Top Ohio State Transfer Offers Strong Statement on Weight Loss

This Ohio State Buckeyes transfer has opened up on his offseason weight loss.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back C.J. Donaldson (12) warms up during spring football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on March 17, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes are having to plug a whole lot of holes this offseason, as they lost a plethora of players to the NFL Draft after winning the national championship.

One of Ohio State's biggest question marks is at the running back position, with both Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson making the jump to the professional level.

James Peoples is generally regarded as the favorite to win the Buckeyes' No. 1 back role in 2025, but just like Ohio State did with the lethal tandem of Judkins and Henderson, it may run with a shared backfield, and West Virginia Mountaineers transfer C.J. Donaldson seems like the prime candidate to serve as the other half of it.

Donaldson transferred to Columbus after spending three years at West Virginia and is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he rushed for 734 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry.

The 20-year-old seems ready to make a significant leap next season, and at spring practice, he revealed he has lost 18 pounds since arriving at Ohio State.

“I’m running like the Flash right now," Donaldson told reporters.

Donaldson is a hard runner who should complement Peoples very well. Both halfbacks have some huge shoes to fill, as the Judkins-Henderson duo was probably the nation's best this past season.

Hopefully, Donaldson—who previously weighed around 240 pounds—can become a more efficient, better all-around running back with the Buckeyes.

Given the fact that Ohio State will likely be starting 19-year-old Julian Sayin at quarterback, it will definitely need a strong rushing attack to make his job easier.

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