Ohio State Football has a defensive tackle available through the transfer portal

 

 

Middle Tennessee State defensive tackle Marley Cook is now in the transfer portal. Ohio State football has expressed interest in him and has even made him an offer. Cook plans to visit both Miami and Ohio State.

Cook is 6’2″ tall and weighs around 300 pounds. He is described as a large defensive lineman who is very versatile. He has the ability to apply pressure to the quarterback, leading the offense to scramble.

Cook has the potential to improve the Buckeye defense. He had 22 tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 2023. He has started at MTSU for two years in a row and has shown some promise. Adding him will make the Ohio State defense even more frightening.

When the Buckeyes couldn’t stop the run in The Game, the defensive line was clearly a concern. Ohio State couldn’t stop Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards from running down the clock on the last drive, which effectively ended the game. To be honest, they need to be tougher up front.

Losing a five-star defensive line recruit also doesn’t help. Perhaps Ohio State believes Cook can help them in the middle. At the very least, he could provide them with more information up front. However, Jim Knowles has moved away from using a large number of defensive linemen in a single game.

I’m not sure how much Cook can help this team, but depth is always a good thing. I’d like to see them go after some of the best players in the gateway, but there aren’t many of them currently. After the season, more players from stronger clubs will join.

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Setting priorities for the Ohio State football transfer portal when the market opens on Monday

 

 

Has Ohio State football ever required more assistance from the transfer site than it will this winter?

Between previous winter and last summer, the Buckeyes added nine players from outside the program. Three players started on opening day, and others supplied critical depth needs.

With the core of a 2021 signing class expected to receive significant NFL Draft attention in the coming weeks, OSU will likely want more than just depth when the transfer portal opens on Monday. With few exceptions, starting-caliber players may be required all over the field to compensate for the talent exodus.

What Ohio State requires from the portal this winter, in order of priority:

Did you know that all three starters from this season can return? Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka have only been with the team for three years. Because of the NCAA’s COVID-19 leniency, Julian Fleming’s 2020 season did not count against his eligibility.

Even if none return, no receiving room in the country can move forward as quickly as this one. Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss could be the next Harrison-Egbuka to break out in their sophomore seasons. Behind the scenes, Noah Rogers and Bryson Rodgers showed promise. Jayden Ballard remains a viable big-play threat.

Oh, and three more top-100 prospects, including No. 1 overall prospect Jeremiah Smith and five-star Mylan Graham, are expected to arrive in the following class. As long as Brian Hartline continues to do so, Ohio State will continue to provide more receiver talent to the portal than it ever needs.

This was covered in “Hey, Nathan!” earlier this week. Kyle McCord can benefit from his current position. Devin Brown’s return to the job hunt in the spring is still on the table. Freshman Lincoln Kienholz has impressed the Buckeyes, and five-star Air Noland will join this winter.

McCord is in the top 12 in efficiency rating and yards per attempt versus winning FBS opponents. That may not have been the elite performance to which OSU supporters have grown used, but it also did not create an emergency that needed to be handled outside of the roster.

It must be refreshing for Buckeye supporters to see this place so low on the list. Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock’s NFL Draft decisions might affect the equation here. Davison Igbinosun, on the other hand, is back as a starter. As a true freshman, Jermaine Mathews more than held his own, and Calvin Simpson-Hunt came on as a late addition.

Do not forget Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner going into their third years. That veteran presence creates a stability this room sorely missed for a few years.