COLUMBUS, Ohio —Football at Ohio State won’t completely eliminate every impact player Alabama could have produced.
On Friday, offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor committed to Iowa, as Hayes Fawcett of On3 initially reported. Iowa native, the former five-star, top-10 talent in the 2023 class was thought to be a surefire Hawkeye as soon as he entered his name in the transfer portal.
On Friday night, safety Caleb Downs committed to Ohio State. The previous season, he was a freshman All-American for the Crimson Tide. Seth McLaughlin, Alabama’s starting center for two years, committed to OSU on January 6.
In contrast to Downs, Proctor was thought to be a transfer with more work ahead of it for OSU, as they had not come close to signing him out of high school. Proctor switched his commitment from Iowa to Alabama just before signing day in 2022.
A number of Alabama athletes signed up through the portal following coach Nick Saban’s announcement on January 10 that he was retiring. An offensive line looking to recover from an inconsistent 2023 would have had another high-upside option in Proctor, who started all 14 games as a true freshman last season.
Josh Simmons and Josh Fryar, Ohio State’s starting tackles, are both back. Other athletes including Luke Montgomery, Tegra Tshabola, George Fitzpatrick, and Zen Michalski may also run for such positions in the spring.
The defensive line of the Buckeyes will still face Proctor. This season, Ohio State hosts Iowa on October 5. In the event that he decides not to sign with the NFL after three seasons, they may also play him in Iowa City in 2026.
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