Ryan Day Clears Expectations for Next Season Amid OSU Losing 29 Players to Transfer Portal

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Ohio State fans have been spiraling on social media lately. Twenty-nine Buckeyes have entered the transfer portal, creating a roster exodus that would send any fanbase into full-blown panic mode. But head coach Ryan Day isn’t sweating it, at least not publicly. In fact, he’s trying to convince everyone that this mass exodus is all part of the plan.

Day addressed the roster overhaul, making it clear he’s got his eyes on another title run. “We all know what needs to get done here,” Day said. “When you look at the guys that we have returning and the guys who we are bringing in from the portal, we feel strong about it. We still have some work to do here down the stretch, but we’ve got a good combination of older players who are back, portal guys, and young, really talented players.”

The attrition wasn’t exactly a surprise to Day. He knew this was coming when Ohio State signed a massive 28-player recruiting class back in December. “There was going to have to be some attrition somewhere along the line,” he admitted. Some guys were encouraged to leave, while others hurt to lose. Day just wasn’t about to get specific about which was which.

This is the new reality of college football in 2026. Programs are navigating their first offseason with the consolidated January transfer window (the April window is gone), plus the House v. NCAA settlement that allows Ohio State to distribute $18.5 million in revenue sharing to football players. It’s a chaotic mess that nobody fully understands yet. It has forced Day to meet constantly with athletic director Ross Bjork, general manager Mark Pantoni, and the entire administrative brain trust to figure it all out.

The departures stung in key spots, particularly losing four former five-star recruits in WRs Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham (both headed to Notre Dame), CB Aaron Scott Jr., and LB C.J. Hicks. Throw in starting right guard Tegra Tshabola, running back James Peoples, kicker Jackson Courville, and punter Nick McLarty, and you’ve got some serious holes to fill.

But Ryan Day’s been busy shopping in the portal himself. And the haul has been impressive enough to ease some of the panic. Ohio State has added 12 transfers so far, headlined by a pair of Alabama defenders, Qua Russaw and James Smith. The Buckeyes also snagged two ACC safeties in Earl Little Jr. from Florida State and Terry Moore from Duke, Wisconsin linebacker Christian Alliegro, and Maryland quarterback Justyn Martin to provide depth behind starter Sayin.

They even solved the kicker crisis by landing Baylor’s Connor Hawkins. Ryan Day said he expects to add more transfers but couldn’t discuss them publicly yet. Whether it’s enough to replace what walked out the door remains to be seen. But Day’s betting that this combination of returning stars, portal additions, and that massive recruiting class will be enough to compete for the 2026 national championship.

Day’s NIL tightrope walk

Behind all those roster moves is a cold, hard reality: money talks. And Ryan Day is spending his days haggling over it like he’s running a high-stakes business negotiation. With Ohio State allocating $18.5 million in revenue sharing to football, the pie only goes so far. Day has built an entire position-by-position valuation system with athletic director Ross Bjork and his staff. And when agents come calling with dollar figures that don’t match Ohio State’s internal numbers, it’s game over.

“If their number is much different than ours, then it’s not going to work,” Day explained. “Sometimes, they have to compromise. Sometimes, we have to compromise. But we have to have a system in place. We can’t just pay anybody what they want.” Day insists the Buckeyes are competitive. “Our guys have an opportunity to make as much as anybody in the country,” he said. But there’s clearly a limit to what even a powerhouse program like Ohio State will shell out. It’s a delicate balancing act that’s cost them players like Quincy Porter, who reportedly wanted more money and bolted to Notre Dame when negotiations stalled.

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