Buckeyes safety Lathan Ransom putting off NFL, returning for senior season
COLUMBUS — Lathan Ransom began this calendar year laying on the grass at the Rose Bowl with a broken leg.
Just 11 months later, he not only returned to action but did it well enough to have a major decision regarding his future. Turns out he’s not finished at Ohio State.
The junior safety, who became one of the best defenders in Jim Knowles defense, will put off the NFL and return for his senior season, his father told The Columbus Dispatch Monday. Ransom still has two years of eligibility left due to the NCAA’s extra year granted because of COVID-19.
Lathan Ransom had 65 total tackles this season for the Buckeyes. He had an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, two blocked punts, three passes deflected, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He did all of it just months removed from his broken leg suffered in the Rose Bowl. He quickly became one of the leaders of the defense, and he proved he could handle whatever defensive coordinator Jim Knowles put on him.
“So you start to put more on him,” Knowles said. “As you see things develop, and you say, ‘Well, if I can take just this one guy, I can fix this problem.’ And he is that kind of guy.
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“But it’s still my job to make sure he plays fast. That’s what coaches have to remember. Every – maybe it’s a little thing to me as a coach – but everything you put on a kid can pile up and lead to them not being not as aggressive or fast. But he is in my mind a guy who can handle a lot of things, I just have to be careful how much I put on him.”
With his return, Lathan Ransom will be the unquestioned leader of the Ohio State secondary next fall. He’ll be the only one of the Buckeyes top four safeties from this season to return next year. Seniors Josh Proctor, Tanner McCalister and Ronnie Hickman are all moving on to the NFL.
Of course, the Buckeyes added former Syracuse safety Ja’Had Carter to bolster the secondary and help lead the way next season.
Ransom will be the leader, though. He has opted to pass on the NFL for another year at Ohio State. He’ll give defensive backs coach Perry Eliano and the Buckeyes defense a huge boost heading into a pivotal offseason.
