Tale of the Tape: Knowing the basics of Buckeyes young safeties

The summer offseason is in full swing, and Lettermen Row is trying to survive it with our annual Position Week breakdowns. By the time all nine units and coaching staff at Ohio State have been covered, training camp and media days will nearly have arrived, and the return of football in the Horseshoe will be just around the corner. We’re continuing with our eighth positional week with the Buckeyes safeties unit.

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COLUMBUS — Lettermen Row is in the early stages of Safeties Week by taking a look at the basics of the younger safeties at Ohio State. Earlier on Monday, we broke down the veterans in the Buckeyes secondary. Find that here.

Let’s dive in with the young safeties in the Buckeyes room.

Second-year safety Kye Stokes

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 192 pounds

High school: Armwood (Seffner, Florida)

On3 Industry Ranking: Three-star Kye Stokes was ranked as the No. 287 overall player in the country, the No. 27 safety and the No. 33 player in the state of Florida in the class of 2022.

Picked Buckeyes over: Stokes chose Ohio State over Alabama, Florida and others from around the country.

Stats at Ohio State: Stokes had 12 tackles and a tackle for loss in his debut season for the Buckeyes last year.

Second-year safety Sonny Styles

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 228 pounds

High school: Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio)

On3 Industry Ranking: Five-star Sonny Styles was ranked as the No. 4 overall player in the country, the No. 2 athlete and the No. 1 player in the state of Ohio in the class of 2022, even after reclassifying into a new recruiting class.

Picked Buckeyes over: Styles chose Ohio State over Notre Dame, Clemson, Florida, and Ole Miss, among others.

Stats at Ohio State: Styles had nine tackles and a tackle for loss in his debut season for the Buckeyes last year.

First-year safety Malik Hartford

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 183 pounds

High school: Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio)

On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star Malik Hartford was ranked as the No. 132 overall player in the country, the No. 11 safety and the No. 3 player in the state of Ohio in the class of 2023.

Picked Buckeyes over: Hartford chose Ohio State over Michigan State, Notre Dame, Michigan and Cincinnati

On3 scouting summary from Charles Power: Active safety with the frame and on-field demeanor to develop into a physical presence over the middle of the field at the college level. … Lines up in a center field safety role for his high school, but also rolls into the box as a run defender at times. Shows good play speed and effort as a pursuit defender and can run down plays from the backside. Diagnoses and triggers quickly in defending runs and the quick game. Flies downhill with vigor. Willing to throw his body around and not afraid to dish out contact. Highly productive as a special teamer with six blocked kicks as a junior. Also saw some time at receiver. Will need to continue honing his coverage technique. Should see his tackling and striking power improve as he gets stronger.

First-year safety Jayden Bonsu

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 210 pounds

High school: St. Peter’s Prep (Newark, New Jersey)

On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star Jayden Bonsu was ranked as the No. 283 overall player in the country, the No. 23 safety and the No. 4 player in the state of New Jersey in the class of 2023.

Picked Buckeyes over: Bonsu picked the Buckeyes over Michigan State, Penn State, Alabama, and Miami. 

On3 scouting summary from Charles Power: Physical back half defender with striking power and versatility. Well-built and physically-developed. … Has good length at safety with arms over 32 inches. Plays in multiple spots for one of the top talent-producing high school programs in New Jersey. Rolls into the box, covers in the slot and plays deep safety at various times. A violent striker who levels ball carriers on impact. Tackles with form, driving through. Shows good anticipation in coverage, undercutting routes. Could potentially grow into a linebacker long-term.

Freshman safety Cedrick Hawkins Jr.

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 175 pounds

High school: Cocoa (Titusville, Florida)

On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star Cedrick Hawkins Jr. was ranked as the No. 356 overall player in the country, the No. 31 safety and the No. 65 player in the state of Florida in the class of 2023.

Picked Buckeyes over: Hawkins picked the Buckeyes over Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Arizona State, Cincinnati and others.

On3 scouting summary from Charles Power: Multilevel defender who makes his presence felt in the run and passing game. Flies all over the field and plays at 100 miles per hour for all four quarters. Totaled 117 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 4 interceptions during his junior season. Has the necessary long speed to get sideline to sideline but not an elite burner. Ran an 11.13 100m and a 22.46 200m during his junior track season. Excellent ability to trigger and get downhill quickly. Leaner athletic build with a frame that will struggle to add necessary weight for every down Power 5 football. Has the athletic traits and movement skills to play at an elite level. Build is slight but if he stays healthy he will produce at an extremely high level. Late NFL draft projection due to size and lack of elite speed. One of the older defensive backs in the 2023 recruiting cycle.