The Opening Drive 1/8: Buckeyes Land Big Portal Addition, and All The Latest Buzz
As the portal turns we everything you need to know about the non-stop cycle.
Since writing this Opening Drive the Buckeyes got busy. They added Wisconsin linebacker Christian Alliegro who will play his senior year with the Buckeyes over the Texas Longhorns who he also considered. The veteran linebacker has 124 career tackles, including eight sacks and 14 career tackles for loss. His veteran presence will bolster a young group for next season. We will have an extensive film room on him over the weekend.
The last bigger update I brought you guys had a total of 13 Buckeyes in the portal. That number is now twenty-one scholarship players in the portal. The Buckeyes have also added four players via the portal, have hosted players, and are preparing to host many more. We, here at Film Breakdown, wanted to use this opening drive to give you guys an update on all things portal.
Who Else Has Entered the Portal?
K Jackson Courville
P Nick McClarty
OL Devontae Armstrong
OL Isaiah Kema
CB Aaron Scott Jr.
WR Mylan Graham
G Tegra Tshabola
OT Justin Terry
WR Quincy Porter
G Jayvon McFadden
DT Maxwell Roy
This group definitely had a few surprises in it, as far as guys who were going to be set up to contribute next season. Among those considered to be surprises would be Scott, Graham, Porter, and to some extent Tshabola. With IGB declaring for the draft, Lorenzo Styles being out of eligibility, and the status of Jermaine Mathews Jr. still unknown, Scott would have been very much in the discussion to start opposite Devin Sanchez next season. Graham and Porter would have both been in the discussion to start opposite Jeremiah Smith next season. Tshabola, whose time at OSU can best be described as a roller coaster, may have decided it time for a fresh start after seeing how Josh Padilla played in the 2nd half against Miami. There are numerous rumors out there about why some of these players have left, but at the end of the day all you can hope is that they make the decision that best suits them and their families.
LATEST PODCASTS:
LATEST FILM ROOMS:
LATEST ARTICLES:
The Opening Drive 1/7: The College Football Calendar is Broken
The Opening Drive 1/5: Portal Season and Decisions That Matter
The Opening Drive 1/3: What Happened on The Pick Six Screen Pass
Who Have the Buckeyes Added?
LB Christian Alliegro (Wisconsin)
TE Mason Williams ( Ohio University)
LS Dalton Riggs (UCF/BYU)
DT John Walker (UCF)
WR Devin McCuin (UTSA)
Is this the “sexy” haul that a lot of fans are waiting on? Not necessarily.
Is this a haul that already addresses some needs? Yep.
Williams should step in to fill the void left by Will Kacmarek and his expiring eligibility leave, and not to mention the pending NFL Draft decision of Max Klare. Walker comes as a 2023 Freshman All American, and was a top 100 prospect coming out of high school. At 6’4 and 324 pounds, Walker instantly adds experience and talent to the defensive line room. McCuin joins the room that is currently the most scrutinized by Buckeye faithful after numerous portal entries, and a draft declaration. In his three seasons of college ball he has accounted for nearly 1700 yards and 16 touchdowns, with 8 of those td’s coming in 2025. The first word to describe him is fast, as he was clocked at 4.37 in the 40 and 10.28 in the 100 during high school.
Where Have the Buckeye Entrants Committed To?
QB Lincoln Kienholz - Louisville
CB Bryce West- Wisconsin
DE CJ Hicks- USF
RB James Peoples- Penn State
P Nick McClarty- Arizona St.
OL Isaiah Kema- Utah
Who Have the Buckeyes Been Linked To?
(Penn State) EDGE Chaz Coleman
(Pitt) LB Rasheem Biles
(Maryland) CB La’Khi Roland
(Duke) S Terry Moore
(Texas) WR DeAndre Moore
(Florida) RB Ja’Kobi Jackson
(Alabama) DT James Smith
(Alabama) LB Qua Russaw
This list is nowhere near all of the players that OSU has had conversation with. This is just the list of guys who have visited already, have visits scheduled, or have stated they are going to visit or are considering OSU. There is some smoke out there that the Ohio State/Biles interest may not be legit, or at least serious. This list also does not include players that visited, and committed elsewhere. This list will be very fluid, as it seems Ohio State is keeping things very close to the vest on a lot of portal targets. As always, we will keep you in the know on all things Buckeye football here at Buckeye Film Breakdown.
Buckeye Film Breakdown will return soon with some fresh content.
