Ohio State will reportedly lose a veteran wide receiver to the NCAA transfer portal.

Hayes Fawcett of On3 shared Tuesday that Jayden Ballard is looking to continue his college football career elsewhere.

 

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A Washington High School standout from Massillon, Ohio, Ballard was a blue-chip prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. On the 247Sports Composite, he was rated 4-stars, the No. 4 player in the state of Ohio, No. 15 wide receiver and No. 99 prospect overall in the 2021 recruiting class. Ballard signed to play for the Buckeyes over offers from Penn State, Michigan State, Notre Dame and others.

Ballard’s time at OSU did not go as many had expected. In Brian Hartline’s loaded wide receiver room, Ballard made a limited impact.

In 2021, Ballard played in just 3 games, allowing him to take a redshirt. He played in all 13 games of both the 2022 and ’23 seasons.

Ballard’s most productive season came in 2022 when he logged 8 catches for 155 yards and 1 touchdown. He followed that up with 9 catches for 49 yards in the 2023 season. This past season, Ballard recorded 2 catches in OSU’s first 2 games for a total of 18 yards.

The transfer portal opens next for undergraduate entry on Monday, a day after Ohio State will learn its College Football Playoff opponent.