The Ohio State Buckeyes weren't able to defend their National Championship, but an undefeated regular season, an appearance in the Big Ten title game, and a return to the College Football Playoff is nothing to shrug at.
Now, as the Buckeyes prepare for 2026, head coach Ryan Day and his staff are also focusing on the current matter at hand: the transfer portal.
So far, a painful 28 players have left Ohio State for the portal, but Day has already landed five blue-chip transfer prospects. Now, he and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia are trending in the right direction for yet another star: Earl Little Jr.
Earl Little Jr. would be a perfect Buckeye
With star safety Caleb Downs declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, the Buckeyes are in search of a star for their defensive secondary. Little could be that exact guy.
Not only did Little start his collegiate career for the Alabama Crimson Tide, just like Downs did, but he spent the last two years as a standout safety for the Florida State Seminoles.
Earl Little Jr. 2025 season stats
- 76 total tackles (33 solo)
- 4 interceptions (83 yards)
- 2 pass deflections
- 2 forced fumbles
Little didn't truly become a consistent starter until this season, but it immediately paid off, even as the Seminoles struggled to find their footing.
He was a four-star prospect coming out of high school and was ranked as the No. 12 defensive back in the class of 2021. Now, he is a four-star prospect once again and is a top-85 transfer, as the No. 7 safety in the portal.
After signing with the Crimson Tide in 2021, Little didn't see any in-game action until 2023, only playing in one matchup for Alabama before hitting the transfer portal. In 2024, during his first season at Florida State, he played in seven games, earning 15 tackles and one sack.
2025 was clearly Little's breakout season, and that could only continue, if not improve, if he were to join Patricia's elite squad in Columbus.