Ohio State Buckeyes Target Defensive Line in Transfer Portal After Spring Game Concerns

COLUMBUS — April 17, 2025

The Ohio State Buckeyes are heading into the 2025 season with high expectations following their recent national championship victory, but head coach Ryan Day and the staff face a significant challenge: replenishing their defensive line. While the Buckeyes boast the fourth-best recruiting class of 2025, as ranked by 247 Sports, they were unable to restock their defensive line with the same level of talent that powered their title run last season.

As a result, On3’s Pete Nakos reported on Sunday that Ohio State is likely to turn to the college football transfer portal this spring, specifically targeting the defensive tackle position. The loss of key players, including defensive tackle Hero Kanu and EDGE Mitchell Melton to the portal, coupled with NFL draft departures and graduations, has left the Buckeyes with a hole on the defensive line heading into the upcoming season.

“The Buckeyes are only months removed from the national title, however, they are expected to be buyers in the defensive line market in April,” Nakos wrote. “Ryan Day was not able to restock the talent pool following the national championship, and he is expected to heavily prioritize the defensive line, specifically the tackle position, in the coming weeks.”

The departures of Kanu, Melton, and other key contributors such as Tyleik Williams, Jack Sawyer, and Ty Hamilton have only compounded Ohio State’s need for reinforcements. Williams, Sawyer, and Hamilton were all ranked among the top 130 prospects on ESPN’s big board for the 2025 NFL Draft, signaling the caliber of talent the Buckeyes are losing. Replacing their impact on the defensive line will be no small task.

The Buckeyes did sign three defensive linemen in their 2025 recruiting class, including a four-star recruit, as well as two four-star edge rushers. While the incoming talent shows promise, the team still faces significant uncertainty in its defensive front. Following Ohio State’s Spring Game, there were concerns about the starting defensive line’s inability to generate pressure on the offensive line, which further underlined the need for immediate reinforcements.

Ryan Stano of Scarlet & Game also echoed these concerns, stating, “The starting defensive line was not able to get pressure at all on the starting offensive line. The Buckeyes have to replace their entire starting defensive line, and that might be more of an issue than they thought.”

As the transfer portal window opens this spring, all eyes will be on Ohio State as they look to bolster their defensive line and maintain their status as one of the top programs in college football. With the competition in the Big Ten and national landscape growing fiercer, the Buckeyes’ ability to add experienced talent through the portal could be the key to another successful season.