Devin Royal (21) scored a season-high 25 points in Ohio State’s 86-69 win against Wisconsin Feb. 17 in the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Cassandra D’Angelo | Lantern Photographer.
Ohio State’s season ended two weeks ago with a 66-64 loss to TCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
It also marked the start of a pivotal offseason in Columbus.
With the transfer portal opening April 7, roster movement is already underway as the Buckeyes navigate departures, additions and key return decisions that will shape next season’s roster.
Below is a running list of Ohio State players who have entered the transfer portal, committed to the program or announced they are returning.
Departures (4)
Devin Royal – F
Ohio State’s roster turnover started Sunday as rising senior Devin Royal became the first Buckeye to announce his plans to enter the transfer portal.
A Pickerington, Ohio, native, Royal started 59 games over the past two seasons, averaging 13.7 points per game in both, good for third on the roster.
He added a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game in 2025-26 while shooting 47.6% from the field and improved as a 3-point shooter, raising his percentage from 27.6% to 31.6%.
His departure comes as forward Amare Bynum emerged into a larger role this season and five-star wing Anthony Thompson is set to arrive this offseason, creating increased competition in Ohio State’s frontcourt.
Colin White – F
The Buckeyes have lost their second player to the transfer portal.
After two seasons in Columbus, Colin White announced Saturday he will enter the transfer portal and seek a new program for the 2026-27 season.
A former Mr. Ohio Basketball, White averaged 0.9 points per game over two seasons, primarily coming off the bench.
White has two years of eligibility remaining.
Gabe Cupps – G
After one season in Columbus, Gabe Cupps announced Sunday he will enter the transfer portal, marking his third school in four seasons.
Cupps, who transferred from Indiana University following the 2024-25 season, appeared in 33 games for Ohio State, averaging 1.7 points and 1.1 assists per game.
A Centerville, Ohio native, Cupps has two years of eligibility remaining.
The guard becomes the third Buckeye to enter the transfer portal this offseason. He is also the third consecutive Mr. Ohio Basketball winner from Ohio State’s roster to transfer, joining Royal and White.
Taison Chatman – G
Ohio State’s roster continues to thin, now down to four scholarship players confirmed to return for the 2026-27 season.
Guard Taison Chatman became the latest Buckeye to enter the transfer portal Sunday, a move that further reshapes the backcourt heading into a pivotal offseason after the departures of Bruce Thornton and Gabe Cupps and with John Mobley Jr. testing the NBA draft process.
A rising redshirt junior, Chatman arrived in Columbus as a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and the highest-rated recruit of the Chris Holtmann era, but battled injuries early in his career, including a torn ACL that sidelined him for the entire 2024-25 season.
He returned to play a larger role in 2025-26, averaging 4.3 points in 13 minutes per game while shooting 47.1% from 3-point range. Chatman showed flashes late in the season, recording five double-figure scoring performances as he carved out a spot in the rotation.
Chatman becomes the fourth Buckeye to enter the transfer portal this offseason, adding to Ohio State’s growing need for guard depth through the portal.
Josh Ojianwuna, Mathieu Grujic, Amare Bynum and Ivan Njegovan remain the only four returning scholarship players on Ohio State’s roster.
Returning (2*)
Amare Bynum – F
Ohio State secured a key return for the 2026-27 season as forward Amare Bynum announced Monday he will be back for his sophomore year.
A former four-star recruit, Bynum emerged as one of the Buckeyes’ most productive players in the second half of the season, averaging 9.7 points per game in Big Ten play while carving out a larger role in the frontcourt rotation.
He capped his freshman campaign with a 12-point, 10-rebound performance against TCU in the NCAA Tournament.
With Royal entering the transfer portal, Bynum is positioned to take on an even larger role next season alongside Thompson.
John Mobley Jr. – G*
Ohio State received a key piece of offseason news Tuesday when sophomore guard John Mobley Jr. announced he will not enter the transfer portal for the 2026-27 season.
Mobley, Ohio State’s second-leading scorer last season, will test the NBA draft process while maintaining his collegiate eligibility, meaning a return to Columbus remains firmly on the table.
“If I return to college basketball next season, there will be only one place for me, and that’s here in Columbus with Buckeye Nation,” Mobley said in a post on Instagram.
The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 15.7 points, 2.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds across 31 starts in 2025-26, emerging as a consistent scoring option alongside senior guard Bruce Thornton. He shot 41.1% from 3-point range, ranking fifth in the Big Ten, and finished with 97 made 3-pointers, the fourth most in a single season in program history.
Mobley earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and quickly became a focal point for Ohio State entering a pivotal offseason.
Players who declare for the NBA draft can retain their eligibility as long as they withdraw before the NCAA deadline of May 27 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
According to Tankathon, a website that tracks NBA prospects, Mobley is not projected to be drafted and is outside its top 80 prospects.
