The Ohio State football team has already lost almost two dozen players to the Transfer Portal. It just opened on Friday, and more players are likely going to enter their names into the portal before it closes in just over a week. This is significantly more players than entered the portal last season.
While they continue to lose players at an alarming rate, the Ohio State Buckeyes haven't done a good job of replacing those guys. So far, they have only brought in four players from the portal. They have only lost one starter, but Tegra Tshabola wasn't likely to start next season, anyway.
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, Tshabola might not be the only starter who bolts for the portal. There are rumors floating around that running back Bo Jackson, who emerged as the starting running back early into the season, might decide to enter the Transfer Portal.
Ohio State football program rumored to possibly lose Bo Jackson
Jackson is rumored to want a significant pay increase in the NIL space from what he was making this past season. In today's college football climate, players are looking to make as much money as possible, no matter where they end up playing. In some cases, it works out.
In other cases, it's a disaster. If Ohio State were to lose Jackson, it would hurt significantly. The Buckeyes have already lost two running backs to the portal, and losing another one would be a massive blow to the room. Jackson is also really good, so that would be the biggest problem.
Of course, things could get worked out between Jackson and Ryan Day to keep him in Columbus. That's the best-case scenario. Day needs to keep Jackson and Isaiah West as the top two backs on the team. Jackson is still the better of the two backs.
Keeping the core of the offense together so they can grow into a better unit next season is paramount to the Buckeyes' chances of making a title run. Jackson is a key component of that.