Warren Ball may be leaving Ohio State, but he’s not leaving the state of Ohio.
The OSU running back has decided to transfer out of the Buckeyes football program and continue his collegiate playing career elsewhere. Specifically, that continuation will involve a 125-mile move to the northeast as George Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal reports that Ball will enroll at Akron and play his football for Terry Bowden‘s Zips.
As Ball is set to graduate from OSU this semester, he will be eligible to play immediately in 2016. This upcoming season will be his final year of eligibility.
Warren Ball, 6-1 RB from Ohio State will graduate and transfer to UA to play for @ZipsFB, according to a source.
— George Thomas (@ByGeorgeThomas) February 12, 2016
Ball was a four-star member of OSU’s 2012 recruiting class, rated as the No. 16 running back in the country; the No. 12 player at any position in the state of Ohio; and the No. 193 player overall by Rivals.com. Ball ran for 189 yards on 41 carries the past three seasons, with 28 of those yards coming on 10 2015 carries.
ElevenWarriors.com writes that “Ball’s apparent transfer has no impact on Ohio State’s scholarship grid for 2016, as he was already on his way out of the program following last season,” adding that "[t]he Buckeyes still sit at 87 scholarships after National Signing Day.”