Buckeyes add Arizona State transfer
Ohio State received some help at linebacker for Christmas.
Deamonte Trayanum, a former running back at Arizona State, announced this weekend that he is transferring to play on the defensive side of the ball for the Buckeyes, thus bolstering a position group that has been thin on depth this season.
“Coming back home playing defense, ain't no other way to do it! O-H,” he tweeted.
A native of Akron, Trayanum was also a linebacker at Archbishop Hoban High School and developed into the fifth-overall prospect in the state in the 2020 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He helped Hoban win three state championships as a two-way star.
But he spent two seasons on offense with the Sun Devils before putting his name in the transfer portal last month.
Appearing in 13 games over two seasons, he rushed for 692 yards and 10 touchdowns.
His 401 rushing yards this fall were third on the team behind running back Rachaad White, who surpassed 1,000 yards, and Jayden Daniels, the team's quarterback who ran for 670 yards. He saw carries later in the season as he dealt with some fumbling issues.
If Trayanum makes a successful position switch at Ohio State, he won't be the first to go from running back to linebacker.
Stuck behind a logjam of backs on the depth chart entering this season, Steele Chambers went over to defense before this season and became the Buckeyes' sixth-leading tackler despite not starting until late fall. He finished with 42 tackles, one sack and one interception.
The Buckeyes were down to six scholarship linebackers this season after seniors Dallas Gant and K'vaughan Pope entered the portal in late September.
Trayanum has the size to play linebacker. Arizona State's roster listed him as 5-foot-11 and 235 pounds this past season.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.