Ohio State WR shakeup: Quincy Porter Jr. hits portal, Carnell Tate to NFL, Jeremiah Smith comments on future

Jack Diwik
Thu, 08 Jan 2026 02:02:19 +0000
Football, Instagram Page, News, Sports, Big Ten football, Brian Hartline, Buckeyes football, Buckeyes transfer portal, Carnell Tate, college football transfers, five-star recruit, Jeremiah Smith, ohio state football, ohio state recruiting, Ohio State roster changes, Ohio State wide receivers, Ohio State WR room, Quincy Porter Jr., transfer portal

Ohio State junior wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) scores a touchdown during the game against Michigan Saturday. The No. 1 Buckeyes defeated the No. 15 Wolverines 27-9 at The Big House. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor, Freshman Quincy Porter (11) lines up at receiver in the Buckeyes’ spring game in April. Porter was ranked as a five-star receiver coming out of high school in New Jersey. Credit: Liam Ahern | Sports Photo Editor

A busy Tuesday night brought several developments for Ohio State’s wide receiver room.

Within the same hour, Quincy Porter Jr. entered the transfer portal, Carnell Tate declared for the NFL draft and Jeremiah Smith affirmed his commitment to return to Ohio State in a post on X.

“Not going anywhere,” the post said.

While it was expected that Tate would forgo his senior season and enter the draft, Porter’s departure comes as a surprise.

The former five-star recruit in the class of 2024 becomes the fourth Buckeye receiver to hit the portal, joining Bryson Rodgers, Damarion Witten and fellow 2024 five-star Mylan Graham.

All four receivers were recruited by former Ohio State offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, who took the head coaching job at the University of South Florida on Dec. 3.

A 6-foot-4 receiver from New Jersey, Porter was the third-highest rated recruit in Ohio State’s 2024 class and the highest-rated wide receiver, according to 247Sports.

In his freshman season, Porter recorded four catches for 59 yards while appearing in four games, preserving his redshirt. He was ruled out with an undisclosed injury for the Buckeyes’ final three games of the season.

It was thought that with the departures of Tate and Graham, Porter would be next in line to fill the outside receiver spot opposite Smith.

Instead, he will be battling for a starting role elsewhere and will have four years of eligibility remaining.