NFL TEAM FOOTBALL
One Key Statistic Highlights Ohio State’s Significant Roster Changes for 2025
Feb
Ohio State faces significant roster turnover following their national championship win, with 13 of their 22 starters from the College Football Playoff final against Notre Dame graduating. Key departures include quarterback Will Howard, linebacker Cody Simon, and defensive stars Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau.
This substantial loss of talent places Ohio State 101st out of 136 FBS teams in ESPN analyst Bill Connelly’s returning production rankings, with only 46% of their production returning. This marks their lowest ranking since 2021 and a considerable drop from their top-half ranking in recent years.
While Ohio State has added six players through the transfer portal, including Purdue’s leading receiver Max Klare and Rice’s starting left tackle Ethan Onianwa, they still rely heavily on incoming freshmen and a few star players for their returning production.
Other playoff teams, such as Texas, Georgia, and Oregon, also face significant roster turnover. In contrast, teams like Clemson and Arizona State retain over three-quarters of their production.
Within the Big Ten, Penn State boasts the highest returning production among playoff teams, ranking 33rd. Notre Dame sits at 62nd. The national average for returning production is 53.7%, projected to be the lowest since 2014, indicating a broader trend of increased roster turnover in college football.
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