The Ohio State football program struggled early in the Transfer Portal window. Losing 30 players in one offseason to the portal is something unprecedented for this program. They have been slow to replace those players with quality portal guys, but it seems they are slowly starting to do that.
The Ohio State Buckeyes added their best player from the portal on Sunday when they landed safety Earl Little Jr. from Florida State. It looks like they are planning on using him more in the nickel than they are at safety, which is certainly a position of need.
Still, the Buckeyes needed to find someone to replace Caleb Downs next season. While no one can truly replace him, Ohio State has found the next best thing. They have been able to land All-ACC safety Terry Moore from Duke to fill in at the safety spot next season.
Ohio State football program adds Terry Moore from Duke
Moore was Second Team All-ACC in 2024 for the Blue Devils. Adding him for his final season of eligibility is the best possible replacement Ohio State could have gotten at this point in the portal. Bringing him in will help bridge the gap between younger players and still contending for a title.
Last season, Moore had four interceptions. Ohio State needs more ballhawks, especially with the amount of depth they are losing in the secondary from this past season. He is the right guy to bring in at this point in his career, and now the Buckeyes can focus on other needs.
Ryan Day still needs to add a corner, a kicker, and some offensive line help. The defensive line needs some help, as well. Day's work is far from over in the Transfer Portal, but they have finally started to add some positive momentum to what has mostly been a disastrous portal cycle.
The Transfer Portal will close at the end of the week, so Ohio State is hoping not to lose any more players in that window of time.