Ohio
Former Ohio State Punter Jesse Mirco Transferring to Vanderbilt
Jesse Mirco is taking his talents to Nashville.
The former Ohio State punter announced his commitment to Vanderbilt on Wednesday, four days after he put his name in the transfer portal.
Ready to get to work!! #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/ntr0dvyMLR
— Jesse Mirco (@Jesse_Mirco29) January 3, 2024
Mirco brings one season of collegiate eligibility to Vanderbilt, where he’ll follow in the footsteps of fellow Aussie Matthew Hayball, who earned second-team All-American honors as one of college football’s best punters in 2023.
In three seasons at Ohio State, Mirco averaged 43.9 yards per punt, downing 55 of his 130 punts inside the 20-yard line. He capped his Ohio State career with one of the best and most active games of his career, averaging 48.25 yards per punt on a career-high eight punts in the Buckeyes’ Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri.
It’s uncertain who will replace Mirco as Ohio State’s punter in 2024. The top candidate currently on the roster is Joe McGuire, a fellow ProKick Australia product who joined the Buckeyes as a walk-on last summer. Ohio State could also potentially look to the transfer portal to add a new punter.
Mirco becomes the 11th member of Ohio State’s 2023 roster to transfer to a new team for the 2024 season, joining quarterback Kyle McCord (Syracuse), running backs Evan Pryor (Cincinnati) and Chip Trayanum (Kentucky), centers Victor Cutler Jr. (Louisville) and Jakob James (Toledo), defensive end Omari Abor (SMU), linebacker Reid Carrico (West Virginia), cornerback Ryan Turner (Boston College) and safeties Kye Stokes (Cincinnati) and Cameron Martinez (Boston College).
Buckeyes still in the transfer portal who have not yet announced transfer destinations include wide receivers Julian Fleming, Noah Rogers and Bryson Rodgers, defensive tackle Jaden McKenzie, tight end Joe Royer, cornerback Jyaire Brown and kicker Parker Lewis.
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Ohio
Ohio State has added a tight end as its first 2026 transfer portal addition
COLUMBUS, Ohio –Ohio State had added the first player to its 2026 transfer portal class.
Mason Williams is a former member of the 2023 recruiting class who spent his first three seasons as an Ohio Bobcat. After redshirting his freshman season, he’s spent the last two as a vital member of the Bobcats’ offense as both a blocker and a receiver.
In 1,133 snaps, Williams caught 48 passes for 565 yards and six touchdowns. As a blocker, he can be a reliable end-line tight end who can replace the loss of Will Kacmarek, who is out of eligibility. Kacmarek also came from Ohio in 2024 and spent the last two years as a major contributor, developing into one of the nation’s best blocking tight ends.
Williams will have two years of eligibility remaining in Columbus. His addition helps offset the loss of Kacmarek to graduation and Jelani Thurman to the transfer portal. He’ll join a room expected to feature Bennett Christian, Nate Roberts, Brody Lemon and Maxence LeBlanc. Nick Lautar will also join the room as an incoming freshman.
OSU is also waiting for the decision of Purdue transfer Max Klare, who has the option of declaring for the NFL Draft or returning in 2026.
Ohio
Ohio State Transfer QB Lincoln Kienholz Commits to Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Louisville football program, presumably, has their QB1 for the 2026 season.
Former Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz announced Saturday that he has committed to the Cardinals. He will join Louisville will two years of eligilbility.
Keinholz is Louisville’s second portal commitment of the cycle, joining Kentucky cornerback D.J. Waller. The duo are the first to offset 21 portal defections that UofL has seen so far. The 14-day transfer window officially opened up this past Friday, and is the only opportunity for players to enter following the removal of the spring window.
The 6-foot-2, 214-pound quarterback was involved in a highly competitive battle for the Buckeyes’ starting gig in the preseason, before ultimately losing out to eventual Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin. He saw action in seven games this past season, going 11-of-14 through the air for 139 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 66 yards and two scores on 11 attempts.
“Just a tremendous athlete,” OSU head coach Ryan Day said of Kienholz at Big Ten Media Days this past summer. “You pick a sport, he can do it. He’s like a four handicap [in golf]. He can hit the [baseball] out of the park. He was a major league baseball prospect. He can windmill dunk. He can do a lot of things.”
The Pierre, S.D. native spent three seasons in Columbus. As a true freshman in 2023, he played in three games, going 10-of-22 for 111 yards, while also rushing for two yards on six attempts. He did not log any stats during Ohio State’s 2024 national championship season.
Kienholz was a highly-regarded recruit coming out of high school, ranking as No. 194 prospect in the Class of 2023. He chose Ohio State over Illinois, Kansas State, Pitt, Washington, Wisconsin and others.
He has the inside track to be Louisville’s starter next season given recent roster movement. Previously, incoming true freshman Briggs Cherry was the lone scholarship quarterback on the roster after Deuce Adams, Brady Allen and Mason Mims all hit the transfer portal.
In their third season under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 9-4 overall, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play and a 27-22 win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Cardinals have won at least nine games in all three seasons under Brohm, doing so for the first time since 2012-14.
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(Photo of Lincoln Kienholz: Adam Cairns – Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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