Spring Game — April 11, 2024

Defensive preview and o season changes

By Sam Cipriani Lantern Reporter

“I’m back.”

This was the message received by college football fans when senior cornerback Denzel Burke, the last of the major players expected to enter the NFL draft following a dominant 2023 Ohio State defense, decided to return for a fnal year.

At Saturday’s annual Spring Game in the Ohio Stadium, fans will get a frst look into Ohio State’s defense, which remains mostly the same, though a few key moves could shake things up for the Buckeyes, including the addition of Alabama transfer safety Caleb Downs.

Downs was the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in his lone season as a true freshman with the Crimson Tide, leading the conference in solo tackles with 70.

“[Ohio State] played great defense last year,” Downs said. “Watching the flm and seeing how they progressed defnitely helped me make a more sound decision about what I’d be getting into here.”

Downs will move to the free safety position this year, while senior Lathan Ransom will retain his natural position at strong safety.

In a dual safety scheme, senior Ja’Had Carter and sophomore Malik Hartford will likely be slated to fll in the backup roles and behind the surefre starters, Downs and Ransom.

Another change to note is the switch of junior Sonny Styles from safety to linebacker.

Toward the end of last season, Styles said there had been talks about a switch to the linebacker position. This

year, as one of the top pass rushers on the team, the change came to fruition.

“We’re trying to get our best 11 on the feld,” Styles said. “So, where can I help the defense the most?”

Turns out, closer to the line of scrimmage.

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said the switch to linebacker is going to be a change for Styles because he’ll be playing in the box from a low position where things happen much quicker, instead of dropping in from deep.

“He’s a guy who has football intelligence,” Knowles said. “I think he’s going to be great because one of the biggest parts is knowing all the pieces around you so you can play fast, and Sonny has shown a lot of that.”

Graduate linebacker Cody Simon will likely move into the role of the feld-general inside linebacker after impressing in games at the position when NFL draft hopeful Tommy Eichenberg was out last year. Simon led the team in tackles in the Buckeyes’ Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri in Eichenberg’s absence.

Junior linebackers C.J. Hicks and Gabe Powers could also see increased time this year, as the loss of graduate and NFL prospect Steele Chambers creates a space to fll at outside linebacker.

Freshman linebacker Garrett Stover, brother of former Buckeye tight end Cade Stover, may see limited action this year but is another notable addition to the Ohio State linebacker core.

At cornerback, a trio of veterans — senior Denzel Burke, senior Jordan Hancock and junior Davison Igbinosun — should be set to return as starters in the secondary, with a group of young cornerbacks behind them, including sophomores Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Calvin Simpson-Hunt. The young duo will likely get strong reps Saturday.

Mathews stepped up multiple times last season with an injured Burke, one of which included starting in a defensive slugfest against Penn State where he recorded three tackles and a pass breakup.

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“The more reps you get on the feld, the more your confdence builds,“ Mathews said. “[I’m] a guy that can play anywhere on the back end, help in the special teams, wherever they need me this year I’ll go out there and give it my all.”

Freshman cornerbacks Aaron Scott Jr., Bryce West and Miles Lockhart will be in backup roles this year but could see some playing time late in games or down the stretch of the season.

The defensive line retains all but one of last year’s starters, with se-

nior defensive ends J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer fortifying the edge for the Buckeyes once again.

Junior defensive ends Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Caden Curry, each of whom had 1.5 sacks for Ohio State last year, will back up the dominant duo of Sawyer and Tuimoloau on the outside. Meanwhile, freshman defensive end Eddrick Houston, a four-star recruit out of Buford, Georgia, will likely be a key piece up front for the Buckeyes down the road.

On the inside, senior defensive tackles Tyleik Williams and Ty Ham-

ilton return for their fnal year after very productive junior seasons where they each played in all 13 games.

Williams was tied for the team lead in tackles-for-loss with 10, while Hamilton wasn’t quite as efcient statistically, but still fnished with 4.5 tackles-for-loss, which was good enough for third on the team.

Williams said there was a common understanding among the upperclassmen defenders to return for another year with the Buckeyes and fnish their careers on a high note.

“I called a bunch of the older guys to

see where their heads were,” Williams said. “They told me, ‘Why not come back, we got a good squad coming back and you know we can do good things.’”

Junior Hero Kanu and sophomore Kayden McDonald also saw minutes at the inside tackle position last season, but will likely fnd themselves as backups with Williams and Hamilton taking the majority of snaps at inside linemen already this ofseason.

For a frst glance at these changes, the Buckeyes will ofcially return to action at noon Saturday. Fox will broadcast the event.

