Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State one of the teams interested in top transfer portal safety from the SEC

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Brandon Little | Last updated 5/4/24

The transfer portal was huge for the Ohio State Buckeyes following the 2023 season when it came to shaping their roster for 2024.

It appears the Buckeyes may not be done in the portal just yet, as they have reportedly reached out to Texas A&M safety transfer Jacoby Mathews. Mathews has had north of a dozen teams contacting him since he decided to end his time in College Station.

Former Texas A&M Safety Jacoby Mathews has heard from these 1️⃣2️⃣ Schools since entering the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports

The Former 5-Star Recruit totaled 67 Tackles, 1 INT, & 7 PD in his 2 years with the Aggies

Is the Top Available Safety in the Portal (per On3… pic.twitter.com/Bjp6mh8ocp
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 2, 2024

Along with the Buckeyes, the other Big Tem schools to reach out have been Michigan, Penn State, Oregon, and Washington. Just now a junior, Mathews has already appeared in a total of 21 games through his first two seasons.

Mathews played in 10 games as a true freshman and recorded 25 tackles and a fumble recovery. A top-40 prospect in the class of 2022, according to the 247 Composite, the Buckeyes were not one of the 31 teams to offer him out of high school. Mathews played his high school ball in Louisiana.

As a sophomore, Mathews had 41 tackles, an interception, and a half sack. This would be the second big safety addition for Ohio State before the 2022 season, as Caleb Downs came over from Alabama after Nick Saban announced his retirement a few months ago.

At this time there are no signs that Ohio State is a serious contender for the former SEC defender, but they have at least made an initial inquiry for the player that many are interested in.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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