The Ohio State football program has had plenty of players enter the Transfer Portal since it opened. Losing over 30 players is not ideal for any program in one offseason. The Buckeyes were able to recoup some of that talent in the portal by landing some solid players, though.
The Ohio State Buckeyes lost a lot of players in the secondary, which put them in a bit of a bind. Last week, they went to work to rectify that by adding several cornerbacks and safeties. Now, they have built some of the depth back up that they lost, especially at the safety position.
One safety that the Buckeyes lost was Cody Haddad. Haddad was a three-star safety in the 2025 recruiting class. He didn't really play as a true freshman, so he decided to leave. Now, he has found a new home, and it's with another Big Ten program that the Buckeyes will face next year.
Former Ohio State safety Cody Haddad transfers to Iowa
Haddad has decided to leave the Buckeyes for the Hawkeyes. Iowa will take on Ohio State next season in Iowa City next year. Haddad is hoping to earn some playing time next year, which is not something he was likely to see in Columbus after the portal additions that the Buckeyes had.
Ohio State now has multiple players at safety who can take over for Caleb Downs. Jaylen McClain will still be the starter at the other safety spot, but now Ohio State has Terry Moore, who could possibly step in for Downs, assuming that he is healthy heading into next season.
Haddad fits better at Iowa than he does at Ohio State, looking at the future of the safety position. He is going to have a chance at playing time sooner than he would in Columbus, with the next couple of recruiting classes having safeties who will likely jump him on the depth chart.