The fifth-year Ohio State defensive end opted to enter the transfer portal on Sunday, according to multiple reports.

Ohio State linebacker Mitchell Melton is entering the transfer portal, a source tells @CBSSports/@247Sports.

Melton, who is repped by @APSportsAgency, is a former top-185 overall recruit who has 12 tackles and two sacks this year.https://t.co/9Xz4TxxKfX pic.twitter.com/He1Laiy5vp

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 6, 2025

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Initially recruited to Ohio State as a linebacker, Melton moved to defensive end after missing the entirety of the 2021 and 2022 seasons due to injuries. He’s seen occasional playing time as a rotational player over the past two seasons, recording 15 total tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.

Had Melton stayed at Ohio State for the 2025 season, he likely would have remained in a backup role for the Buckeyes. While Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau will exhaust their eligibility after this season, Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Caden Curry and incoming Idaho State transfer Logan George are the most likely candidates to lead Ohio State’s depth chart on the edge next season. C.J. Hicks is also a potential candidate to become a full-time edge player next season.

Melton still has another year of eligibility because he took a redshirt in 2021 after all players received an extra year of eligibility in 2020. With Melton and Patrick Gurd departing, Ohio State will not have any members of its 2020 recruiting class on its roster next season, as the rest of its scholarship players from that class (Gee Scott Jr., Josh Fryar, Ty Hamilton, Cody Simon and Lathan Ransom) who remain with the Buckeyes are set to exhaust their eligibility after this season.

Northwestern women’s basketball will face off against No. 10 Ohio State to open up the 2025 portion of its season. The ‘Cats (7-7, 0-3 B1G) head into the New Year, coming off back-to-back conference losses against Washington and Oregon. A win would be an ideal wait to start this next slate of 15 Big Ten games, but Ohio State (13-0, 2-0 B1G) is undefeated and has proven to be among the best in the country. The Buckeyes not only lead the Big Ten in points per game with 85.9 but sit 10th nationally, while also housing a top-30 scoring defense.

Broadcast Information

Location: Schottenstein Center (Columbus, Ohio)

Game Time: 12 p.m. CST

TV/Streaming: B1G+

Radio: WNUR Sports

Northwestern Injury Report

Rachel Mutombo — OUT

Lauren Trumpy — OUT

Crystal Wang — OUT

Taylor Williams — QUESTIONABLE

While artificial intelligence, or AI, continues to grow and improve, infiltrating classrooms across the region, some educators are feeling stuck.

More than a dozen districts had AI policies in place when The Enquirer surveyed local school systems at the start of the school year. But dozens of others didn’t know where to start.

More: How artificial intelligence leads to real intelligence in Cincinnati classrooms

“The issue is so complex a topic,” Norwood City School District Superintendent Mary Ronan wrote in an email to The Enquirer. “AI touches everything from Siri to spell-checkers to ChatGPT to software that moves students to different skill levels based on their response and on and on. Districts need guidance from professionals in the field to encompass all the issues.”

That guidance has finally come.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce launched the Ohio AI in Education Strategy in December. The toolkit includes recommendations for AI policies. The guidance also has resources on how to incorporate AI literacy into education preparation programs and how to integrate AI into Ohio’s learning standards.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted led a coalition of educators, industry representatives, AI experts and other professionals to develop the recommendations, which can be found online. On the site, there are resources for teachers, parents and policymakers.

“This toolkit is not intended as a mandate to use artificial intelligence in education, but instead as a trusted and vetted resource that will aid Ohio’s educators and parents in their mission to prepare our students for this emerging technology,” the executive summary on the website reads.

Below are the coalition’s recommendations for K-12 school districts:

• Form an AI task force.
• Establish a policy governing the use of AI in schools.
• Offer AI professional development and support for staff.

When it comes to creating AI policies, the coalition recommends:

• Clearly define how students and staff should use AI.
• Provide standards for maintaining privacy and personally identifiable information.
• Include guidelines on how to use AI ethically.
• Consider and outline how to evaluate AI tools from third party vendors.
• Consider how AI use might impact learning objectives and student assessments.