

Former Ohio State national champion-winning linebacker Joshua Perry had some strong words on a show on Bally Sports , earlier this week.

“We had a coach on the Ohio State sideline who was calling the game like he was trying not to lose,” Perry said. “And we had a coach on the Michigan sideline, an interim coach by the way, as a point-spread favorite at home, like he was the underdog. Explain to me any scenario where you feel like it’s appropriate to wind down the clock at the end of the half and play for a 52-yard field goal when your kicker has only ever made a 47-yard field goal in-game. You got the ball at the 46-yard line, 4th and 1, and you’re going to punt it. Your punter is having a terrible day, he averaged like 32 yards per punt all day long, and you punt the football away.”

Perry, who went to high school at Olentangy in Lewis Center, played for Ohio State from 2012-2015. He did credit Ohio State for what the Buckeyes did in stopping the Michigan ground game, and preventing explosive plays, but was still fired up about the loss to the Wolverines.

“But I’m over here looking: Why, and how?!?” Perry exclaimed. “I don’t want to see none of those players dancing for TikTok before the games until you beat Michigan again. I’ve been seeing y’all dancing on the field and I’m sick and tired — I know I sound like an old dude — so stop doing that. I do not want to hear another quarterback...that says it’s just another game. It’s not. So stop saying it.”

Michigan baseball teams take shots at Ryan Day

Ohio State coach Ryan Day is down, as is the rest of the program after the 30-24 loss to Michigan. And Michigan, both the university and the state, are having no problem kicking.

Michigan’s official baseball account on X posted about the Buckeye coach in reference to Jim Harbaugh’s comments in relation to “some people” being born on third base. The post reads: “Great Job Saturday by reliever Sherrone Moore, who stranded a runner on third base as Michigan beat Ohio State again! #GoBlue ”.

The Wolverines weren’t the only ones taking shots, as the Kalamazoo Growlers (a team in the Northwoods League, which is a summer college league) “offered” Day the team’s third base coaching job in publicity stunt that went viral.

“We think Ryan was for the position.” Growlers Owner, Brian Colopy, said in the statement . “We will do whatever it takes to get Ryan to Kalamazoo.”

The team even offered a pre-sale of shirts with the words, “Ryan Day — Official 3rd Base Coach” on them.

Key dates

Big Ten Championship game: 3 days, Dec. 2

Winter transfer portal opens: 5 days, Dec. 4

Early signing period starts: 21 days, Dec. 20-22

College Football Playoff National Championship: 43 days, Jan. 8, 2024

NFL Draft underclassmen entry deadline: 47 days, Jan. 15, 2024

Regular signing period starts: 71 days, Feb. 7-April 1, 2024

NFL Scouting Combine: 98 days, Feb. 27-March 4, 2024