The Ohio State football program has bounced back from a tough start to the Transfer Portal process. Monday was their best day in the portal, landing five players, including a pair from Alabama. The Buckeyes feel much better about their haul than they did 10 days ago.
Still, 30+ players have entered the portal since the season ended. That includes four receivers from the Buckeyes, which leaves their depth sorely lacking at that spot. One coach has decided to take advantage of how Ohio State has chosen to handle NIL payments in this portal cycle.
That is Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. Freeman, a former Ohio State football player, has pushed Ohio State's buttons in the past. Now, he has landed two receiver commitments from the Ohio State Buckeyes, with both of them being former five-star recruits.
Former Ohio State football player Marcus Freeman is sticking it to Ohio State
Freeman is doing exactly what he should be doing. He's taking good players with promising attributes from the Buckeyes after those prospects decided to leave the university. Adding both Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter is a coup, as both will help Notre Dame win immediately.
With him being a former Ohio State player, he can give former Buckeyes a unique recruiting pitch that not many other coaches in the country can match. He is using a unique opportunity to his advantage, even though the Fighting Irish have lost three straight games to the Buckeyes under Freeman.
Should Ryan Day be concerned about this moving forward? Right now, no. Freeman is a great head coach already, and he doesn't need former Buckeyes to build a national title contender. That was proven when he played for a national championship against Ohio State.
Still, Day needs to be careful about letting too many guys go in future seasons. The portal closes on Friday, so the Buckeyes won't be losing any more guys after that date passes. It would be nice to see them add a few more players in the next couple of weeks.