Ohio State’s pursuit of a game-changing wing in the transfer portal came up short.
On Thursday, Darrion Williams — a five-star transfer from Texas Tech and top target for the Buckeyes — announced his commitment to NC State. Williams ranks as the No. 6 overall player and the No. 2 power forward in the portal.
Williams, a former high school teammate of Ohio State standout John Mobley Jr. at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, put up impressive numbers for Texas Tech in the 2024–25 season—averaging 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. His strong performance earned him first-team All-Big 12 honors.
Ohio State had been aggressively targeting a wing in the transfer portal to help fill the void left by Micah Parrish, who exhausted his eligibility. The Buckeyes also lost backup wing Evan Mahaffey, who transferred to Akron. In response, they added Wright State transfer Brandon Noel, a power forward who is expected to take over the starting role at the 4. That move will likely shift last year’s starting power forward, Devin Royal, down to the small forward position.
Aside from Royal, rising sophomore Colin White stands as the only other wing option currently on the roster. With few high-impact wings still available in the portal, Ohio State will continue to explore remaining options to bolster its depth at the position.
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