Former Alabama 5-Star DL Named Ohio State's Key Transfer for 2026 Season
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The Ohio State Buckeyes are positioned atop the early 2026 college football rankings, even though they exited the College Football Playoff early. They made up for that with a few major offseason additions on both sides of the ball.
CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello ranked Ohio State No. 1 in his Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2026, noting the defense’s incoming talent and the continuity under coordinator Matt Patricia.
“The nation’s most accurate passer, Julian Sayin, and the best player in the sport, Jeremiah Smith, return to Ohio State,” Marcello wrote. “That’s enough to garner consideration for a top-five ranking.”
On top of bringing back Smith, an All-America wide receiver, and Sayin, the Buckeyes bolstered the trenches through the transfer portal, with CBS Sports analyst Cody Nagel pointing to one of those additions as Ohio State’s best this cycle: former Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman James Smith.
“Smith arrives as the immediate difference-maker up front,” Nagel wrote. “A steady presence in Alabama’s rotation, Smith started 12 of 15 games this season and tied for second on the team with 6.5 tackles for loss.”
Smith committed to Ohio State after entering the portal in early January, visiting Columbus first before fielding interest from Missouri and Notre Dame.
At the time of his recruitment as part of the 2023 class, Smith was ranked the No. 2 defensive lineman and No. 28 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings. This cycle, per 247Sports, Smith was the No. 4 DL and No. 9 overall player to enter the transfer portal.
BREAKING: Alabama transfer DL James Smith and EDGE Qua Russaw have Committed to Ohio State, they tell @On3sports
Both were ranked as five-star recruits coming out of high school and are among the top players in the portal https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7qpic.twitter.com/643ol8vgYd
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 12, 2026
In his three seasons at Alabama, Smith totaled 50 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks across 37 appearances. He posted career highs in every category in 2025, appearing in all 15 games played by the Crimson Tide through their Rose Bowl loss to the eventual national champion Indiana Hoosiers.
Smith joins UCF Knights transfer John Walker at Ohio State, as well as returning linemen Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Eddrick Houston, Will Smith Jr., Beau Atkinson, Zion Grady and Jason Moore.
“Smith gives Ohio State a battle-tested interior defender capable of anchoring the defensive line as the Buckeyes chase another College Football Playoff run,” Nagel wrote.
With Kayden McDonald off to the NFL and Caden Curry graduating, Smith is expected to factor in at either the nose or three-technique position from the start of the 2026 season.
Related: Pete Golding, Ole Miss Emerge as Favorite for Miami OL in Transfer Portal
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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