These Buckeyes In The Transfer Portal Will Be On Ohio State's CFP Roster

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day discussed roster construction for its CFP matchup against Tennessee, with several players having announced their intentions of entering the transfer portal.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day prepares to lead his team onto the field for the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the Ohio State Buckeyes prepare for the program's first round contest against the Tennessee Volunteers, head coach Ryan Day offered updates regarding the roster for the 2024 College Football Playoffs.

Day told reporters on Monday that linebacker Gabe Powers and wideout Jayden Ballard will not be on the roster.

Both Powers and Ballard were part of the five Buckeyes to announce their intention to enter the transfer portal earlier this month. The Buckeye's linebacking corps has been dominated by Cody Simon, Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese this season, which left just 29 snaps for Powers across six games. Ballard also saw limited snaps during the 2024 season, as the long time Buckeye finished with two catches for 18 yards this year. He regularly returned punts, too.

Day also confirmed that backup quarterback Devin Brown and wide receiver Kojo Antwi will be on the roster for the matchup against Tennessee, despite their plans of entering the transfer portal.

“Julian (Sayin) is getting a lot of reps in there, but Devin right now is the backup quarterback.”

- Ryan Day

Brown has been the team's backup for the past two seasons, as the former four-star quarterback started one game for Ohio State during is colligate career. The start came in the Buckeyes' bowl game matchup against Missouri last season after Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal following the regular season. Julian Sayin, who many consider to be the favorite to be Ohio State's 2025 starting quarterback, will remain third on the depth chart for now.

Along with updates regarding the status of players who intend on entering the transfer portal, Day gave key updates with the offensive line. Sophomore Luke Montgomery received reps at guard and could see some time on the line against the Volunteers.

Luke Montgomery has got some reps at guard and so you're probably going to see him at guard some on this game. We'll see how this week goes.

- Ryan Day

Montgomery, a former four-star interior offensive lineman in the 2023 recruiting class, played a total of 77 snaps throughout the 2024 regular season. Despite his low snap counts this year, Montgomery proved to be efficient in pass protection, as the sophomore lineman holds a 86.0 pass blocking grade in 2024, according to PFF.