COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football won’t secure all the impactful players it had the potential to recruit from Alabama.
On Friday, offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor officially pledged his commitment to Iowa, according to the initial report by On3’s Hayes Fawcett. Proctor, a former five-star recruit and a top-10 prospect in the 2023 class, hails from Iowa and had been widely anticipated to join the Hawkeyes soon after entering the transfer portal.
On Friday night, safety Caleb Downs committed to Ohio State. He earned Freshman All-American honors with the Crimson Tide in the previous season. Seth McLaughlin, who chose Ohio State on January 6, served as Alabama’s starting center for two years.
In contrast to Downs, Ohio State was not in close contention to secure Proctor’s commitment out of high school. The Buckeyes were seen as having more work to do in order to successfully recruit him as a transfer. Proctor’s initial commitment was to Iowa, but he ultimately opted for Alabama shortly before the signing day in 2022.
After Coach Nick Saban declared his retirement on January 10, a number of Alabama players decided to enter the transfer portal. Proctor, who began all 14 games as a true freshman in the previous season, could have presented an additional promising choice for an offensive line aiming to recover from a somewhat inconsistent performance in 2023.
Ohio State has the advantage of retaining both starting tackles, with Josh Simmons and Josh Fryar back in the lineup. However, during the upcoming spring, several other players, including George Fitzpatrick, Zen Michalski, Luke Montgomery, and Tegra Tshabola, are poised to compete for those positions.
The Ohio State defensive line will have the opportunity to face off against Proctor when Iowa visits on October 5 this season. There’s also the possibility of encountering him again in Iowa City in 2026 unless he opts for the NFL after completing three seasons.
