Eric Boggs
With most of the headline names in the transfer portal already settled into new homes, the remaining options around college football are now largely about depth, competition, and insurance. That’s exactly where Ohio State has shifted its focus as it continues to fine-tune its roster for the 2026 season, using the closing phase of the portal cycle to address specific needs rather than chase splash additions.
One of those moves came at a position where competition is often overlooked. Ohio State added former Houston Christian and Cincinnati punter Brady Young, who committed to the Buckeyes for his sixth-year senior season. Young is a Perrysburg, Ohio native who began his career at Cincinnati in 2021, redshirting and spending four seasons in the program without appearing in a game. Seeking a starting opportunity, he transferred to Houston Christian for the 2025 season and made the most of it, averaging 41.8 yards per punt on 69 attempts. Seventeen of those punts were downed inside the 20, and 12 traveled at least 50 yards, including a career-long 66-yarder against Northern Colorado.
Young now heads back to his home state to compete with Joe McGuire, who averaged 42.4 yards per punt as Ohio State’s primary punter in 2025. The addition gives the Buckeyes a legitimate competition at a specialist spot that can quietly swing games in November and beyond.
While the portal is technically closed to new entries, Ohio State’s work isn’t finished. The Buckeyes have added 16 players and seen 31 depart, with most of the outgoing names coming from the back end of the roster rather than the core of the two-deep. That balance has allowed Ohio State to be selective with its remaining moves, focusing on experienced players who can raise the floor of key position groups.
That mindset is evident in the Buckeyes hosting Dartmouth offensive lineman Vesean Washington. Washington, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound lineman from Springfield, Ohio, has started the past two seasons at Dartmouth and brings versatility at both guard and tackle. Over more than 700 career snaps, he’s allowed just one sack, a level of consistency that stands out regardless of competition level. With one year of eligibility remaining, he fits the profile of a veteran depth piece who could push for snaps.
Ohio State returns the majority of it’s offensive line in 2026 with the exception of right guard Tegra Tshabola, and even that departure doesn’t leave the unit shorthanded. Gabe VanSickle and Joshua Padilla both saw time at right guard last season, and Austin Siereveld remains an option to slide inside if the Buckeyes lock down the left tackle spot protecting Julian Sayin’s blindside. Still, adding another experienced body to the mix would only strengthen a unit that must be better late in the season than it was in the final two games against Indiana and Miami.
Offensive line coach Tyler Bowen is clearly planning to lean on a veteran group in 2026, and the absence of transfer additions up front so far makes internal competition even more important. If Ohio State is going to reach its championship goals, the offensive line has to hold up when the pressure is highest. The Buckeyes may be shopping in the depth aisle of the portal now, but these are the kinds of moves that often matter most when the season is on the line.
For anyone wanting to stay on top of every departure and arrival, The OHIO Podcast has a Transfer Portal Tracker so that no one will miss any players leaving or coming to Ohio State via the transfer portal in 2026. Just click on the Tracker above and you will be taken to the portal hub.
