The No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes saw their season end in the Cotton Bowl after a 24-14 loss to the No. 10 seed Miami Hurricanes.
Just a year after winning the College Football Playoff, Ohio State exits early, but head coach Ryan Day is wasting no time adding pieces to the roster. On Monday, Ohio State landed commitments from two former Alabama defensive players.
Defensive lineman James Smith and edge rusher Qua Russaw committed to Ohio State, per a report from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
The Alabama teammates had a flurry of visits to top programs, including Ohio State, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee and LSU, before deciding to come to the Buckeyes.
Smith and Russaw both just finished their third seasons with Alabama and they decided to enter the transfer portal following the blowout loss to the No. 1 seed Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl.
According to 247Sports’ transfer rankings, Smith was the No. 1 DL in the cycle and the No. 7 overall player, while Russaw was ranked as the No. 10 EDGE and No. 58 overall.
Smith and Russaw both played together at Carver Montgomery High School in Alabama, and they both committed to the Crimson Tide in the Class of 2023.
Now, they are again going together with the two of them choosing to go to Columbus and join the Buckeyes in a massive get for Ryan Day’s program.
