Eric Boggs
Ohio State fans have a lot to be optimistic about heading into the 2025-26 season, and the addition of Brandon Noel only adds to the excitement. The former Wright State standout announced his transfer to the Buckeyes on Monday, giving second-year head coach Jake Diebler a versatile weapon who brings both scoring punch and rebounding prowess to a team hungry for a return to national relevance.
Noel, a Lucasville, Ohio native, was a force in the Horizon League last season, averaging 19 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 55.2% from the field and nearly 36% from beyond the arc. His production earned him second-team All-Horizon League honors and caught the attention of a Buckeyes program that’s been eager to add high-efficiency contributors. While Ohio State’s stars Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr., and Devin Royal showed flashes of brilliance, the team was inconsistent beyond its top players — a fact that became painfully obvious when the bench managed just three points in their Big Ten Tournament exit at the hands of Iowa.
Noel’s metrics suggest he’s not just a volume scorer but an efficient one. His 59.6% effective field goal percentage at Wright State would’ve led the Buckeyes last season, surpassing even Thornton’s team-best mark of 58%. His ability to rebound—posting 9.1 boards per 40 minutes—and stretch the floor with 37.3% career shooting from three makes him a natural fit for Diebler’s system. Whether slotted in at small forward to battle sophomore Colin White or utilized as a power forward alongside Royal, Noel’s scoring versatility and size (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) fill a major need after the departures of Micah Parrish and Evan Mahaffey.
Noel is the third portal addition this offseason, joining Indiana transfer Gabe Cupps and Santa Clara center Christoph Tilly. These moves, paired with the return of key contributors, signal a strong offseason for Ohio State as Diebler reshapes the roster around his core.
Speaking of that core, the Buckeyes got more great news with the return of forward Devin Royal, who emerged as one of the team’s most reliable options in his sophomore year. Royal averaged 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, leading the team in boards and placing second in scoring. He became more dangerous as the season went on, developing a consistent outside shot and knocking down 35.3% of his threes over the final 16 games. His continued growth could be a game-changer.
Royal joins fellow returnees Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr. to form the heart of Ohio State’s lineup. Thornton is testing the NBA Draft waters but has left the door open for a return, a decision that could significantly shape the team’s ceiling. In the frontcourt, the Buckeyes will also welcome junior Sean Stewart, sophomore Ivan Njegovan, and promising freshman A’mare Bynum, alongside Tilly and now Noel, forming a much deeper and more athletic rotation than last year.
One change, however, is the Buckeyes’ withdrawal from the 2025 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, a prestigious early-season event in the Bahamas. An Ohio State spokesperson confirmed the decision, which leaves OSU in search of a new tournament to bolster its non-conference résumé. While the full 2025-26 schedule has yet to be finalized, expect the Buckeyes to find another opportunity that helps strengthen both their competitive standing and NIL positioning.
With the roster reloading and the program trending in a positive direction under Diebler, the pieces are starting to fall into place. If Brandon Noel’s skillset translates to the Big Ten the way it did in the Horizon League, he could be a key catalyst in Ohio State’s resurgence — and finally bring the Buckeyes back to where fans know they belong: contending in March.
