Former Ohio State football players in the CFL for 2023

Former Ohio State football players in the CFL for 2023 #GoBucks #CFL

The Canadian Football League has started training camp. Four former Ohio State football players were on opening-day rosters in 2022, but that number has decreased. Only three are on rosters as the 2023 season gets underway. Two of the names on this list have been in the CFL for a decent amount of time and were a part of all the fun north of the border last year. One is a bit surprising — and even exciting.

One interesting name not on this list is Duron Carter, the son of former Ohio State great, Cris Carter. The younger Carter had some off-field issues at Ohio State before transferring to Alabama and Florida Atlantic, but he has been a cornerstone in the CFL for almost a decade. I expect him to join a roster possibly midseason, so stay tuned.

Let’s dive into the former Buckeyes in the CFL.

Former Ohio State football players in the CFL

Former Ohio State football players in the CFL #GoBucks #CFL

The Canadian Football League just finished its first week of the regular season and entering week one only four former Ohio State Buckeyes were on rosters. This number seems low, but last season we saw the exact same number of Buckeyes on rosters.

Three guys on this list are coming back from last season and the other is a former CFL All-Star who is returning after two seasons off. Half of this list are former players who transferred out of Ohio State, but the names will likely be memorable for most.

The most interesting part of this list is actually who is left off. Most will remember J.T. Barrett signing with the Edmonton Elks, but an injury forced him to the league’s retired list. The Elks then moved on to Cardale Jones, but he was cut after a few days. The most high-profile players of the CFL off-season didn’t even make the active rosters, but here are the four former Ohio State players who did.

Former Ohio State football players in the CFL

The Canadian Football League (CFL) is about to kick off. Did you know these former Ohio State players are playing north of the border?

The Canadian Football League will begin training camp this week with the season kicking off on August 5. There are always a few notable former Buckeyes that continue their gridiron careers up north like Duron Carter, Jonathan Newsome, and Troy Smith from years past. And true to form, there are five memorable OSU names to keep track of for the 2021 season as well.

For those unfamiliar with the CFL, there are nine teams and the field is larger with only three downs. But another key component is that teams are required to maintain a certain number of native Canadians on the roster and on the field, which makes roster sports even more complex.

Below are the five former Buckeyes who are looking to make waves this season in the CFL. Please remember there was not a season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.