The Ohio State football program didn't lose a single scholarship player to the Transfer Portal this past year. It was a very surprising development considering how prevalent transferring is in college football these days. The only player they lost was a third-string punter.
That doesn't mean that will be the case once the 2025 season is over. The Buckeyes have a few guys on the roster who might have their eyes on the portal before this season has even started, despite the fact that they are defending a national championship after winning in 2024.
If these guys don't see some playing time this season, there is a good chance that they end up at least looking at the portal. Each of them might be better off in terms of finding playing time than being in Columbus.
1. Lincoln Kienholz
Currently trying to win the starting quarterback job over Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz has an uphill climb to do so. Kienholz is a former four-star recruit who hasn't had a shot to win the starting job since joining the roster. Will Howard was brought in last year as the starter, no questions asked.
Sayin is a former five-star recruit who signed with Alabama before Nick Saban retired, then decided to transfer to Ohio State. He was more impressive than Kienholz in most of spring practice, though Kienholz had a pretty good Spring Game performance.
This is the last chance that Kienholz has to win the starting job. If he doesn't win it this year, he likely never will. Other than Sayin, the Ohio State Buckeyes also have five-star Tavien St. Clair and five-star Brady Edmonds coming in during the 2027 class. His window to win the job is now.
If Kienholz can't beat out Sayin, don't be surprised to see him enter the portal after the 2025 season ends. He might have a better shot at starting at an ACC school or a Big 12 school. Ohio State is a tough school to start at if you're not a top-tier recruit.