Ohio State Buckeyes Land Portal Commitment from Big Ten OT

The Ohio State Buckeyes have landed their first portal commitment from a Big Ten offensive tackle.

An Ohio State Buckeyes helmet sits on the sideline prior to 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

The Ohio State Buckeyes are expected to be very active in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason. Ryan Day and company will need to add talent at quite a few different positions in order to be back as a national championship contender in 2025.

With that in mind, Ohio State has officially secured its first transfer portal commitement for 2025.

According to a report from Buckeyes' recruiting expert Garrick Hodge, Ohio State has received a commitment from Minnesota Golden Gophers offensive tackle Phillip Daniels.

Ohio State has made its first transfer portal addition of the winter.

Former Minnesota offensive tackle and Ohio native Phillip Daniels has committed to the Buckeyes.https://t.co/FNavgfAuNe

— Garrick Hodge (@Garrick_Hodge) December 18, 2024

Standing in at 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, Daniels is an intimidating presence on the offensive line. He will be tasked with helping protect the quarterback, which appears likely to be a very young starter unless a move is made in the portal.

At this point in time, the main two contenders for the starting quarterback job are Julian Sayin and Tavien St. Clair.

Daniels chose to leave Minnesota and it was clear that he wanted to land with the Buckeyes. Hodge provided more details on that clear desire from the offensive tackle.

"Once Daniels entered the portal, there was little secret as to where the Cincinnati resident wanted to end up. Daniels grew up rooting for the Buckeyes as an Ohio kid, but wasn't offered by OSU out of high school. That changed following two seasons at Minnesota. Daniels started the final four games at right tackle in 2024 for the Gophers and was slated to return as a starter for the 2025 season. He visited the Buckeyes on Tuesday and didn't need to take any other visits in addition before knowing he wanted to play for the scarlet and gray a day later."

During the 2024 season with the Golden Gophers, Daniels ended up playing 300 snaps. Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 62.5 overall. In 2025, Daniels is expected to be a likely starter.

This is a nice step in the right direction for Ohio State. Daniels is a quality offensive lineman and he wanted to be a Buckeye.

All of that being said, this is just the start for the Buckeyes. They need to add more talent in the portal and they have been connected to quite a few teams.

Expect to see more transfer commitments come rolling in.