Ohio State defensive tackle James Smith sheds black stripe

COLUMBUS — Ohio State has already ripped the black stripe off one half of its Alabama transfer duo. Now both have their black stripes removed.

Just two days after defensive end Qua Russaw lost his black stripe, defensive tackle James Smith shed his on Saturday after Student Appreciation Day practice.

Smith is the fifth Ohio State transfer to lose his black stripe this spring and the sixth player overall.

Smith, a former five-star prospect from Carver High School in Alabama, transferred to the Buckeyes after three years at Alabama, some as a starter. He transferred in to the Buckeyes this offseason along with Russaw, those two being a package deal.

James Smith joins growing list of Ohio State players to lose black stripe

He now joins a growing list of Ohio State players to lose their black stripes so far this spring.

As for transfers, the Buckeyes have shed the black stripes from helmets from former LSU wide receiver Kyle Parker, former Florida State defensive back Earl Little Jr., former Wisconsin linebacker Christian Alliegro and former Alabama defensive end Qua Russaw.

And so far, just one freshman has lost his black stripe so far this spring. After just six practices in his Buckeyes career, Texas native Brock Boyd seems to be on the fast track to being a first-year impact player. The latest example of that: Boyd shed his black stripe on Tuesday after practice, a mark that he’s officially a member of the program. Boyd is the first freshman from the class of 2026 to shed his stripe, a major milestone for the former three-star recruit from Southlake Carroll (Texas) High School.

Now James Smith is the latest to join them.

Here’s the Buckeyes to lose their black stripe this spring:

Player	Previous school/year	Black stripe removal date	Story link
WR Kyle Parker	LSU	March 28, 2026	READ MORE
DB Earl Little Jr.	Florida State	March 29, 2026	READ MORE
WR Brock Boyd	HS (freshman)	March 31, 2026	READ MORE
LB Christian Alliegro	Wisconsin	March 31, 2026	READ MORE
DE Qua Russaw	Alabama	April 2, 2026	READ MORE
DT James Smith	Alabama	April 4, 2026