Ohio State safety Ja'Had Carter enters NCAA transfer portal

Ohio State safety Ja’Had Carter has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Pete Nakos has learned. It will be the second transfer in as many seasons for Carter after he spent the first three years of his college career at Syracuse.

Carter appeared in eight games this past season for the Buckeyes to finish with five total tackles. He will have one season of eligibility remaining wherever he decides to transfer.

Prior to transferring to Ohio State, Carter started in 28 games across his three seasons at Syracuse. He totaled 138 tackles, five interceptions, one defensive touchdown, seven pass breakups and two fumble recoveries across his career with the Orange.

Carter had his best season yet in 2022 to finish with a career-high three interceptions and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. He also had 36 tackles as he was named Honorable Mention All-ACC.

As a recruit, Carter was a three-star prospect coming out of Jireh Prep Academy in Matthews, North Carolina. He was not ranked in the 2020 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Ja’Had Carter is the fourth Ohio State safety to enter the transfer portal this offseason. He joins Kye Stokes, Cedrick Hawkins and Cameron Martinez. The Buckeyes have so far seen 22 players enter the transfer portal while adding six. They rank No. 27 overall and No. 8 in the Big Ten according to On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Former Ohio State safety Cedrick Hawkins transfers to UCF

Former Ohio State defensive back Cedrick Hawkins committed to UCF, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

Hawkins recently played in Ohio State’s spring game before entering the portal. He will have four years of eligibility remaining.

As a member of the Class of 2023, Hawkins was a four-star recruit out of Titusville (Fla.) Cocoa according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 66 overall prospect in the state, the No. 31 safety in the class and the No. 357 overall prospect in the class.