Buckeyes linebacker Reid Carrico enters transfer portal
COLUMBUS — Ohio State linebacker Reid Carrico has entered the transfer portal, Lettermen Row has learned.
Carrico committed to Ohio State as the No. 88 overall player in the country for the class of 2021. He was the No. 9 linebacker and No. 5 player in the state of Ohio for his class.
But in three seasons with the Buckeyes, Carrico had a hard time carving out any role that was beyond special teams, and he was passed by C.J. Hicks and Gabe Powers on the depth chart.
Now he’ll have two years of eligibility elsewhere.
Jakob James also enters transfer portal
Ohio State center Jakob James has entered the transfer portal, Lettermen Row has learned.
James will have two years of eligibility at his next stop.
A former three-star prospect from Cincinnati Elder High School, James committed to Ohio State as the No. 911 prospect in the country for the class of 2020. He was the No. 91 offensive tackle and No. 32 player in the state of Ohio.
James sat behind starting center Luke Wypler for two seasons before the center job opened back up, but an offseason procedure kept him out of the starting center competition last offseason, clearing the way for second-year center Carson Hinzman to take over that role.
Now with Hinzman slated to return for a second year as the starter, Jakob James is on his way out.
James is the ninth Buckeyes player to enter the transfer portal since the loss to Michigan last week. The portal opened Monday morning and has since flooded with players from across the country. The transfer portal will be open until Jan. 2.
Ohio State expects to be active in the transfer portal.
ICYMI: Kyle McCord enters transfer portal
The third-year quarterback and first-year Buckeyes starter will have two years of eligibility elsewhere.
McCord won the starting quarterback job over Devin Brown last offseason in a battle that went into Week 3 of the regular season. He had a good season for the Buckeyes, throwing for 3,170 yards while posting a 24:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Most notably, he orchestrated a memorable game-winning drive at then-No. 9 Notre Dame with 86 seconds remaining and a signature 3rd-and-19 throw in the chamber.
But he didn’t play to the Ohio State standard at times, leading Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day to decline committing to a second year of a McCord-led offense on Sunday afternoon.
READ: Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord enters transfer portal
