Ohio State football defensive lineman Jaden McKenzie enters transfer portal

IRVING, Texas — Ohio State defensive tackle Jaden McKenzie entered the NCAA transfer portal the morning after the Buckeyes’ loss in the Cotton Bowl, The Dispatch confirmed.

McKenzie, a redshirt senior, has one remaining season of eligibility because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He did not appear in the bowl game against Missouri on Friday, nor in the Buckeyes’ loss at Michigan at the end of the regular season.

Down in the interior defensive line rotation, he appeared in nine games as a reserve, finishing with 10 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss. Four other Ohio State defensive tackles played more snaps than McKenzie’s 77 this year, according to tallying by Pro Football Focus.

McKenzie, a native of Wake Forest, North Carolina, was a three-star recruit in the Buckeyes' 2019 recruiting class.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

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