Buckeyes Land First 2025 Transfer Target in Phillip Daniels

Photo by Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Offensive tackle Phillip Daniels announced his decision to join Ohio State next season on Dec. 18. The 6-foot-5, 315 pound OT from Cincinnati entered the Transfer Portal as a four-star prospect after two seasons with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He now joins an Ohio State offensive line group that is in desperate need of a starting tackle for the 2025 season.

Phillip Daniels as a High School Prospect

Daniels was not offered a scholarship from the Buckeyes during his time at Princeton High School. The then three-star prospect was the 18th-ranked player in the state of Ohio in the 2023 class according to 247Sports. He was lighter as a high school recruit, then only weighing 285 pounds. His frame was still impressive and he had the potential to grow into a prototypical offensive tackle. He took official visits to Pittsburgh, Boston College, Minnesota and Purdue. He would ultimately decide to join the Golden Gophers.

Daniels’ Freshman Season

Daniels redshirted his true freshman season with the team. In 2024, he would end up playing a significant number of snaps for the Golden Gophers down the stretch. He ended up starting the last four games at right tackle for Minnesota, finishing with 300 total snaps on the year. During his time on the field, he would grade out at 62.5 according to Pro Football Focus.

How Daniels Helps the Buckeyes

Ohio State is losing multiple starters on the offensive line in 2025. Starting tackle Josh Simmons has already declared for the NFL Draft after his season-ending injury earlier this year. They also will lose their other starting tackle in Josh Fryar as he is currently in his fifth and final collegiate season. Guard Donovan Jackson slid over to tackle after Simmons' injury and played very well at his new spot. The Buckeyes will also lose him.

With all of these losses, there was no clear starter at either tackle for next year. Daniels will now slide in and could very well take one of the two spots for a roster that was searching for an answer.

Day talked about the benefits of adding a transfer player who has already been at the collegiate level for multiple years during his Dec. 18 news conference.

"Bringing folks in who have played years already in college, who have shown that they can play at a certain level, there's a value there that's different than brining in an 18, 19-year-old player as a freshman," Day said.

Day and offensive line coach Justin Frye both seem to highly value bringing in transfer players at the position who have already had time to develop at this level. Offensive line is a position where it does typically take multiple years for a young player to really take a jump and be ready to play. Daniels has two years of development already, putting him further along in the process than incoming freshman despite his limited snaps. He has three years of eligibility remaining and could be a long-term piece for coach Frye’s group.