Junior safety Sonny Styles (6) at Ohio State’s spring practice session Wednesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. COURTESY OF OHIO STATE ATHLETICS

Buckeye running back room led by lethal duo this upcoming season

By Noah Weiskopf Lantern Reporter

Ohio State might have lost its nineyear-long running backs coach to rival Michigan, but the Buckeyes’ rushers are ready to take the next step in becoming one of the country’s most lethal one-two punches.

On April 1, Ohio State hired former Oregon Ducks running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, just 19 days after former Buckeyes coach Tony Alford announced his departure.

Following the conclusion of the 2023 season, Ohio State lost running backs Chip Trayanum to Kentucky while losing Evan Pryor and Willtrell Hartson in the original transfer portal, all of whom were key pieces to the Buckeyes’ depth.

The Buckeyes also sufered a blow to the positional group yet again, this time just days before their spring game in Columbus.

On Sunday, multiple reports said former four-star recruit Dallan Hayden intends to transfer when the spring window opens. Hayden rushed for 553 yards and six touchdowns as a true freshman in 2022.

Now heading a positional group that appears to be set for 2024 and led by senior running back TreVeyon Henderson and junior Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins, Locklyn will look to get elite production out of the dynamic running back tandem.

“I get the best out of [the running backs] because I love the young men,” Locklyn said. “My main focus is to change the hearts and the minds of them, and they’ll play for me.”

Henderson, in his junior season, carried the ball 156 times, totaling 926 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games. He was sixth in rushing among the Big Ten and averaged 5.9 yards per carry.

Instead of declaring for the 2024 NFL draft, Henderson elected to stay in Columbus for one more season.

With Henderson leading the Buckeyes’ backfeld, they appeared to already be

in great hands, but help was on the way.

Ohio State landed Judkins, the No. 1-rated running back available, in the transfer portal Jan. 8.

As a true freshman at Ole Miss, Judkins accumulated 1,567 rushing yards on 274 attempts, setting a Rebels single-season record. He was later chosen as the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and named to the First-Team All-SEC team.

In his second season, he only got better. Judkins garnered 1,307 all-purpose yards and 17 touchdowns. His 1,158 rushing yards was second amongst all SEC rushers. His incredible sophomore season earned him First-Team All-SEC honors for the second consecutive year.

Today, Judkins brings his talents to the Buckeyes and, paired with Henderson, is likely set to form one of the best running back duos in Ohio State history. Both are already splitting frst-team reps through the spring practice season.

Although fans will see the Buckeyes in action on Saturday, head coach Ryan Day said Henderson is doubtful to participate in tackle drills to avoid possible injury. The same is likely for Judkins.

“Someone like TreVeyon doesn’t need to get tackled on Saturday,” Day said.

Still, Day said fans will see junior running back T.C. Cafey, freshman running back James Peoples and freshman running back Sam Williams-Dixon.

“Looking to see them run in a live situation on Saturday because I think all of those backs have talent,” Day said.

For now, Day said the plan is to begin the Spring Game with “thud” drills before continuing on to mild tackling drills. All running backs are anticipated to be dressed and ready when their names are called.

ZACHARY RILLEY | FORMER PHOTO EDITOR

Ohio State then-sophomore running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) celebrates an early touchdown in Ohio State’s 43-30 win over Maryland on Nov. 19, 2022.

LILY HYNES | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Junior running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) fst bumps a young fan after the game against Minnesota on Nov. 18, 2023.

Iron sharpens iron

By Garrison McDaniel Lantern Reporter

When great players face of against each other, they can only enhance their own skills and become better in the process. In other words, “iron sharpens iron.”

The battle between the wide receivers and defensive backs on Ohio State’s roster this spring has proved this true, making it one to watch for during the Buckeyes’ Spring Game on Saturday.

Sophomore wide receiver Carnell Tate said battling such an impressive secondary has helped his development, especially with competitiveness being at an all-time high in practice.

“It is more [competitive] than last year, we have more receivers that are willing to talk, go out there and show the DBs what we got going on,” Tate said. “We have the best corners in the country, so going against them makes the games easier.”

The Buckeyes’ defensive back groups, commonly known as Best In America, or B.I.A, went through a down period in 2020-21 as they were ranked No. 122 in all of college football and No. 96 in passing defense. Those struggles led to head coach Ryan Day hiring a former Buckeye cornerback Tim Walton to reload the room in 2022.

He became the highest-rated recruiter on staf by 247Sports in 2024, receiving credit for the Buckeyes landing 2024 corners Bryce West and Aaron Scott, both top-60 prospects, helping contribute to a star-studded cornerbacks room going into the 2024 season.

