Ohio State football: Top 3 Buckeyes to leave the program

The Ohio State football team has had some really good players over the years, but have also had some really good players leave the program early for one reason or another. Here are the top three to do just that.

No football program wants to ask the question “What if?”. It’s a tough question that can’t really be answered. If that question has to be asked, that means the fanbase will likely think about how circumstances could have been different. The Ohio State football program has had that happen too.

Players leave programs all the time for different reasons. Some are dismissed because of academic or legal problems. Others leave for a better shot at playing time. No matter the reason, it has become more commonplace for players to look to leave for another program.

Ohio State has recruited at an elite level and has secured some of the best recruits to ever play the game. Some of those players worked out and some didn’t. In some of the cases, it was Ohio State’s fault that the player left and had a better career elsewhere.

These three guys I’m about to talk about ended up being elite players. In some cases, they were elite for the Buckeyes before leaving. In another case, he didn’t end up being elite until he left the program. But all three players undoubtedly would have made the Buckeyes better had they stayed.

The first player on this list had one truly magical season in Columbus before leaving the program and having his life turned upside down.