How The 2023 Inbound Transfers Fared For Ohio State
The offseason is fully underway, as the Winter transfer portal window for the 2024 season has closed. Prior to the 2023 season, Ohio State Buckeyes received pledges from nine incoming transfers. Some guys stepped forward and contributed right away. Others had to make their way onto the field through special teams.
Ryan Day’s approach to the transfer portal emphasizes quality over quantity. The 2023 cycle was less impressive than the 2024 cycle. However, Ohio State did find a couple guys to help the program.
Incoming transfers at Ohio State in 2023 had a positive immediate impact.
Ideally, when a program uses the Transfer Portal, it looks for a player who can jump on the field and make an immediate impact. For better or worse, Ohio State discovered two athletes who accomplished this.
Begin with the good.Davison Igbinosun had an immediate impact on the 2023 Buckeye defense. The defensive back joined Ohio State from Ole Miss, where he was a Freshman All-American. Naturally, he had great expectations. He performed much better for the Buckeyes in 2023. Igbinosun appeared in all 13 games and led the defense with 769 snaps played. Jaylahn Tuimoloau was the next closest player with 673 snaps.
Igbinosun was an excellent complement to Denzel Burke. They both played physical and locked down receivers week after week. He led all defensive backs with 59 tackles, ranking third on the team. He also recorded five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. Igbinosun improved throughout the year, and his sticky play and eagerness to make plays will benefit the Buckeyes in 2024. With Burke, the tandem might be two of the top five cornerbacks in the 2025 NFL draft.
Immediate Impact: The Struggle
Josh Simmons, an embattled player from the 2023 transfer class, also made an early impression. Ohio State needed to replace three starting offensive linemen, including two tackles. Simmons struggled in his new role as left tackle. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed 15 total pressures and one sack this season. Simmons had a pass-blocking grade of 71.9 and a run-blocking mark of 65.8, and he often appeared more like a matador than a critical left tackle.
Despite his struggles, Simmons had a couple standout performances. If you believe PFF grading is important, he graded 88.4 vs Wisconsin. However, fines became a concern. He committed 17 penalties while at San Diego State. Last year, that number dropped to eight, but it’s still eight more than Day would want to see from the guy defending his quarterback’s blindside. Simmons is regarded as an athletic player, thus he should have the potential to improve. Given that offensive line play was one of the most pressing issues in 2023, he must make progress in spring practice.
Special Teamers
Not every inbound transfer at Ohio State was able to play frequently. Most were utilized infrequently, if at all. Day, like his predecessor, frequently uses special teams to give inexperienced players time on the field. Most players do not come to Ohio State or any other large university to play special teams, therefore this technique evaluates a player’s commitment to the program. Plus, with as much skill on the roster as Ohio State has, it’s beneficial to give the younger players time while the veterans rest for a play or two.
Long snapper John Ferlmann was the Buckeyes’ most notable special teams contributor from the 2023 Transfer Portal class. Ferlmann became the primary long snapper for Jesse Mirco and the punt unit after transferring from Arizona State. The benefit of being a long snapper is that even if no one knows your name, you’re doing a terrific job. He made a single error last season. In a non-fake play against Maryland, Ferlmann erroneously snapped the ball to blocking up-back Cody Simon, resulting in a turnover for the Buckeyes. Aside than that, he was solid and will likely be the long snapper for another two years.
Ja’Had Carter has 122 in-game snaps and 67 special teams snaps, indicating potential for a larger role in 2024. Carter transferred from Syracuse last year and played minimally at safety behind a few established players. Carter has a total of five tackles. Carter’s playing time may be limited due to the return of Lathan Ransom and Alabama transfer Caleb Downs, who could be the finest defensive player in the NCAA.
Lorenzo Styles, Jr. was a cornerback transfer. He is Sonny Styles’ brother and a Notre Dame transfer. Styles played three defensive snaps and 65 special teams snaps. Their father, Lorenzo Styles, Sr., played at Ohio State in the early 1990s.
Depth Pieces
Further down the depth chart, there are a few additional transfers who had little impact on the Buckeyes. Tywone Malone is leading the way.He transferred from Ole Miss to give interior defensive line depth. He played 49 snaps, spelling the first rotation, and had five tackles and half a tackle for loss versus Purdue. Malone was a member of the 2023 College World Series Ole Miss team, but he elected not to play baseball for the Buckeyes.
Victor Cutler, Jr., a one-and-done player at Ohio State, transferred from Louisiana-Monroe and played only 21 snaps. Cutler was tenth on the squad in terms of offensive line snaps. On a struggling offensive line, dropping behind a true freshman did not bode well for Cutler’s future. He hopped back into the vortex and landed in Louisville in 2024.
No action
Finally, there were two players that dressed up for the Buckeyes but did not play.
Tristan Gebbia, a quarterback from Oregon State, has not had much experience playing for Ohio State. Gebbia has seven years of collegiate experience. He appeared in 12 games for the Beavers over four years, totaling 1,250 yards and five touchdowns. When he transferred, it was clear that he was more interested in studying the system and developing as a future coach than in taking snaps for the Buckeyes.
The 2023 Buckeyes roster now includes Nigel Glover, a former four-star safety from Northwestern. Glover was initially a member of Northwestern’s 2023 recruiting class. However, he returned to Ohio after Pat Fitzgerald was sacked over the summer. Even in a deep safety room, Glover should be able to compete for snaps in 2024, even if they come on special teams.
Looking to 2024.
Following the Winter transfer portal window, Ohio State lost a few players. The Ohio State Buckeyes lost depth as well as their starting quarterback for 2023. In return, the Buckeyes received:
Julian Sayin, Alabama’s five-star incoming freshman quarterback
Caleb Downs, First-Team All-SEC safety, SEC Freshman of the Year, Alabama
Seth McLaughlin, 35, starts at center (Alabama).
Quinshon Judkins, two times First-Team All-SEC Running Back (Ole Miss)
Will Howard, Kansas State’s starting quarterback and Big 12 champion
Will Kacmarek, starting tight end (Ohio).
With the transfer portal closed for the vast majority of programs, the dust has settled. The gateway will reopen in the spring, and Ohio State will very likely lose and gain a few players once spring practices end.
It’s a new era for college football. While some programs want to use the gateway in the same way as hockey clubs do with line changes, the Buckeyes have been more judicious. Time will tell if this technique pays off.
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