Ohio State Football: 3 players who probably won’t return in 2024

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This Ohio State football team is extremely talented. There’s a reason that they are ranked number one in the country. That ranking may change this week with Georgia having beaten Ole Miss, but that doesn’t matter. Ohio State is still one of the best teams in the country.

When you have so much talent on your team, a lot of players get to leave for the NFL early. In fact, a lot of the coaches tell recruits when they visit them that they should leave early. It means that the coaches are doing their job by developing these players to play at the next level.

At the same time, when a team is this talented, some players may not get the playing time that they think they deserve. They might look to transfer somewhere else where they can get some shine. Everyone on this roster has an eye towards playing pro football.

There are three players that I have in mind that will likely not be back in 2024. Some of them could leave for the draft while others will likely transfer. These aren’t obvious players like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Emeka Egbuka. We know those guys are playing on Sunday next year.

The first player on this list will likely try to join those receivers in the Draft.

1. Denzel Burke

2022 was a rough year for Denzel Burke. He got burned time and time again by receivers who were far less talented than he was. He did end up having some injuries that slowed him down. Apparently, those injuries turned out to be why he was bad.

Burke is playing up to his 2021 level again and has been the best cornerback the Buckeyes have. When he’s been out there, he’s been a shutdown guy. He hasn’t allowed any big plays and is always matched up against the best receiver the other team has.

With the injuries he’s already faced, Burke is likely to test the NFL Draft waters this Spring. He will likely be a second-round pick, so there is no reason for him to stay with the Ohio State football program after this year. It’s best for him to go get paid.

The next player on this list might end up leaving to find somewhere with more playing time.

2. Jayden Ballard
We know that wide receiver is the deepest group on this Ohio State football team. They have some really strong talent because they recruit for that position well every year. Because there are so many great players in that room, not everyone gets playing time.

Jayden Ballard is one of those guys that doesn’t see a whole lot of time. He returns punts right now because the Buckeyes don’t want Emeka Egbuka to re-injure his leg, but that’s about the extent of the snaps he sees. Unless it’s a blowout, he doesn’t get receiver reps.

That’s not likely to change next year despite both Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. leaving for the NFL. Julian Fleming will likely stay and true-freshman Carnell Tate is already getting reps over Ballard. Add that to Brandon Inniss and two more five-star freshmen coming in next year, and that doesn’t leave a spot for Ballard.

Ballard should leave and find a place that will give him some playing time. He’s still a good player. I think he could be a Power 5 starter, just not with the Buckeyes. If he wants to play at the next level, he has to get some playing time to show that he’s actually good.

I would expect Ballard to enter the transfer portal once the season is over. I’d be very surprised if he decided to stay. The next player on this list could also leave the Buckeyes in search of more playing time.

3. Lincoln Kienholz
The Ohio State football team recruited Lincoln Kienholz as their 2023 quarterback. Then ended up landing the four-star recruit from South Dakota after striking out on some other QB prospects. Kienholz actually got some playing time against Michigan State last week.

That playing time won’t be enough to sustain Kienholz’s wants. He wants to start. With Kyle McCord likely to return next year, he won’t start next year. In 2025, he would still have to compete with Devin Brown and 2024-commit Air Noland for the starting job.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Keinholz decided to enter the transfer portal. He could wait until the Spring to see how the quarterback room shakes out. If he is able to win the backup job, there’s a chance he decides to stay. I doubt that happens though. Brown is the likely backup.

Kienholz was a four-star recruit for a reason. He can make some really good throws and can move around a little bit. I do think he has what it takes to start for a good program. I’m just not sure he gets that chance to start in Columbus. There’s too much talent at quarterback coming in.