Ohio State Buckeyes Linked to 3 Intriguing Defensive Line Transfer Targets
Considering that Ohio State has lost its entire four-man defensive front to the NFL Draft, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but that’s the nature of the beast.
As a result, the Buckeyes are examining the transfer portal to try and find answers to the problem, and there are three defensive linemen they are weighing as potential additions: Syracuse’s Maraad Watson, North Carolina’s Beau Atkinson and Georgia Southern’s Troy Pikes.
Jon Rhoades of Scarlet & Game did a great job breaking down each player, and each one of them would represent a great addition for Ohio State.
Watson and Atkinson are certainly the more interesting names of the trio, with the former having been named a Freshman All-American last season.
Watson registered 31 tackles, a couple of tackles for loss and a sack during his debut campaign with the Orange, but he has made the decision to transfer out of the program.
The Buckeyes need more help on the interior of their defensive line than anything else, and Watson would definitely help rectify that issue. Currently, Kayden McDonald and Eddrick Houston project to be Ohio State’s starters at defensive tackle, which is definitely worrisome.
Meanwhile, Atkinson racked up 35 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 2024, so he has absolutely displayed impressive pass-rushing prowess. Then there is Pikes, who is more of a depth piece than anything else.
We’ll see if Ohio State is able to land one of the three in the coming days or weeks.
It’s a tough question to answer given that several Buckeyes players are borderline first-rounders, but one Ohio State star that has gained serious traction as a Day 1 pick is wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Many mock drafts have Egbuka going in the 20s, so it certainly wouldn’t be jarring to see the 22-year-old hear his name called this Thursday.
However, NFL insider Tom Pelissero recently dropped a rather puzzling take on Egbuka, including him on a list of five “potential surprise first-rounders” in the draft.
Now, to be fair to Pelissero, he noted that he would be surprised if Egbuka doesn’t go Round 1 at this point, but if that’s the case, then why even mention his name?
