With a history of first-round draft picks and the reputation of being “Defensive Back U,” Ohio State’s cornerbacks are held to a very high standard. This season, they have given up some big plays, have received a sizable number of penalties, and have been criticized for not making plays. As a unit, they are not happy…
Every position on the Ohio State team comes with expectations, but of late, maybe no position can match the cornerbacks when it comes to what people expect of them. With the long line of NFL production — which has seen an uptick of late — not only do outsiders expect big things, but so do the players themselves.
At Ohio State, there is a long lineage of cornerbacks who have gone on to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. Twelve Buckeye corners have been selected in the first round since 1991, including five in the last five years. That is the type of consistency that recruits like to hear about, and it has been an important recruiting…
When Taver Johnson took over for Kerry Coombs as Ohio State’s cornerbacks coach, he immediately went to work on getting to know the players he was inheriting. He watched every practice rep and game rep on film for each of his returning players. Even though this past winter and spring was his first time seeing his…
Cornerback Damon Arnette played in every game last season for the Buckeyes, starting a dozen times. As a redshirt sophomore, he finished sixth on the team with 44 tackles. He led the Ohio State cornerbacks with two interceptions, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. And yet nobody is claiming that he is a finished product.
When he signed with Alabama in 2015, Buckeye cornerback Kendall Sheffield was ranked the No. 4 cornerback in the nation and the No. 20 player in the class overall. He had offers from every blueblood program in the nation, and for good reason. As a true freshman, however, he was not ready to play. And as a redshirt…
This is the first year the NCAA has allowed official recruiting visits during the spring. Traditionally, visits have taken place from September through February, so this was a brand new experience for college football coaches. Some coaches, like Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, did not want to extend invitations for official visits.
The Buckeyes left spring camp with a top three rotation at cornerback of Damon Arnette, Kendall Sheffield, and Jeff Okudah. That trio isn’t set in stone, however, as fall camp can increase the number if second-year players like Marcus Williamson and Shaun Wade show that they belong. Both players showcased…
Nine of the 10 Ohio State football assistant coaches met with reporters on Wednesday to put a cap on spring football and take a look forward to the coming months for the Buckeyes. Has a decision been made at quarterback? Why was Isaiah Prince back at right tackle in the spring game? How tough is it to…
Ohio State has created a new college football standard with the cornerback rotation they have used the last two seasons. In 2016, Mashon Lattimore, Gareon Conley, and Denzel Ward finally accomplished what then-coach Kerry Coombs had been trying to get done for years. Last season, Ward and a new pair of…
