One scholarship spot remains. What’s next for Ohio State?

COLUMBUS — Jake Diebler reeled in another former top-20 overall prospect this week: Duke transfer Sean Stewart, a one-time borderline five-star forward who committed to Ohio State out of the portal after spending his freshman season with the Blue Devils.

The addition of Stewart means the Buckeyes have only one scholarship spot remaining. Once Ohio State fills that spot, its 2024-25 roster will be complete. Diebler and his staff don’t have to worry about departures at this point because the deadline to enter the portal was May 1.

While Ohio State looks for its final puzzle piece, Lettermen Row is projecting the scholarship chart as well as the depth chart for next season.

Remember, at the Division I level, coaches can offer a maximum of 13 scholarships per team.

So that’s a look at the 12 scholarship players currently committed to the Buckeyes for the 2024-25 season. But, before we go any further, let’s break down the roster outlook:

+ Ohio State fans are especially thrilled with Diebler’s ability to bring in not one but two young and athletic former blue-chip prospects in Stewart and Kentucky transfer center Aaron Bradshaw. A concern that does exist among Buckeyes faithful, however, centers around the idea that Ohio State doesn’t have enough 3-point shooting at the moment. In reality, though, the Buckeyes could be just fine in that department.

+ They made 232 triples last season and ranked 150th nationally in 3-point percentage (34.5%), according to KenPom. Minnesota grad transfer Jamison Battle accounted for 91 of those long-range conversions, and he led the team with a blistering, and career-high shattering, 43.3% clip. But replacing Battle’s 3-point volume in one-fell swoop was hardly realistic. Ohio State should be able to fill that bucket by committee with the 3-point shooting of Bruce Thornton, Meechie Johnson, Micah Parrish, Juni Mobley — who took part in 2024 High School 3-point contest this spring — and Taison Chatman, not to mention Bradshaw, a 7-footer who showed how he can stretch the floor last season.

+ Thornton made 58 triples last year. Johnson drilled 60. And Parrish piled up 47 made 3-pointers. So the Buckeyes likely won’t have anyone eclipse 90 like Battle did in 2023-24, but they could have three players, including Parrish, convert 50 or more attempts from downtown. They haven’t had that happen since the 2010-11 season. If that trio replicates its 3-point total from last season, Ohio State would already be at 165 triples. Mobley, Chatman and Bradshaw would have to make a combined 67 3-pointers for the Buckeyes to match last year’s perimeter production. That’s not counting the strays from other rotational players, such as Evan Mahaffey (made two 3-pointers in 2023-24), Devin Royal (made three 3-pointers in 2024-25), Colin White, who developed into a capable 3-point shooter at Ottawa-Glandorf, and Stewart, who is working to expand his range this offseason.

+ Besides, adding an additional forward with 3-point shooting ability is not out of the question. A marksman guard or wing, on the other hand, is probably not in the cards for an Ohio State team that still could benefit from additional frontcourt depth and, well, size. The Buckeyes have only four players over 6-foot-6 on the roster right now, and two of them — Kalen Etzler and Austin Parks — have yet to play more than three minutes in a Big Ten game.

+ The Buckeyes could be in need of another true center, given that Bradshaw and Parks are the only two on the roster. That said, Stewart can play the four or the five, so it’s possible Ohio State has Stewart back up Bradshaw at center, in addition to him potentially splitting time at the four with Royal.

+ Expect Ohio State to roll with a three-guard lineup. Now, that third guard can be a bigger guard, which is where players like Parrish and Mahaffey come into play. They fit the wing build but are listed as guards. Below, I also have White down at “wing” because of his guard-like abilities, even though he’s listed as a forward. But it’s likely that a wing-type player will be paired with two traditional guards in the backcourt, namely Thornton and Johnson, the latter of whom is back in the fold after starring at South Carolina the last two seasons.

TRACKING OHIO STATE TRANSFER PORTAL ADDITIONS/DEPARTURES, KEY RETURNERS

So, what’s next?

Ohio State won’t rush filling its final scholarship spot. But a handful of players still in the transfer portal have reported interest from Ohio State, including…

+ 6-foot-10 Bellarmine forward Langdon Hatton: He averaged 10.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game as a junior, breaking out for the Knights after averaging fewer than 15 minutes a contest the previous two years, the first of which he spent at William & Mary. He also posted 0.8 blocks per game and shot 15-of-45, or 33.3%, from 3-point land in 2023-24.

+ 7-foot McCook Community College (JUCO) center Noah Boyed: He originally signed with Baylor last fall but recently was granted his release. Now, he’s looking for a new home as he tries to make the transition to the Division I level with three years of NCAA eligibility left. Boyed was averaging 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds through five games last season before a knee injury sidelined him.

+ 6-foot-8 San Diego State forward Elijah Saunders: He played with Parrish at San Diego State and averaged 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Saunders started the first 21 games of the season and, when all was said and done, he finished with a shooting percentage of 41.9%, including a mark of 32.2% from deep (39-of-121). Saunders made double-digit 3-pointers nine times.

+ 6-foot-9 UCLA forward Berke Buyuktuncel: He played in 26 games for the Bruins as a freshman in 2023-24. Along the way, he made eight starts and averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Plus, he shot 11-of-37, or 29.7%, from beyond the arc. Buyuktuncel attended Ozluce Doga Kolegi in Bursa, Turkey, prior to starting his UCLA career.

EARLY Depth Chart Projection

Without further ado, here’s a swing at another early depth chart projection for 2024-25:

PGSGWINGFCThorntonJohnsonParrishRoyal OR StewartBradshawMobleyChatmanMahaffeyRoyal OR StewartPORTAL (1) OR StewartChatmanParrish OR MahaffeyWhitePORTAL (1)/WhiteParksEtzlerLettermen Row has created an early-May projected Ohio State depth chart. (Andy Backstrom/Lettermen Row)

+ Thornton and Johnson are all but a lock at point guard and shooting guard, respectively. Because of his size, scoring production, court vision and 3-point shooting, Parrish seems like a good fit at that third guard spot, essentially playing the role of a wing.

+ Mahaffey can come off the bench to spell Parrish and do everything that he does well to affect the game with active hands, offensive rebounding and playmaking ability. Mobley has the potential to be Ohio State’s No. 2 option at point guard. And Chatman, with a full offseason, could take a jump in Year 2 — he’s probably best at the 2-guard spot, but he can handle the ball and run the point if he’s asked to.

+ Either Royal or Stewart could start at forward. Royal came on down the stretch of last season as a crafty low-post scorer, but Stewart is bigger and more athletic yet still relatively unproven at the college level. Regardless who gets the nod, both Royal and Stewart could see the floor for 20-plus minutes.

+ Bradshaw will likely start at center, but don’t be surprised if Stewart spends some time at the five, too, especially if the Buckeyes use the final scholarship spot on a forward who doesn’t have the kind of defensive versatility Stewart has. With how deep Diebler’s rotation ran last season, having Parks on hand could come in handy, particularly in the thick of an always-physical Big Ten slate.

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