Ohio State’s 2019 recruiting class is making quite an early impression on the Buckeyes’ coaching staff.
Linebacker Cade Stover, a freshman from Mansfield, is now the seventh true freshman to lose his black stripe this year.
The tradition signifies a new player having done enough on and off the field to earn an official spot on the OSU football team.
Previously, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, defensive end Zach Harrison, wide receiver Jameson Williams, offensive linemen Harry Miller and Ryan Jacoby, and running back Marcus Crowley ditched their black stripes.
In the video announcing the news, OSU player personnel guru Ryan Stamper says that Stover “has a knack for the ball, getting turnovers all over the field.”
He played safety and running back in high school, but is at linebacker with the Buckeyes.
His 6-foot-4, 225 lb. frame is already close to Big Ten linebacker size, and still has room for growth.
Stover doesn’t project as a starter this fall, but fits the mold of a player who could become a special teams assassin as a true freshman.
He didn’t enroll early, meaning that he earned his scarlet stripe in the span of just over a week of practices. Miller and Williams are the only other two summer-enrollee freshmen to do that.
Losing your black stripe early isn’t an absolute guarantee of future stardom, but history has shown that it’s a pretty good indication that a player has a bright future in Columbus.
You can watch the video announcing Stover’s black stripe removal below.
?▪️ He's been a playmaker during fall camp. @cstov8 got his stripe off today‼️#GoBucks #ToughLove pic.twitter.com/nur4vpfWaD
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 13, 2019
Black Stripe Chart
WR Jameson Williams — August 8
LB Cade Stover — August 13