Ohio State cornerback Ryan Watts enters the NCAA transfer portal

Ryan Watts began his second season at Ohio State on a promising note.

With returning starting cornerbacks Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown sidelined for the opening game at Minnesota due to injuries, he filled in.

But his role diminished over the rest of the season, and he never regained a foothold in the starting lineup, culminating with him looking to head elsewhere. On Friday, Watts put his name in the NCAA transfer portal.

It’s the latest roster churn for the Buckeyes, who have seen four players enter the portal since the regular season ended two weeks ago, including quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Jack Miller, as well as safety Craig Young.

After appearing on the field for 49 snaps at Minnesota, Watts saw only 71 snaps on defense over five games the rest of the season, according to a tally from Pro Football Focus.

He tried lining up elsewhere in the secondary to carve out a larger role. When free safety Josh Proctor suffered a season-ending leg fracture in September, he spent time at safety, but it didn’t appear to stick.

Watts finished with six tackles and an interception. He appeared in seven games as a freshman.

A native of Little Elm, Texas, Watts offered intriguing size, a lankier cornerback at 6 feet 3.

The Buckeyes have already been on the cusp of seeing multiple cornerbacks depart. Banks and Brown both walked during Senior Day last month, and Demario McCall and Marcus Williamson were both super seniors in 2021.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football cornerback Ryan Watts enters NCAA transfer portal