The rivalry has kept many from moving between Columbus and Ann Arbor, but there have been a few occurrences in football and basketball.
On Sunday, Roddy Gayle Jr. and the Michigan Wolverines won the 2025 Big Ten Tournament. Just a year ago, Gayle entered the transfer portal following a disappointing Ohio State basketball season. A few weeks later he would reveal he would be joining the enemy.
Gayle isn’t the first player to switch sides in the rivalry, and with the ease at which players can change schools because of the transfer portal, he certainly won’t be the last. With Gayle and the Wolverines getting ready to play UC San Diego in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, this feels like a good time to take a look at those who have played on both sides of the rivalry on both the gridiron, as well as the hardwood.
Roddy Gayle Jr.
After growing up in the Niagara Falls area, Roddy Gayle Jr. committed to Ohio State as a four-star recruit. During the 2022-23 season, Gayle saw limited action, averaging 4.6 points per game. Last season Gayle saw his role on the court expand, playing nearly 31 minutes per game for the Buckeyes.
With his increased time on the floor, Gayle’s scoring also went up, averaging 13.5 points per game. The guard’s best game came in a non-conference game against West Virginia when he scored a career-high 32 points. Later in the season, Gayle recorded his only double-double, registering 165 points and 10 rebounds against Nebraska.
Even though Gayle was playing with more confidence, he had questions about his future with the Buckeyes after head coach Chris Holtmann was replaced by assistant coach Jake Diebler. Following the season, Gayle decided it would be in his best interest to enter the transfer portal.
Even though Ohio State fans understood that Gayle was doing what he thought would be best for his career, little did they know that in just a few weeks he would be committing to the hated enemy.
Whether the move will end up benefiting Gayle when it comes to his NBA dreams, the transfer looks like a smart move because of the success the Wolverines had in Dusty May’s first season in Ann Arbor. Gayle averaged 9.4 points per game in 26.1 minutes per game this year.
The move by Gayle looks like a smart one considering that Michigan not only won the Big Ten Tournament, they’ll be playing in the NCAA Tournament, while the Buckeyes missed out on the big dance for a third consecutive season.
Justin Boren
When Justin Boren committed to Michigan it was a bit of a surprise since the offensive lineman grew up in Pickerington. Early on the move looked like a smart one since Boren was named All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2007. Then head coach Lloyd Carr retired, leading to West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez being hired to replace Carr.
It became obvious early on that Boren wasn’t taking to the changes Rodriguez was making with the offense, deciding to transfer after just a handful of practices.
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Michigan’s loss was Ohio State’s gain. Since he grew up in the Columbus area, returning home to play for the Buckeyes was an easy choice for Boren. Unlike today, Boren had to sit out a season after transferring, meaning the first time he would be able to take the field in the scarlet and gray came in the 2009 season.
It didn’t take long for Boren to show off his talents, as he was voted first team All-Big Ten by the media in both 2009 and 2010. Along with the conference accolades, Boren was named second team All-American in 2010.
Boren would be a part of a trifecta of Boren brothers who played at Ohio State. After Justin, Jacoby Boren would play on the offensive line of the Buckeyes, while Zach Boren played fullback and linebacker. The three brothers going to Ohio State becomes even more interesting after their mother and father both went to Michigan, which has to make for some very interesting family get-togethers around the holidays.
Andrew Dakich
Andrew Dakich started his Michigan career in 2013 as a walk-on. The son of former college basketball head coach Dan Dakich eventually was elevated to scholarship before his time in Ann Arbor ended following the 2016 season.
Dakich was originally going to transfer to Quinnipiac University but those plans fell through when he wasn’t able to get into his preferred program. Luckily for Dakich new Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann was familiar with the guard and he needed some bodies since the roster was thin following attrition from the transfer portal after Thad Matta’s final season in charge in Columbus.
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Even though Dakich only averaged 3.0 points per game as a Buckeye, his veteran leadership was immeasurable in Holtmann’s first year as Ohio State head coach. The Buckeyes were able to post a 25-9 record and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Gonzaga. Dakich was a program assistant the following year before following former Ohio State assistant Mike Schrage to Elon.
Joey Velazquez
The St. Francis DeSales product has the distinction of being a member of the last two college football national championship teams. Velazquez played both football and baseball for Michigan from 2019 to 2023, lettering in both sports.
Most of the action Velazquez saw for the Wolverines came on the baseball diamond, as he appeared in 100 games for the program. The walk-on recorded one tackle in the game against Western Michigan last season for the Buckeyes in their national title season.
Howard Yerges
Back in the 1940s there was a different type of transfer portal. After playing high school football for Grandview Heights, Howard Yerges started his college football career at Ohio State in 1943. Since he was a U.S. Navy trainee, Yerges was transferred to Michigan in 1944.
After earning a letter in football in 1944, Yerges saw his first notable action in 1945 when he took over at quarterback late in the season after the starter for the Wolverines was injured. Yerges capped off the year by leading Michigan to a 7-3 win over Ohio State.
After starting five games at quarterback in 1946, Yerges was given a waiver to play for Michigan in 1947, excusing the time in 1943 that he played at Ohio State. The season ended up being magical for Yerges and the Wolverines, as they wound up going 10-0 and were named national champions.
In his final game for the Wolverines in the 1948 Rose Bowl, Yerges caught and threw for a touchdown in Michigan’s 49-0 win over USC.
J.T. White
Much like Yerges, J.T. White started his career at Ohio State, playing for the Buckeyes in 1941 and 1942, lettering in both football and basketball in 1942. White’s career took a bit of a different twist following the 1942 season, as he went on to serve in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945.
Following World War II, White would go on to attend Michigan, where he was starting center on the 1946 and 1947 teams. White going on to play for the Wolverines made sense because he was raised in River Rouge, Michigan. Following his playing career, White was an assistant coach for the Wolverines until 1953 before moving on to become the defensive line coach at Penn State from 1954 to 1979.