Buckeyes defensive lineman Noah Potter enters transfer portal
COLUMBUS — Ohio State defensive lineman Noah Potter has been building toward a breakout.
The veteran will have to realize that intriguing untapped potential somewhere else. The Buckeyes defensive lineman entered the transfer portal on Saturday after three seasons with the Ohio State program.
Potter had an impressive spring camp last year when he bulked up to move inside to play a critical three-technique role, but he then had his momentum thwarted when a lingering foot injury sidelined him ahead of the season opener last year. Once he was nearing a return and a chance to solidify the depth on the interior for Ohio State, the far more serious issue popped up for the redshirt junior: an eye injury that nearly caused him to go blind.
Potter has dealt with plenty of injuries during his time with the Buckeyes, and they certainly have hampered his ability to break out.
“It was really tough,” Potter said. “I had always been dealing with a foot thing for my whole college career, and I didn’t know it until me and [defensive line coach Larry Johnson] looked at the film. He was like: Dude, what’s up with your foot? I’ve never had surgery before. So going through it with my foot and then trying to get back from that — I was really excited to get back, because even in high school I haven’t played on a healthy foot in a while.
“Plus, going inside [to defensive tackle], I was really excited. I was playing well. I was ready to bring that [energy], because you look at Tyleik [Williams] and Taron [Vincent], they bring different body types to three-technique. And with my quickness and pass-rush ability, I was really excited to get back into it. Now I’m just trying to get back to where I was before.”
Potter is going to try getting back to that level again. It just won’t be at Ohio State. He entered the transfer portal to find a new opportunity elsewhere.
