Ohio State adds transfer offensive lineman, makes top schools for top-10 running back

The Buckeyes’ recruiting pitch got even stronger following another successful NFL Draft.

As if Ohio State needed any help with its recruiting pitch coming off a national title, the Buckeyes had themselves another successful NFL Draft with 14 players selected to lead all schools.

While some other Big Ten schools were busy turning former five-star prospects into undrafted free agents, Ohio State extended its all-time lead with four more first round picks, bringing them to 95 total — nine more than the next-highest team (USC, 86). Emeka Egbuka was the Buckeyes’ highest-drafted player at No. 19, with Donovan Jackson (No. 24), Tyleik Williams (No. 28) and Josh Simmons (No. 32) rounding out the Day 1 selections.

Ohio State’s on-field production as well as the development for the next level is virtually unmatched, and recruits at both the high school level and in the transfer portal are taking notice. As such, it was another positive weekend for the program on both fronts.

Ohio State adds West Virginia transfer offensive lineman

Ryan Day has to be thrilled to have lost zero scholarship players during the spring transfer portal window, which again speaks to the brotherhood that Ohio State often touts. On the flip side, after adding six players to the roster during the winter transfer period, the Buckeyes have added their second player of the second frame in former West Virginia offensive lineman, Justin Terry.

A Pickerington, Ohio native, Terry was a former three-star prospect in the 2024 class. Playing his high school ball at Pickerington Central, Terry was part of an offensive line that helped the Tigers average more than 200 yards rushing per game. Terry was named First-Team All-Capital Ohio Conference Buckeye Division, and earned All-Ohio Division I All-State Honorable Mention honors.

While the appeal of the hometown team certainly was a factor here, it sounds like Buckeyes new offensive line coach Tyler Bowen played a keep role in landing this commitment.

“I’m fired up about being at Ohio State,” Terry told Bucknuts. ”I’ve always been a Buckeye fan. I’ll start out as a tackle and as things progress if I need to I’ll move inside. Coach (Tyler) Bowen was a big part of my decision.”

The 6-foot-5, 338-pound lineman spent one year at West Virginia and will have four years of eligibility remaining, which is obviously huge for a position room that could use future depth. Terry is the third offensive lineman to join Ohio State via the transfer portal this offseason, with Ethan Onianwa and Phillip Daniels both coming over in the first window.

Terry is the second addition for the Buckeyes in the spring transfer portal, joining former UNC defensive lineman, Beau Atkinson.

Georgia running back includes Ohio State in top six

Ohio State is off to a fantastic start in the 2026 class, with 11 commits in the fold thus far in a group that ranks No. 4 in the country. The Buckeyes lay claim to a pair of five-stars in wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. and safety Blaine Bradford, and things should only continue trending in the right direction with all of the positives surrounding the program.

Carlos Locklyn has been a breath of fresh air for Ohio State when it comes to running back recruiting, and after hauling in a trio of talented players in the 2025 class, the former Oregon position coach is still looking to land his first player in 2026. The Buckeyes got potentially one step closer to doing that on Saturday, when high four-star running back Jae Lamar included the program among his top six schools.

Cutting down his list from more than 30 offers, Ohio State made the cut for Lamar alongside Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia and Miami.

A native of Georgia, Lamar currently checks in as the No. 8 RB and No. 104 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite, as well as the 11th-best player from the Peach State. The 6-foot, 205-pound running back visited with Ohio State back in March, but does not yet have an official visit planned with the Buckeyes. He has official visits set for four of his six finalists, with Georgia being the other to yet lock down a date.

That being said, it is those same Bulldogs that currently own the lone Crystal Ball prediction for Lamar via 247Sports Georgia staff writer Benjamin Wolk. It is always hard to pull a player away from those in-state power programs in the South, and it will definitely be an uphill battle for Locklyn and Ohio State. That battle needs to start with locking in an official visit ahead of Lamar’s scheduled commitment date of July 4.

Quick Hits

• Recent Tennessee de-commit Tyson Bacon visited with Ohio State on Friday. The No. 34 DL and No. 14 prospect out of Alabama had been committed to the Vols since October 2024, but re-opened his recruitment this past Wednesday and made an immediate stop in Columbus two days later. This was Bacon’s first visit with the Buckeyes after being offered by Larry Johnson on April 8.