Ohio State Football: Lloyd McFarquhar talks transfer portal after four years

Lloyd McFarquhar spent four seasons with the Ohio State football program before deciding to enter the transfer portal in mid-January. After playing defensive back and on special teams during his time at Ohio State, McFarquhar will transfer to another school with two years of eligibility remaining following graduation in May.

“I’m very appreciative of my time here and all I’ve learned throughout these years. I believe now it’s time to explore and go somewhere I can have a bigger role on the field at a different program,” McFarquhar told me in a recent interview. “I’m just going through the process and weighing my options while getting this degree. I plan on making my decision more towards the middle or end of March so I can have as much time as I can to really think about it.”

He picked up an offer from Tennessee Chattanooga just over a week ago.

Coming out of high school, McFarquhar considered playing at multiple MAC schools and elsewhere before joining the Buckeyes as a preferred walk-on in 2018. He went on to appear in one game at Ohio State in both 2019 and 2020, before playing in a pair of blowout wins last year against Akron (59-7) and Michigan State (56-7). The Cleveland native was a part of three Big Ten championship-winning teams and two that reached the College Football Playoff.

McFarquhar talked about what it was like to learn from some of the best coaches and defensive players in the country at the Ohio State football program: “I’ve learned a lot coming in my freshman year all the way until now and learning from players and great coaches like Hafley, Coombs, and Barnes. I’ve mostly learned from them to believe in myself and I’m a lot better than I believe myself to be. I consider myself a technician and I’m always trying to perfect my craft.”

The 5’10 defensive back also described himself as a “savvy player.”

During his senior season at Brush High School, McFarquhar racked up four interceptions and 12 pass breakups en route to being named All-Conference for the second consecutive year. He was also the recipient of the Comier Award, given to a senior football player in his region for their outstanding character, scholarship, and service.

Leading up to the matchup against Michigan in November, McFarquhar got an opportunity to conduct the Buckeyes’ marching band. The players conducting the famous band is one of many traditions the football program does every year prior to the historic rivalry game. McFarquhar said leading the band at practice and winning a Big Ten championship as a freshman were some of his favorite memories from the last four years in Columbus.