The Ohio State Buckeyes landed a defensive back from Death Valley, stealing Baton Rouge Catholic safety Blaine Bradford from the LSU Tigers. Since March 31, 2025, when Bradford chose OSU, though, LSU has hired Ed Orgeron as a recruiting assistant on Lane Kiffin's inaugural Tigers staff. Brian Kelly and his staff are gone.
For 2026, if the results are there in the Bayou, a homecoming may seem attractive for Bradford. Still, Matt Patricia, Matt Guerrieri, and Co. don't appear to be in danger of losing him after he declared he'd stick around following Kiffin's hiring in December. Not yet, anyway.
What could really convince Bradford he's in the wrong place is struggling in Columbus. As Land-Grant Holy Land's Cole Van Wiechen points out, though, the Buckeyes don't look like they're going to overplay their hand and stick Bradford into a high snap count in 2026. Not with a deep room ahead of him.
"The biggest obstacle standing between Bradford and immediate playing time is not talent. It is an opportunity. Ohio State enters 2026 with one of the deepest and most experienced defensive back rooms in the country. Veterans such as Terry Moore, Earl Little Jr, Jaylen McLain, and even Leroy Roker give Matt Patricia and Matt Guerrieri plenty of proven options in the secondary," Van Wiechen wrote.
"Many of the Buckeyes’ best defensive backs spent their first seasons learning behind veterans before eventually emerging as stars, and Bradford appears positioned to follow a similar developmental path. That does not mean he will disappear entirely this season. Special teams snaps, rotational opportunities, and late-game reps could still arrive throughout the year. But his biggest job in 2026 may simply be absorbing everything possible from one of the nation’s better defensive coaching staffs."
Ohio State must strike a perfect balance with Blaine Bradford
Bradford could say he's never leaving Central Ohio, but many have said the same thing before taking to the transfer portal. Kyle McCord never planned on leaving the Buckeyes, but ultimately, he was forced to make a "business decision" in 2023, and it paid off in a major way with the Syracuse Orange in 2024.
In this economy, no business decision could be frowned upon. Obviously, having already declared loyalty to the Scarlet and Gray, Bradford would rub some the wrong way if he were to do the thing he said he wouldn't do and commit to his home state Bayou Bengals. Still, Bradford would simply be doing what's best for his career if that's what it came to.
The Buckeyes owe Bradford, and every other player who they feel is pulling his weight for what he's being paid, what's best for that player's career. For Bradford right now, it's slow-rolling his development as the team looks to find an immediate Caleb Downs replacement. Of course, Downs could only be replaced by a committee, but it's not yet Bradford's time to serve on that committee.
2027 will be, though, since Earl Little Jr. and Terry Moore each have one year of eligibility left this coming fall.
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