The annual “One Shining Moment” NCAA Tournament montage was just getting started as the next phase of the men’s college basketball season was getting underway.
With confetti still undoubtedly falling from the rafters at Lucas Oil Stadium, the calendar flipped to April 7 and, with that, the opening of the transfer portal. For weeks, players have been announcing their intentions to enter the portal, but now their names will be officially entered, and coaches can begin contacting them.
That means the next several weeks will be packed with players announcing their portal entry, publishing lists of schools that have contacted them and ultimately picking where they will play in 2026-27.
Ohio State starter Devin Royal and reserves Taison Chatman, Gabe Cupps, Colin White and Mathieu Grujicic have all entered the portal, giving coach Jake Diebler roster spots to fill.
It’s a lot to keep track of. To help with that, The Dispatch has its annual transfer tracker. This list will be frequently updated with the latest intel, so keep checking back as the Buckeyes look to fill out their roster.
What are Ohio State’s portal priorities?
While it’s not clear how many players the Buckeyes will ultimately sign out of the portal, their priorities are pretty clear. Ohio State is in the market for a starting-level point guard, a starting-level center and bench depth.
Who has Ohio State added via the transfer portal?
On April 10, the Buckeyes secured a commitment from Justin Pippen, a combo guard transfer from the University of California.
A few hours later, the Buckeyes landed a commitment from Andrija Jelavic, a center transfer from Kentucky who has two years of eligibility remaining.
Who has Ohio State been connected with?
This list is in alphabetical order.
Abdi Bashir, Kansas State
A 6-foot-7, 175-pound guard, Bashir will have a Zoom call with Ohio State on April 16, according to a 247Sports.com report published April 13.
Bashir played two seasons at Monmouth, where he averaged 13.2 points in 66 career games including 32 starts. He averaged 20.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a sophomore in 2024-25, earning first-team all-Coastal Athletic Association honors before transferring to Kansas State. In his lone season with the Wildcats, Bashir averaged 13.2 points, 2.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds while only playing in 18 games before a stress fracture in his foot prematurely ended his season.
Shane Blakeney, Drexel
According to On3.com, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard is planning a visit to Ohio State during the week of April 12. In three seasons with the Dragons, Blakeney averaged 8.6 points and shot 35.1% from 3-point range but blossomed as a junior.
In 2025-26, he averaged 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals while starting all 33 games he played in. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Devin Brown, Davidson
A Central Ohio product who played at Olentangy Orange, Brown was part of the 2024-25 Division I state championship team before signing with Davidson. As a freshman, the 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard averaged 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists and was named to the Atlantic 10 all-freshman team.
TJ Burch, Wright State
An April 15 report from The Athletic lists Ohio State as one of multiple high-major schools recruiting the 6-1, 160-pound guard who was named the Horizon League’s defensive player of the year in 2025-26. Burch averaged 12.4 points, 3.6 assists and 2.6 steals while playing 24.7 minutes per game for the Raiders.
A Dallas native, Burch played his freshman season at Ball State. He has two years of eligibility remaining. Burch was also a first-team all-conference pick at Wright State.
Isaiah Denis, North Carolina
The Buckeyes recruited Denis out of high school, but the No. 53 prospect in the 2025 class according to 247Sports.com picked the Tar Heels instead. As a freshman, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard scored 19 points in 10 appearances at North Carolina. According to On3.com, he was scheduled to have a Zoom call with the Buckeyes on April 9.
Amari Evans, Tennessee
A four-star prospect ranked No. 50 in his 2025 class according to 247Sports.com, Evans averaged 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 41.9% from the floor and 22.0% from 3 during his freshman year at Tennessee. He’s a 6-5, 220-pound Pittsburgh native with a 6-10 wingspan.
On April 17, he committed to Texas.
Sananda Fru, Louisville
A native of Germany, the 6-foot-11, 250-pound forward averaged 9.0 points and 6.1 rebounds as a freshman with the Cardinals in 2025-26. According to 247Sports.com, Ohio State is on a list of schools to monitor for the four-star transfer prospect in the website’s rankings.
On April 15, he committed to Marquette.
Curtis Givens III, Memphis
According to an April 14 report from recruiting writer Sam Kayser, Ohio State is on a list of schools showing interest in Givens, a 6-3, 185-pound guard who averaged 9.4 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 43.1% from 3-point range as a sophomore.
