Big 12 Program Lands Highest-Rated OL in Transfer Portal

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Sep 7, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day talks to quarterback Will Howard (18) in the huddle during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio Stadium.

There appears to be an interesting connection between the Ohio State and Kansas State football programs. Just a few days after K-State transfer quarterback Will Howard led the Buckeyes to a National Champions, one of his teammates will now transfer back to his former school.

Ohio State offensive lineman George Fitzpatrick has committed to Kansas State, and brings a ton of experience with him to Manhattan ahead of the 2025 season.

Despite entering the portal in early January, Fitzpatrick stuck around in Columbus and helped the Buckeyes throughout their national title run.

 

The 6-foot-6, 313-pound junior out of Englewood, Colorado, appeared in 15 of the Buckeyes’ 16 games, including the National Championship game against Notre Dame.

A member of the 2022 recruiting cycle, Fitzpatrick was originally a four-star prospect and the No. 15 offensive tackle in the country. He ranked as the highest-rated available offensive lineman when he signed with Kansas State.

Fitzpatrick logged snaps at both guard and tackle for Ohio State and should immediately contend for a starting spot on the K-State offensive line in 2025. He’s the second Ohio State transfer addition for the Wildcats this season, joining linebacker Gabe Powers in the 2025 cycle.

The transfer portal officially opened on Monday, December 9, 2024, and will remain open until Saturday, December 28, with an exception for players on teams who play bowl games after the window closes. According to NCAA data, 2,273 FBS football players entered the transfer portal in 2023-24 school year, with 1,558 (68.5%) undergraduates and 715 (31.5%) graduate transfers. Of the entrants, 57% reported that they enrolled in another school, 8% withdrew their names from the portal, and 35% are still active, transferred to a non-NCAA school, or left their sport.

The Heartland College Sports Twitter account is an excellent resource for keeping up with the latest Big 12 news and announcements. Make sure you check out our HCS member forum to connect with other Big 12 sports fans.

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