Eric Boggs
Ohio State fans are being forced to confront an uncomfortable reality: the steady stream of players leaving the program has become a real problem. The latest departure, safety Malik Hartford, only deepens a growing sense of unease in Columbus and intensifies the question many fans are already asking — why is this happening, and why is it happening at this scale?
Hartford entered the transfer portal on Friday, becoming the 25th scholarship Buckeye to do so since January 2. A former four-star recruit and top-200 national prospect in the 2023 class, Hartford was once viewed as a future starter in the secondary. He started two games as a freshman, played in 23 total contests over two seasons, and was on track to open 2024 as the starting free safety before the arrival of Caleb Downs reshuffled the depth chart. Even so, Hartford remained a contributor, appearing in 14 games last season. In 2025, he elected to redshirt after four games and later underwent shoulder surgery. Now he’s gone — another talented Buckeye who never reached the role many expected him to hold in Columbus.
Hartford’s exit makes him the fourth scholarship defensive back to leave this offseason, joining Bryce West, Aaron Scott Jr., and Keenan Nelson Jr. West has already landed at Wisconsin with Luke Fickell, Scott is exploring options that include the Badgers, and Nelson is now on his third school after failing to crack Ohio State’s rotation despite being a four-star transfer from South Carolina.
The situation only looks more troubling when considering how many recent recruits are bailing early. Ohio State has now lost six members of its 2025 recruiting class after just one season. The latest addition to that list is Bodpegn Miller, a four-star athlete who arrived as a developmental wide receiver after starring at quarterback at Ontario High School. Miller never saw the field, which wasn’t unexpected for a position change, but with former receivers coach Brian Hartline now the head coach at USF, Miller chose to take his future elsewhere after only one year in scarlet and gray.
Miller joins Quincy Porter, Jarquez Carter, Maxwell Roy, Jayvon McFadden, and Isaiah Kema as 2025 recruits already headed for the exit. That brings the total number of scholarship Buckeyes in the portal for 2026 to 25 — a number that should concern every Ohio State supporter.
Carter’s departure is particularly alarming from a roster-building standpoint. A four-star defensive tackle and top-200 national prospect, Carter played in seven games as a freshman and was Ohio State’s fifth-most-used defensive tackle before disappearing from the rotation over the final month of the season. With Kayden McDonald heading to the NFL and Tywone Malone out of eligibility, Carter was expected to take on a larger role in 2026. Instead, he’s gone, leaving Ohio State scrambling for depth inside.
And the defensive tackle losses don’t stop there. Eric Mensah, a 2024 recruit, has also entered the portal after two quiet seasons. Maxwell Roy had already departed earlier. What was once a developing pipeline at the position now feels dangerously thin, forcing Ohio State back into the portal market while hoping that recent additions like John Walker and upcoming freshmen Jamir Perez, Emanuel Ruffin, and Damari Simeon can stabilize the room.
Then there’s Keenan Nelson Jr., who arrived in Columbus as a four-star transfer hoping to revive his career and instead leaves with no recorded statistics after 17 appearances, mostly on special teams. His story mirrors too many others — talented players who arrive with expectations and leave without answers.
Many believe that this is the modern college football world and that this level of movement is unavoidable. But that explanation rings hollow when the Buckeyes are losing highly rated recruits, key depth pieces, and long-term developmental players at this rate. This is no longer a matter of a few roster adjustments. It is a pattern.
For a program that prides itself on stability, development, and championship culture, this transfer portal exodus should set off alarms. Buckeye fans have every right to demand accountability and clarity about what is driving so many players out the door — and what Ohio State plans to do before this problem grows even worse.
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.
