BREAKING: Florida State Transfer DB Earl Little Jr Chooses Ohio State

Former Florida State Seminoles and Alabama Crimson Tide safety Earl Little Jr has committed to Ohio State. Little Jr will have one more season of eligibility. He is the son of former Miami Hurricanes safety Earl Little.

With Caleb Downs headed to the NFL and Faheem Delane in the portal, it was critical that safeties coach Matt Guerrieri found a viable option to start alongside Jaylen McClain. Little Jr emerged as a star in his second season with Florida State, earning a starting spot in which he converted 76 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 2 passes broken up, and 2 forced fumbles. His play garnered the attention of NFL teams and he decided to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. After further consideration, he then withdrew his name and entered the transfer portal.

Earl little Jr is Ohio State’s sixth transfer portal addition, joining Mason Williams, John Walker, Devin McCuin, Christian Alliegro, and Dalton Riggs. The transfer portal has not been kind to the Buckeyes in recent days. Many projected impact players such as Quincy Porter Jr, Faheem Delane, Jarquez Carter, and more have left the team in search of better opportunities. With certain position groups looking thin, the Buckeyes will need to continue gaining momentum for big time portal players.

In addition to the transfer portal, retaining starters has been a focus for this Buckeyes team. Fans received a scare after it was initially reported that freshman running back Bo Jackson could leave the team due to NIL disputes. The Ohio native emerged as the team’s lead running back midway through the season, rushing for 1,090 yards and 6 touchdowns. It was then reported a couple of days later that Jackson would in fact be returning for his sophomore season. Brandon Inniss and Jeremiah Smith have also announced their intention to return to Ohio State next season.