Ohio State defensive lineman no longer with Buckeyes program

Ohio State defensive lineman Cormontae Hamilton is no longer listed on the Buckeyes roster, and Lettermen Row has confirmed that he is no longer with the program. Hamilton just wrapped up his third season with Ohio State, but now he is set to move on.

Hamilton began his career as a tight end. He was recruited there, and he was rated as a three-star prospect in the 2019 class according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

As a freshman in 2019, Hamilton took a redshirt year. In 2020, he flipped to the defensive side of the ball, shifting to defensive line. During his first year as a defensive lineman, he appeared in five games, totaling three tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack. This past season, he appeared in eight games, totaling four tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack.

Ultimately, Hamilton was not able to take grasp of a prominent role on Ohio State’s defense. The Buckeyes are currently over the scholarship limit, meaning that Hamilton is likely not the last player to leave the program ahead of next season.

In addition to Hamilton leaving, Ohio State has seen other changes in the offseason

Hamilton is far from the only player or coach from last year’s Ohio State team to leave in the offseason. The Buckeyes have made multiple changes to their coaching staff, as well. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day recently addressed the difficulty of balancing relationships with coaches while also remembering the business side of the industry.

“I try to not let that get in the way of building relationships with coaches and their families,” Day said. “But we also know we’re at a level of college football where the competition is extremely high and the expectations are extremely high. I know that more than anybody. So there’s an expectation that comes with that. I say it all the time — I have a great job but it’s a hard job and that’s one of the hardest parts about it. Going through and trying to make those difficult decisions.

“At the end of the day, this is about more than that. It’s about Ohio State football and there are a lot of people counting on this to be right. You got to do the best you can. You got to ask a lot of questions. You make sure you’re making the right decision but at the end of the day, you got to trust your gut and you move forward. I’ve had to do that — not something I look forward to but it’s something that will happen. Just the way it goes. Certainly not the goal but we have to be able to adapt and move on as things happen.”