Ohio State Buckeyes PG Roddy Gayle Jr. Transfers to Michigan Wolverines

Ohio State Buckeyes sophomore point guard Roddy Gayle Jr. will spend the coming season playing against his former team with the Michigan Wolverines.

Feb. 10, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (1) reacts as the / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch /

Roddy Gayle Jr. just gave Ohio State Buckeyes fans a new reason to hate Ann Arbor.

The sophomore point guard announced his commitment to the Michigan Wolverines. A fellow Big Ten Conference team, joining the Wolverines will pit Gayle against the Buckeyes at least twice in the coming campaign.

Gayle played 71 games with the Buckeyes over two years with the team. A talented scorer, the Niagara Falls, New York native dropped in just under 14 points per game last year, which was good for third place on the team behind sophomore guard Bruce Thornton (15.7) and fifth-year senior forward Jamison Battle (15.3).

Feb. 10, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (1) reacts as the / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch /

Gayle was also the third-best rebounder on the team with 4.6 per night (the highest average in the Buckeyes backcourt). The only two of his teammates to post better board numbers were sophomore center Felix Okpara (6.4) and Battle (5.2)

The entrance of Gayle into the transfer portal was a shock to Ohio State fans, as the underclassman was poised to take on more responsibility next year. With the success the Buckeyes experienced at the end of the season under new head coach Jake Diebler, it appeared as if the worst was behind the Scarlet and Gray.

Gayle's announcement now makes him the third member of the Buckeyes' top-6 players to leave the team. Senior forward Zed Key will spend next year with the Dayton Fliers, while Okpara will play the 2024-25 campaign at a to-be-determined school.

Finding a replacement (or replacements) to fill the void left by Gayle will be one of the biggest focuses for Diebler and Ohio State ahead of the coming season.