Givens has two years of eligibility remaining. He was a four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class according to 247Sports.com.
Corey Hadnot II, Purdue Fort Wayne
Ohio State is one of many schools to make contact with the 6-3, 175-pound guard from Atlanta. In three seasons with the Mastodons, Hadnot grew his scoring average from 6.2 points as a freshman to 9.0 and then 20.4 in 2025-26. He was an all-freshman team pick in the Horizon League in 2023-24 and a first-team all-league pick last year.
He had five points in a 94-68 loss at Ohio State on Nov. 7, 2025.
Jalen Haralson, Notre Dame
According to On3.com, the Buckeyes are one of many schools in pursuit of the guard who averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as a freshman. As of the evening of April 8, the Buckeyes remained high on Haralson’s list of suitors.
Ohio State recruited Haralson out of high school, where he was a top-20 prospect according to 247Sports.com. He scored 13 points in a 64-63 loss at Ohio State this season. On April 15, he committed to Tennessee.
Kahmare Holmes, Wofford
A 6-3, 205-pound guard, Holmes blossomed as a sophomore, going from 4.1 points in 2024-25 to 19.5 in 2025-26. According to Rising Ballers Network on Twitter, Ohio State is one of many schools to at least make contact with Holmes, who has two years of eligibility remaining.
Isaiah Johnson, Colorado
A 6-foot-1, 170-pound guard from Los Angeles, Johnson had a prolific freshman season at Colorado, where he averaged 16.9 points, 3.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 48.6% from the floor and 37.8% from 3-point range.
Kory Mincy, George Mason
A 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard, Mincy was a second-team all-Atlantic 10 pick after averaging 14.3 points per game in his first year playing for former Ohio State assistant Tony Skinn. He played his first two seasons at Presbyterian in the Big South before transferring for his junior season and has one year of eligibility remaining.
On April 10, Mincy committed to South Carolina.
Azavier “Stink” Robinson, Butler
Ohio State recruited Robinson out of high school, and now the Buckeyes are among a list of schools showing interest in the 6-2, 195-pound guard from Indianapolis who was limited to 22 games by a season-ending wrist injury. Robinson averaged 6.1 points, 2.5 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game as a freshman with the Bulldogs.
A’Lahn Sumler, Charleston Southern
According to a post from Sam Kayser of League Ready on Twitter, the Buckeyes are one school of many to reach out to the veteran guard who played at Northern Kentucky in 2022-23 before transferring to Charleston Southern and taking a redshirt year in 2024-25.
In 2025-26, Sumler averaged 18.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 48.0% from the floor and 39.6% from deep. Sumler earned first-team all-Big South honors for the season and has one year of eligibility remaining. He’s a 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard. On April 14, he committed to Pitt.
Kameron Taylor, UNC Asheville
A report from Twitter account League Ready, Ohio State is on a lengthy list of schools to have reached out to the two-time all-Big South guard. As a sophomore, the 6-7, 185-pound Taylor averaged 18.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists while earning first-team all-league honors.
Taylor has two years of eligibility remaining.
Devin Vanterpool, FAU
A 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard, Vanterpool has averaged 8.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in two seasons at FAU but broke through with a prolific sophomore season. In 24 games, all starts, Vanterpool averaged 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 43.8% from the floor and 35.1% from 3.
He was named third-team all-American Conference and the league’s most improved player. Vanterpool has two years of eligibility remaining. On April 14, he committed to Providence.
Jimmie Williams, Duquesne
A native of Solon, Ohio, Williams played two years of junior college basketball before one year at South Florida in 2024-25 and then a season with the Dukes in 2025-26. At Duquesne, the 6-5, 210-pound guard averaged 15.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals while earning third-team all-Atlantic 10 honors.
On April 14, The Dispatch confirmed a Twitter report from @KayserHoops that Williams will visit the Buckeyes on April 16.
Rob Wright, BYU
Ohio State had been showing early interest in one of the portal’s top point guards, The Dispatch has confirmed. A 6-1, 183-pound guard, Wright played his freshman year at Baylor and sophomore year at BYU. After averaging 11.6 points per game at Baylor, Wright climbed to 18.1 at BYU while also averaging 4.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds.
On April 15, he announced that he was staying at BYU.
Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Which transfers have been linked with Ohio State in the 2026 offseason?
Reporting by Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
