Safety Tanner McCalister transfers to Ohio State

Ohio State has a new safety for the 2022 season. Former Oklahoma State safety Tanner McCalister announced on Wednesday he'll transfer to Ohio State and play for the Buckeyes, marking the second player out of the transfer portal to make the Buckeyes his destination.

After being granted his release from Oklahoma State, former 'Pokes safety Tanner McCalister will transfer to Ohio State. An Texas native, McCalister is a former three star prospect that played in 24 games over four seasons (2018-2021) at OSU.

McCalister will have one year of eligibility remaining when he joins the Buckeyes in 2022. He was a 3 star member of the Cowboys' 2018 recruiting class, ranked as the No. 57 safety in the country according to 247Sports.com's composite rankings.

Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles

Now in his first day on the job, Jim Knowles continued to add depth to Ohio State's defensive with the addition of safety Tanner McCalister, who played for Knowles at Oklahoma State. Literally coming from the heart of Longhorn country, McCalister will bring a wealth of knowledge of recent OSU football after starting each of the last two seasons for Knowles' defense.

Tanner McCallister as a Recruit

Tanner McCalister was a three-star prospect, the country's 57th ranked cornerback and 618th overall player in the 2018 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite, out of Rockwall-Heath High School in Rockwall, Texas. He picked Oklahoma State over offers from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi State, Missouri, Washington State and others.

Tanner McCallister Statistics

Coming off of a double-digit tackle total in 2020, McCalister played the No. 2 safety for Oklahoma State this past season, appearing in all 13 games, 11 as a starter at free safety. In those 11 contests, he amassed 42 tackles, six passes broken up and one interception. The Cowboys finished the season nationally ranked No. 3 in total defense, and their pass defense ranked seventh best.

Ohio State has Josh Proctor, Bryson Shaw, Lathan Ransom and Ronnie Hickman returning from 2021, so the safety position is not wide open but there is need for more depth.