The Ohio State Buckeyes have a battle at one of the safety spots in the secondary, with Leroy Roker III having a surprisingly strong spring practice performance thus far. Roker is reportedly pushing Duke Blue Devils transfer Terry Moore, one of the team's top portal pickups in January.
Per The Columbus Dispatch's Joey Kaufman, "Duke transfer Terry Moore was one of the top portal pickups for the Buckeyes in January. But Moore was not always with the first-team defense as he rotated with Leroy Roker III, a returning redshirt sophomore. It suggests a burgeoning position battle between them as they look to pair with Florida State transfer Earl Little Jr. and McClain, a returning starting safety. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia said last week that Moore was not under any restrictions after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament that sidelined him in 2025."
Roker, a redshirt sophomore who's played in six games total over the past two seasons, racked up eight tackles and a pass deflection during the 2025 season. He was a non-factor last year, but Roker is clearly improving at light speed.
Terry Moore has something to prove in 2026 at Ohio State
Moore didn't play during the 2025 season, having suffered a torn ACL the previous campaign. With that said, Moore's 2024 season in Durham was a statement, having been graded out by PFF as the No. 2 safety in the nation (90.1), picking off four passes, and amassing 71 tackles, seven TFL, one sack, and two forced fumbles.
Moore is facing a new level of competition in Columbus that he's not used to. Coming off a lower extremity injury, he's dealing with a speed he's not used to either. This is a truly trying time for the Washington, North Carolina, native.
With that said, overcoming all the adversity to become the star he may be destined to be could make him a potential legend at a school that actually has a chance to win it all. That'll be a first for Moore, who's coming from a Duke squad that just won their first ACC Championship since JFK's administration and did it with five losses.
Opportunity might meet circumstance for Moore in 2026. At worst, he'll be one of the top backups in any secondary in the country to start off the season. We'll see how the rest of the offseason goes in central Ohio.