Headlining the room is senior cornerback Denzel Burke — who has started for the Buckeyes all three years of his career — junior cornerback Davison Igbinosun and sophomore cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. All three played signifcant roles in the 2023 defense that was ranked third in college football for yards per play, allowing 4.17.

On the back end of their defense, the Buckeyes look sturdy with the return of ffth-year safety Lathan Ransom and the acquisition of former freshman All-American safe-

ty Caleb Downs from Alabama.

Wide receivers coach Brian Hartline said having the strength of this de fensive back group adds to the fun of practice and is better than years past when Ohio State didn’t have the same solidity on the back end of its defense.

“The competition is awesome — the chippiness, the chirping, the fun is heightened,” Hartline said. “At one point it was not that way. It is a lot of fun, they win, we win, it is back and forth and a heavyweight fght daily.”

As much as the secondary has improved, the wideout talent re mains the same. The revolving door of seemingly never-end ing talent continued this of season for Hartline’s group with the departure of 2023 Biletnikof winner Marvin Harrison Jr. and the addition of the No. 1-ranked recruit in America, Jeremiah Smith.

The highly acclaimed fresh man wide receiver may be the best player to fll the hole left by Harri son. During Ohio State’s annual Stu dent Appreciation Day on March 30, his skillset was on full display as he caught passes over Downs and Burke.

Downs said Smith is an import ant piece to their team this year.

“Very elite athlete, very in stinctual player and has great ball skills,” Downs said. “Should have a big impact this year.”

Along with Smith, the room also gained an extra year of former fve-star recruit Emeka Egbuka. He chose to return for his senior year, as he hopes to add to his already impressive Buckeye career where he has racked up 16 touchdowns, 124 re ceptions and 1,857 receiving yards.

The com petition be tween the two rooms will be on full display against one another Saturday. The question is, which will live up to their respective expectations?

COURTESY OF OHIO STATE ATHLETICS

Freshman wide receiver Brandon Inniss (11) battles during a drill at an Ohio State spring practice Wednesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

SPRING GAME X’s & O’s

The 2024 Ohio State Spring Game will be the first nationally televised Spring Game.

FOX will broadcast.

The Spring Game will feature:

The No. 1 overall 2024 recruit, Jeremiah Smith

The No. 1 player in the transfer portal, Caleb Downs

The No. 1 running back in the transfer portal, Quinshon Judkins

Ohio State will debut four new assistant coaches.

Chip Kelly, O ensive Coordinator

Carlos Locklyn, Running Backs Coach

James Laurinitis, Linebackers Coach

Matt Guerrieri, Safeties Coach

Twenty-one new players will suit up for the Buckeyes

This includes 16 freshmen and six transfers, including quarterback Julian Sayin, who fits both categories.

Despite having five quarterbacks on the roster, only one has played a full collegiate game

Kansas State transfer Will Howard has started 27 games in his career.

LAURYN LUDERMAN | SPORTS EDITOR Sophomore safety Caleb Downs stretches during a spring practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

NHAT V. MEYER | BAY AREA NEWS GROUP VIA TNS

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly stands on the sidelines before the start of their game against Stanford at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Thursday, job on Feb. 9.

CALEB BLAKE | PHOTO EDITOR

Graduate quarterback Will Howard participates in spring practice at Ohio State after transferring from Kansas State.

Buckeyes will get first look at Jeremiah Smith Saturday

By Lauryn Luderman Sports Editor

Jeremiah Smith made Ryan Day faint. Kind of.

On Dec. 20, 2023, the Ohio State football head coach stood in front of the media during his weekly press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center when he pretended to faint following the announcement

“There’s nothing he really can’t do,” Egbuka said. “He runs fast, he jumps high, he’s strong, he’s a natural pass catcher.” -

ceiver and the No. 1 player in the class of 2024, the expectations of a true freshman, especially at the outset of a season, are typically modest.

But Smith has already disproved that theory. From Student Appreciation

secondary players went viral.

But when cameras aren’t on, others say Smith is just as impressive as people are making him out to be.

If Smith keeps progressing the way he has been, Day said a starter role in the be possible as he’s already started

“If he continues on the path that he’s on, he’s going to play a lot of

ers have proved dedicated to bettering themselves and the team. Getting his

the class of 2024 and the quickest player in history to get the mark removed.

“Jeremiah has really stepped in. He got a great approach, and I’m going to be careful what I say, but he’s been certainly a pleasure to watch and we’re all

COURTESY OF OHIO STATE ATHLETICS | ZACHARY KELLEY

Smith makes a one-handed catch during an Ohio State spring practice.