BREAKING NEWS: Buckeye Breakfast: The implications of Ohio State’s spring transfers for recruiting

Only a few players (six) for the Buckeyes entered the portal, which is undoubtedly typical for an Ohio State school. Notably, none of the guys who are leaving the school were anticipated to be starters in 2024.

However, the departures will have an effect in the future, and hiring new employees is one way to assist address that. What therefore are the lessons to be learned from the past two weeks of losses?

Notably, Lathan Ransom, Jayden Bonsu, Caleb Downs, Malik Hartford, Jaylen McClain, and Leroy Roker are the only six safeties left on the roster. That may not even be sufficient for the Buckeyes to survive 2024, but it does highlight the necessity of a strong showing in the 2025 class.

Given that three-star Cody Haddad and four-star DeShawn Stewart have already committed, the Buckeyes may be well on their way. Additionally, the Buckeyes are also vying for two top-50 safeties: Trey McNutt and Faheem Delane. Jadyn Hudson and Kainoa Winston, both four stars, are also contenders.

As things stand, the safety room in Columbus in 2026 and beyond is extremely unpredictable, with Ransom expected to join the NFL after the 2024 season and Downs almost probably following after the 2025 season. That is the responsibility that the incoming freshman class has.

Quinshon Judkins may follow TreVeyon Henderson, who is expected to join the NFL following the 2024 season. Those two might be the first two running backs off the board in the draft in April of next year, according to some.

Then there are the two freshman James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon, who won’t be expected to carry a lot of the load until the position becomes overly injured. That means that by January of the following year, there may only be two running backs listed on the depth chart.