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Ohio State made significant additions to its roster this offseason by bringing in several players from the transfer portal.
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With so many new faces on the Buckeyes, a few of them may not get the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Here are two transfers who might not make a big impact this season.
Running Back Ja’Kobi Jackson
Jackson joined Ohio State this season after spending the last three years at Florida. He has been involved in college football for a long time. Jackson started his collegiate career at Coahoma Community College in 2020, where he played for three seasons. He transferred to Florida in 2023 but was redshirted that season. Jackson finally saw the field in 2024 and performed well, rushing for 509 yards and scoring seven touchdowns on 95 attempts. However, his 2025 season was cut short by an upper-body injury, leading to another redshirt season.
This allowed him to transfer to Ohio State.
Ohio State’s decision to add Jackson this offseason feels similar to last season when it brought in West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson Jr., but Donaldson had a clearer path to playing time when he arrived in Columbus. Ohio State was coming off the losses of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to the NFL, which made it seem like Donaldson and James Peoples would be the No. 1 and No. 2 backs. But things changed quickly.
True freshman running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West took over the backfield. Both are expected to be the No. 1 and No. 2 running backs this season, which will likely limit Jackson’s opportunities.
Cornerback Cameron Calhoun
The Buckeyes added Cameron Calhoun this offseason from Alabama, but he is currently blocked on the depth chart. Ohio State already has Devin Sanchez and Jermaine Mathews Jr. at cornerback, not to mention Dominick Kelly, who joined from Georgia this offseason and received first-team reps during the first day of fall camp. Additionally, true freshman Jay Timmons also appears to have a chance to see significant playing time this season.
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Calhoun has a handful of college experience, playing at Alabama, Michigan and Utah. The Buckeyes might not rely on Calhoun heavily this season, but he could be an awesome depth piece in case a few of the corners get banged up during the season.
Teams often have to bring in young players when they lose starters, but Ohio State will benefit from having a veteran like Calhoun as a depth piece.
Today’s best reads
- Arthur Smith Praises Julian Sayin and Ohio State’s Offensive Depth in Fall Camp
- Ohio State Running Back Position Battle Highlights New Wrinkle in Buckeyes’ Offense
- Which Ohio State Freshman Already Look Ready to Play?
- Where Are They Now? Tracking the 2023 Ohio State Recruiting Class Players Who Left Columbus
- Why This Ohio State Football Team Feels Different Than Last Year
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ohiostate as 2 Transfers Who Look Poised to Disappoint Ohio State Fans in 2026.
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This story was originally published August 19, 2026 at 12:11 PM.