Jim Knowles says Ohio State safety depth needs to come along

Jim Knowles returned most of an imposing Ohio State defense that ranked second nationally with 11.2 points per game allowed last season.

There aren’t many questions facing the third-year Buckeyes coordinator about what his unit will look like in 2024. The starting 11 players could be penciled in right now without much debate.

It’s the rest of the two-deep that creates some intrigue at this point — especially at the safety position, where Knowles was keying in last week ahead of the team’s second scrimmage of training camp.

“It goes back to safety depth,” Knowles said, when asked about his biggest remaining question about his defense that he’d like to see answered. “Safety depth. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but we feel good about our our starters. But there are the guys behind there: Malik [Hartford] and, really, [Jaylen] McClain, [who’s] really emerged as a guy who’s going to have to be ready to play.

“You got kind of two guys that are unproven and still learning and like every day a practice is a learning experience for them and a challenge, particularly if they get to go against our best receivers.”

Knowles emphasized: “So our safety depth needs to come along.”

When Knowles arrived at Ohio State ahead of the 2022 season, he brought over his “safety-driven,” 4-2-5 defense from Oklahoma State, complete with two corners and three safeties, including a “nickel” safety patrolling the slot. Since, however, Knowles has adapted his defensive philosophy and opted to mostly play a cornerback at the nickel spot.

Despite now mostly fielding only two safeties, Ohio State is dealing with depth concerns at the position. Knowles alluded to it, but the Buckeyes’ starters at the position are reliable — the duo of Alabama transfer Caleb Downs and fifth-year veteran Lathan Ransom could even form a star-studded tandem in 2024. But new safeties coach Matt Guerrieri, who replaced Perry Eliano this offseason, has to find depth in his room, players who can slide right in without a drop-off in performance.

It’s a long season, after all, and injuries at the position are always possible. Last year, Ransom went down with a season-ending Lisfranc injury at the end of October, and now-linebacker Sonny Styles had to move back from his “nickel SAM” position to replace Ransom at strong safety.

That’s why underclassmen such as Hartford and McClain are so critical this year. McClain has had a fantastic first offseason with the program and is already outperforming his three-star ranking. The Seton Hall Prep product from West Orange, New Jersey, became the first Buckeyes player this August to shed his black stripe. He’s always around the ball and will surely be a special teams contributor from the jump.

Hartford enjoyed a similar offseason last year when he was a true freshman. He even went on to start two games during the 2023 campaign, both in place of an injured Josh Proctor at the free safety position.

Hartford struggled in his first career start Week 2 against Youngstown State and was taken out after the first defensive series. Later in the year, though, when he got the nod against Michigan State in Week 11, he graded out as a “champion.” On one hand, he missed a tackle and committed a defensive pass interference penalty. On the other hand, he made a team-high four solo tackles and allowed just three receiving yards on three targets, per PFF.

His 50 defensive snaps, which were tied for the most on the team versus the Spartans, were indicative of Knowles’ burgeoning trust in the fast-improving safety. Hartford was sidelined for most of spring ball this year, but he’s been back for training camp.

“He’s growing in confidence,” Knowles said last week. “He’s growing in confidence, and that’s a huge thing for a safety, because you gotta manage the back end, and you gotta be able to play the run and pass and decipher between the two.

“So, for him, it’s just all about confidence. He’s got the talent, so it’s just a matter of reps and confidence.”

Hartford’s continued development will go a long way toward quelling Knowles’ concerns about Ohio State’s safety depth — so will other Buckeyes players stepping up like McClain.