The Ohio State Buckeyes concluded their ninth spring practice earlier today and are entering their final stretch. During post-practice, when asked about which transfer or newcomers on either side of the football stood out to him in terms of consistency, the head honcho made on-the-spot quick evaluations and gave the flowers where they’re due.
“I do think that there’s a consistent level right now, and it’s not perfect at all, but bringing in Mason Williams and Hunter (Welching) at tight end,” Ryan Day named two transfer portal tight ends. “You know, they’re not perfect at all, but they’re grinding at it, and they’re working at it. And I think those guys at tight end have shown up, especially in the passing game, just seeing them make a lot more plays, maybe, than what we’ve seen in the past.
First up is Hunter Welcing, a sixth-year senior tight end who transferred in from Northwestern. Day has been super impressed with how he’s handled the passing game. Last season, Welcing was a workhorse for the Wildcats. He caught 28 receptions for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns. Most Buckeyes fans know him for his game against the Michigan Wolverines, where he racked up 81 yards.
Ryan Day said three Ohio State newcomers have stood out to him after nine spring practices:
• Former Ohio tight end Mason Williams
• Former Northwestern tight end Hunter Welcing
• Former Florida State safety Earl Little Jr. pic.twitter.com/R20F3ulLTU— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 6, 2026
After playing in the Big Ten for half a decade now, the 6’4” tight end has registered more than 400 snaps of Big Ten experience. It’s only going to help him in competing for NFL-bound Max Klare’s vacant TE position.
The second name Day mentioned was Hunter’s biggest competition in the spring, Mason Williams, a redshirt junior who transferred from Ohio University. Day mentioned that the overall production from the tight end unit in the air is noticeably higher than in previous springs, all thanks to Williams’ reliability as a big-bodied pass-catcher.
During his tenure with the Bobcats, the 6-foot-5 tight end was a productive starter. He racked up about 45 career catches for 487 yards and 6 touchdowns in his two seasons there. What Mason has over Hunter is snaps. He played 491 total snaps last year (more snaps in one year than the 5-year vet Hunter) and finished with an impressive 74.0 offensive grade from PFF. He was a Freshman All-American in 2024 and earned Third-team All-MAC honors in 2025. The popular consensus is that he might actually win the starting TE role when everything is said and done.
However, Ryan Day knows you cannot “replace Caleb Downs,” but if someone is coming close to it, then its safety Earl Little Jr. of the Florida State Seminoles.
Ryan Day on Earl Little Jr.
“Earl has been doing a great job of really communicating there,” Day said of the third player.
It’s not quite a surprise because Earl Little Jr. has been the name on everyone’s lips since day one of spring. Even though he’s originally a safety, word is the top-10 transfer portal safety is currently flying around at the nickel corner spot, trying to replace Lorenzo Styles Jr.’s position. Little is coming off a monster 2025 season. He led the Seminoles with 76 total tackles and 4 picks.
His season-high of 13 tackles in a game against Virginia last year had Ryan Day take a flyer on him. Little has already had his black stripe removed, which is the ultimate sign of respect in the Ohio State locker room. Mind you, like Ryan Day said, none of them are perfect (though Earl comes closest out of the three).
But all three of them have shown a “consistent level” of play that’s hard to ignore. Since they all joined the program back around January as veterans, they’ve skipped the “learning curve” phase and are already playing like they’ve been in Columbus for years.
